A BBC source tells me that James Harding is the BBC’s new Director of News. There is no official confirmation yet, but it makes sense. Just a few months ago, he quit as editor of The Times – with the praise of Fleet St ringing in his ears and a £1.3 million payout in his pocket. The Guardian had reported that he had been approached to be deputy to Tony Hall, the new BBC director-general. (The no2 job has not been filled since Mark Byford quit a couple of years ago.) But DDG, for all its nominal seniority, would not have been as powerful position as Director of News (vacated by Helen Boaden, who was paid £354,000 a year). When Lord Hall arrived, the two main vacancies he had to fill were that of Director of News and Director of Television. He has lost very little time on the former, but there’s still no word on the latter.
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