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The Culture, Media and Sport select committee report into Channel 4, published this week, is highly critical of the board's failure to split out the digital channels E4, More 4 and Film 4 individually, and disclose whether they are in profit or loss and what they contribute to C4 as a whole.
C4 finance director Anne Bulford did submit confidential information which doesn't seem to have mollified MPs on this score.
This raises the interesting question of whether Lord Burns, as the new broom chairman, will decide to be more open, as the scrutiny of C4's accounts will become an annual event.
The answer, it seems, is a diplomatic no, because the competitors don't. The suggestion is that E4 may have good ratings but high costs. And Film 4, first launched as a subscription service 13 years ago, is also said to be, according to one source close to the committee, in its own little world.
But then, a lack of worldliness is a criticism that could be directed at the MPs' committee — why has it taken 10 months to publish a report about 2008 accounts unveiled last May?
Channel Five grabs chance at money
An interesting nugget to emerge as Channel Five reported a painful £37 million annual loss last year: Five boss Dawn Airey is to make Gadget Show Live, a three-day exhibition inspired by its TV show, into a regular annual event.
All 30,000 tickets for last year's inaugural exhibition at the Birmingham NEC sold out in advance. Proof that even in the internet age, making money the old-fashioned way can still work well...
Murdoch rumours get everyone excited
Rumours that Rupert Murdoch could take BSkyB private got City traders briefly excited a couple of days ago. Interestingly, Murdoch is in London this week on a pre-election visit so that will keep the politicians on their toes, not to mention executives at News Corp...
Cameron casts his eyes over Fleet Street
David Cameron has a general election to win first but already thoughts are turning to how he might shake up Downing Street's communications. There is renewed talk of an approach to Ian Birrell, former deputy editor of The Independent, who is close to Cameron while the Daily Telegraph's telegenic deputy editor Ben Brogan is another name on the grapevine. Friends of Brogan, whose wife is a high-ranking Whitehall civil servant, say there's nothing to the rumours.
...and Ofcom gets hints of a reprieve
Maybe media regulator Ofcom isn't doomed after all if the Tories win power. David Cameron's favourite Tory think-tank, Policy Exchange, has just published a new tome called The Renewal of Government, about how to “make public sector organisations more dynamic and less bureaucratic”, and it singles out the creation of Ofcom for praise.
Describing it as an effective and well-run regulator, Policy Exchange points out that Ofcom successfully amalgamated the roles of five other quangos and has done a good job of rewarding staff for strong performances and weeding out under-achievers.
Will that persuade Cameron, who vowed last July that “Ofcom as we know it will cease to exist”, to change his mind?
Bailey bonuses at the Mirror
Some good news for staff on the Daily Mirror and sister papers. Trinity Mirror chief Sly Bailey is handing every staffer a payment of £813 after hitting 81.3% of targets in 2009, even though profits fell. Bailey introduced the bonus incentive scheme last year because trading conditions were so tough.
