[Spencer]

I have to be honest though, I am very surprised at how big this story went around the world.......
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Because the BBC is a valued and respected broadcaster around the world seen as the model of independent public broadcasting, and that has been compromised over the last few years, highlighted by what happened last week.

It's reported around the world in the same manner Russian TV organisations was reported around the world a year ago for either being a voice piece for the government or facing consequences when they went against them.

I suspect it also has something to do with Gary Lineker's past as an internationally known footballer.

[Steve in Pudsey]

I think this has ended as well as it could have for those concerned. The "gray areas" argument allows it to be implied that both GL and the BBC took different but reasonable interpretations, so nobody is actually in the wrong.

[Brekkie]

So it's storm in a tea cup and been a complete waste of time..  Everyone got away with it by blaming the idiots that created the ambiguous rules over social media. 

It's a tried and tested strategy (especially in government, regardless of party!) for dealing with dreadful situations of your own making: 


[*]Find a way to blame the previous guys for the problem
[*]Announce an inquiry to kick the problem down the road and deal with it later
[*]Issue an apology (on behalf of the organisation, of course; after all, you personally have nothing to apologise for)
[*]Insist that you've acted appropriately throughout
[*]Hope the whole thing blows over before anyone asks questions about your own stupid decisions, and all the many ways they made everything much, much worse. 


Tim Davie is, to put it bluntly, balls-deep in that strategy. 

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And it's surprising how often it works. Some new scandal will pop up soon enough to capture the limited attention span of the British public, everyone will be furious about something else, and the poor judgement and feeble leadership of BBC senior management will be allowed to fester on.

That Jimmy Saville drama now suddenly find itself with a slot in the schedules.

[London Lite]

Davie has probably bought some more time as DG, but Richard Sharp is looking untenable as Chairman.

[leewilliams]

All eyes on tomorrow’s Daily Mail front page which I imagine will be all kinds of livid because there’s been:

- No apology from Lineker
- No punishment for Lineker
- Another pro-refugee tweet from Lineker

Do the BBC ignore the right-wing media critique this time that got them into this mess in the first place?

[XIII]

Davie has probably bought some more time as DG, but Richard Sharp is looking untenable as Chairman.

Sharp is a goner for other reasons but I think Tim Davie is safe.

[ConorW2000]

Ether one of Tim Davie or Richard Sharp will end up being forced to resign over this, its been handled appaulingly.

[James2001]

Tim Davie is still so unapologetic over this that he really has to go. How he can still insist he acted properly is beyond me.

[lhx1985]

Tim Davie is still so unapologetic over this that he really has to go. How he can still insist he acted properly is beyond me.

It's pretty desperate stuff.

"I was entirely right to act, which is why it is now the right course of action for me to reverse my earlier decision."

Let's see how long that holds.

[Newshound47]

All eyes on tomorrow’s Daily Mail front page which I imagine will be all kinds of livid because there’s been:

- No apology from Lineker
- No punishment for Lineker
- Another pro-refugee tweet from Lineker

Do the BBC ignore the right-wing media critique this time that got them into this mess in the first place?

The Daily Mail and Sun’s website’s leading headlines are pretty much that at the moment.