The man who signed Audley could head Beeb
Posted: 03 Feb 2004, 17:50
The BBC sports chief who brought Match of the Day back to the corporation has emerged as a surprise candidate to head the Beeb in the wake of Greg Dyke's resignation.
Peter Salmon worked hand in hand with Mr Dyke to restore the corporation's reputation following a demoralising drain of live sport to BSkyB in the 1990s, and is the former director general's personal choice to take over from him in the top job.
Sources close to Mr Dyke said he considers Mr Salmon to be "a brilliant leader" very much in his own image, who had revitalised the sports department and restored morale.
One of Mr Dyke's stated aims when he joined the corporation in November 1999 was to restore its reputation for sporting coverage.
That ambition suffered a body blow when ITV snatched the rights to Premier League highlights three years ago, but Mr Dyke and Mr Salmon - who believed the commercial network had overpaid - were proved right when the BBC won the rights back last year.
Mr Salmon also recently extended the BBC's deal for FA Cup ties and home England internationals, games that he believes have a natural home on the BBC.
Coverage of the 2000 Sydney Olympics and last year's Commonwealth Games in Manchester were also highly regarded, while the corporation also won back the rights to Six Nations rugby from BSkyB.
But not all of Mr Salmon's decisions have been quite so successful. In a bid to revitalise the BBC's boxing coverage, he signed up Olympic gold medallist Audley Harrison - but the heavyweight turned out to be an expensive flop as he struggled to establish himself as a professional.
The new BBC chief will be appointed within three months.
Salmon is just one of several candidates.
Peter Salmon worked hand in hand with Mr Dyke to restore the corporation's reputation following a demoralising drain of live sport to BSkyB in the 1990s, and is the former director general's personal choice to take over from him in the top job.
Sources close to Mr Dyke said he considers Mr Salmon to be "a brilliant leader" very much in his own image, who had revitalised the sports department and restored morale.
One of Mr Dyke's stated aims when he joined the corporation in November 1999 was to restore its reputation for sporting coverage.
That ambition suffered a body blow when ITV snatched the rights to Premier League highlights three years ago, but Mr Dyke and Mr Salmon - who believed the commercial network had overpaid - were proved right when the BBC won the rights back last year.
Mr Salmon also recently extended the BBC's deal for FA Cup ties and home England internationals, games that he believes have a natural home on the BBC.
Coverage of the 2000 Sydney Olympics and last year's Commonwealth Games in Manchester were also highly regarded, while the corporation also won back the rights to Six Nations rugby from BSkyB.
But not all of Mr Salmon's decisions have been quite so successful. In a bid to revitalise the BBC's boxing coverage, he signed up Olympic gold medallist Audley Harrison - but the heavyweight turned out to be an expensive flop as he struggled to establish himself as a professional.
The new BBC chief will be appointed within three months.
Salmon is just one of several candidates.