Chris Patten (彭定康) to be named new chairman of the BBC Trust

For the record. See Feb 20, 2011 UK Guardian “Chris Patten for the BBC? Good work, Jeremy. Now for Rupert…”, and “Chris Patten: The Tory Everyman returns to the top“.

See also Variety, RTHK, Mirror and ITV.

***

Feb 25, 2011 Update: Looks like it is almost official now, as the MP committee has not formal power to block the appointment. UK Guardian, “Lord Patten confirmed as ‘preferred candidate’ for BBC Trust chairman – David Cameron approves appointment and Patten now faces a pre-appointment hearing on 10 March”

22 Feb, 2011 Update: Here is an old video clip. Still interesting to watch. “Frost Over The World – Chris Patten – 29 Jun 07”

Lord Patten 彭定康 – BBC Trust chairman ?

Here is an excerpt from UK Guardian, “Lord Patten expected to be named BBC Trust chairman” (emphasis added). [Kempton: To some people, Lord Patten is known as the last governor of Hong Kong.]

“Lord Patten‘s pitch to win the job of BBC Trust chairman was simple – give me the job and I will stand up to both the government of the day and the organisation itself, if necessary.

It was exactly what the culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, wanted to hear – evidence of strong-minded independence, which would allow him to say “this is not a political appointment” even though Patten is a former Conservative cabinet minister.

Now Patten’s name sits with David Cameron for approval – having been put forward by Hunt – and insiders said on Friday afternoon that the prime minister’s consent was expected to be a formality next week.

That would propel Patten into the £110,000-a-year, four-day a week role at a time when the public broadcaster has just asked for 20% cuts to meet the flat licence fee settlement imposed by the government last year.

Patten – aged 66 and currently chancellor of Oxford University – made it clear to both Hunt and an interview panel that he badly wanted the BBC job as the final act in a long career in politics and public life.“

Also see Guardian, “Chris Patten: the extraordinary career of an achiever who couldn’t retire
From Tory chairman to Hong Kong governor to academia – and now the expected chairmanship of the BBC Trust“.

張敏儀(前廣播處處長) @ RTHK 品味人生

2010-02-06 第三集 張敏儀 「這個旅人不寂寞」 (full program video).

One of the most insightful lady. Now, even 張敏儀 has retired for so many years, she is just so eloquent.

For the record “行山路上的張敏儀 – 2010年02月05日（嚴浩）”

訪問張敏儀之前，我們想先碰碰面，敏儀告訴港台監製陳曼儀：「那個嚴浩，聽說喜歡行山，就約他去石澳海邊，從沙灘走去半山亭！」

那一天不算最冷，但初冬的石澳海邊，絕對不算風和日麗。石澳的半山亭沒有幾個人去過，沿着海邊一條小路拾級而上，途中敏儀向我們介紹：「這個房子是個大美人的」，大美人是老上海時代巨星，如今在安享子孫福。

小路旁的另一所別墅是一個大家族的祖業，姓楊，老人家吩咐過，祖業無論如何不可以變賣或者拆建。山路旁是一堵石壁懸崖，懸崖外面便是無盡太平洋，「很像地中海的景色」，敏儀說。山路中間有一個政府花了不少錢做的燒烤點，「希望有一天，把一位好廚師請過來，在這裏為朋友們燒乳豬！」身旁圍着好朋友，面對太平洋的浩瀚，身後繞着青山綠水，吃燒豬，喝酒，講香港的典故，分享人生走過的路，讀過的書，欣賞過的電影，交過的朋友，旅遊過的國家，幹過的糗事，經歷過的榮譽，分享令自己哭過、笑過、感動過、憤怒過……種種的經驗與經歷，這是何等境界！

行山路上的張敏儀，充份展示了她真性情的一面。這是一位愛讀書，愛旅行，愛電影，愛音樂，愛朋友的秀麗女子，在她任政府高職的時候，表現出來的卻是一位老練能幹的巾幗鬚眉，對同事有情有義，從不推卸責任。誠如亦舒這樣形容，她是位「永遠的張敏儀」。

For the record “出貓成功的張敏儀 – 2010年02月06日（嚴浩）”

在鏡頭面前講自己的感情生活，不是人人都喜歡，這是可以理解的。在準備好訪問張敏儀的系列問題中，其中一條是「戀愛對你重要嗎？」到了訪問開始後，我開始猶疑，不知道應不應該問，因為她不像是個願意談感情問題的人。她很喜歡世界旅行，但總是一個人，一個人去旅行寂寞嗎？我試探地問，如果她說「有點寂寞」，那麼我便可以順下去問感情的問題，誰知道她敏銳的觸覺已經在十里外嗅到我的動機。她馬上回答：「每到一個地方都有朋友。」如果沒有呢？「如果沒有也看過有關那地方的書或者電影，到了那地方後腦中全被那些書中的內容佔滿了」，她說。好厲害，滴水不入。

訪問結束，導演剛一叫「 OK」，想不到她突然哈哈笑，兩手一拍，兩腳踢起啪哋一碰，大聲自己問：「戀愛對你重要嗎？」十足一個出貓成功的女學生。大家都愣住了，是不是她願意講一下自己的感情生活？監製阿曼開始怪我：「應該在訪問中問嘛！」敏儀聞言擺擺手，笑說：「如果問我，我會答：我不在鏡頭前回答這種問題。」

大方，直接，不忸忸怩怩裝模作樣，這叫做得體。幾個星期後我訪問楊瀾，楊小姐的潛台詞也是不希望講她的感情生活，可是卻把氣氛搞得生硬緊張，不過這是後話了。

我很喜歡與張小姐談話。有內涵，有文化，自然流露而不做作。

（註：今晚翡翠台七點半播出。 watch it online here)

P.S. Thanks to 張敏儀, I discovered this piece by Chris Patten “The city will not sleep – A decade on, Hong Kong isn’t yet truly democratic. But its people will make Beijing release the brakes“, here is an excerpt

Several years ago, Samuel Finer, a distinguished professor of politics at Oxford, wrote a three-volume history of government. He set out to describe every form that has ever been. There was one short chapter on societies that were liberal but not democratic. The only example he could think of was Hong Kong.

When I left Hong Kong 10 years ago, we were in the throes of introducing democracy. We were late in doing so. But what we set out to do was to give the citizens what they had been promised in the agreement on the city’s handover to China, known as the Joint Declaration. It was also a development specifically allowed for in the Basic Law, Beijing’s constitution for Hong Kong.

Alas, this has not happened. Democratic development has been blocked by Beijing. It has also intervened twice in the judicial process in Hong Kong.

P.P.S. OK, this is just me, a grumpy old man writing.

The younger generation of “writers” or “media types” in HK seem to lack the kind of depth 張敏儀 has shown even in this short program. I guess I am calling some of the new HK “writers” or “media types” shallow.