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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| James Harding in talks on senior BBC role | James Harding in talks on senior BBC role |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| James Harding, the former editor of the Times, has been in talks with the BBC's incoming director general, Tony Hall, about the possibility of taking a senior position within the corporation. | James Harding, the former editor of the Times, has been in talks with the BBC's incoming director general, Tony Hall, about the possibility of taking a senior position within the corporation. |
| Evidently, they did not talk about a specific position. But there have been rumours within the BBC that Hall was considering Harding as his second in command, deputy director general. | Evidently, they did not talk about a specific position. But there have been rumours within the BBC that Hall was considering Harding as his second in command, deputy director general. |
| Hall has several senior positions vacant, including the director of news. And it is known that he has spoken to a number of people about filling key posts. | Hall has several senior positions vacant, including the director of news. And it is known that he has spoken to a number of people about filling key posts. |
| Similarly, Harding has been approached about a number of jobs since he resigned from the Times editorship on 12 December last year. | Similarly, Harding has been approached about a number of jobs since he resigned from the Times editorship on 12 December last year. |
| It is understood that he regarded the BBC talks as positive even though they have yet to result in a job offer. | It is understood that he regarded the BBC talks as positive even though they have yet to result in a job offer. |
| Harding's resignation after five years as editor came as a shock. He told staff at the time that he did so after being told that Rupert Murdoch wanted to replace him. | Harding's resignation after five years as editor came as a shock. He told staff at the time that he did so after being told that Rupert Murdoch wanted to replace him. |
| It caused controversy because Murdoch's replacement, the Sunday Times editor John Witherow, did not gain the prior approval of the Times's independent national directors. | It caused controversy because Murdoch's replacement, the Sunday Times editor John Witherow, did not gain the prior approval of the Times's independent national directors. |
| Their refusal to rubber-stamp his appointment means that he was made "acting editor", which remains the case. | Their refusal to rubber-stamp his appointment means that he was made "acting editor", which remains the case. |
| Harding took a holiday immediately after the furore of his departure, and has kept a low profile ever since. But he is regarded as having done a good job at the Times, so he has unsurprisingly received several approaches. | Harding took a holiday immediately after the furore of his departure, and has kept a low profile ever since. But he is regarded as having done a good job at the Times, so he has unsurprisingly received several approaches. |
| He has leadership experience and, aged just 44, he was bound to be in the running for a top job of some kind. | He has leadership experience and, aged just 44, he was bound to be in the running for a top job of some kind. |
| Harding was not available for comment. | |
| Hall, who takes over as director general on 2 April, is in the process of filling a number of senior positions at the BBC. | |
| Helen Boaden, the BBC director of news, has been offered the vacant position of director of audio and music, overseeing all the corporation's national radio stations. It is not known whether she will take up the offer. | |
| The deputy director general role has not been filled since the departure of Mark Byford in early 2011. | |
| However, following the management turmoil that engulfed the BBC in the autumn as it struggled to deal with the Savile scandal, there have been calls for the role to be reinstated. | |
| Observers inside and outside the BBC felt that the corporation may have handled the crisis better if a steadying influence such as Byford had been around. | |
| The BBC also lost another hugely experienced senior manager, chief operating officer Caroline Thomson, in September. At the time it was thought unlikely that Thomson would be directly replaced, but once again, in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal, the BBC's thinking may have changed. | |
| BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music controller Bob Shennan had been an early favourite for the audio and music role, which was previously held by Tim Davie, currently acting director general. Davie will take up his new brief as chief executive of BBC Worldwide upon Hall's arrival. | |
| The director of audio and music has responsibility for all of the BBC's national radio networks and the production of most of its pop and classical music output across radio and TV. | |
| There is speculation within the BBC that acting director of vision Roger Mosey, BBC North boss Peter Salmon and director of global news Peter Horrocks are being lined up to take on key roles under Hall's regime. | |
| On Thursday Davie sent out an email to staff saying that there would be announcement about senior moves shortly. | |
| The Channel 4 chief operating officer, Anne Bulford, who has worked at the Royal Opera House with Hall and at the BBC, is also being tipped to work with him again on his return to the the corporation. Hall worked at the BBC for more than 30 years, rising to become director of news before leaving to run the Royal Opera House in 2001. | |
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