Helen Boaden offered BBC audio and music job

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/feb/08/helen-boaden-bbc-head-audio-music

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The BBC's director of news, Helen Boaden, has been lined up for a switch to the vacant director of audio and music job under plans being drawn up by incoming director general, Lord Hall.

Hall has discussed his strategy with senior executives including Boaden ahead of his arrival on 2 April. Boaden is understood to have been told this week that he would like her to take up the vacant audio and music role. It is not known whether she will take up the offer.

Boaden's future at BBC News has been the subject of much speculation in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal that shook the corporation last year.

Boaden temporarily "stepped aside" from her role at the height of the Savile crisis, at one point offering to resign, before returning to her £340,000 job just before Christmas.

But BBC colleagues have questioned how long she can remain in the role following the findings of the Pollard inquiry into the Savile scandal, which cost long-serving deputy Stephen Mitchell his job.

Boaden, a former controller of BBC Radio 4, is understood to have previously been offered the audio and music job by the then director general George Entwistle, who left in November after just 54 days in the job, but turned it down.

Hall is currently drawing up plans for his top team, which includes moving Boaden to the audio and music role, which includes 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.

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.

Boaden was controller of Radio 4 between 2000 and 2004. She is a former presenter of Woman's Hour and File on 4, spending almost her entire career in radio until being appointed head of business programmes in 1997.

Director of BBC News since 2004, she chose not to apply for the audio and music job when Jenny Abramsky retired in 2008.

The BBC has a number of vacancies at the top of the organisation that Hall is keen to fill, including the director of vision.

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 BBC. Hall worked at the BBC for more than 30 years, rising to become BBC director of news before leaving to run the Royal Opera House in 2001.

The BBC said it would not be drawn on speculation and declined to comment further.

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