Media Brief

I'm the BBC's media correspondent and this is my brief selection of what's going on.

Welsh MPs and Assembly Members want UK ministers to explain the sudden departure of S4C's chief executive, Iona Jones. Her exit follows reports that the UK government plans to cut the Welsh-language channel's budget by 24% over four years, the BBC reports.

S4C's Iona Jones gave a long interview to MediaGuardian's Maggie Brown the night before her departure.

The Financial Times says [subscription required] BSkyB's purchase of the HBO dramas shows it wants to reduce its reliance on sports rights.

BSkyB's strong results put pressure on Rupert Murdoch to raise his offer for the rest of the company according to the Independent.

In my BBC College of Journalism blog I look at Chris Addison's claim that political reporting is trivialising politics. The stand-up comic and actor from 'The Thick of It' singles out the BBC's Nick Robinson for criticism.

The BBC's newspaper review says public spending cuts and reaction to government plans to scrap the mandatory retirement age of 65 fill many papers.

Links in full

• BBC | Shock resignation of Welsh-language channel S4C head
• Maggie Brown | Guardian | S4C 'not designed for a downturn'
• Ben Fenton | Financial Times | Sky's HBO deal is a sign of a new direction
• Nick Clark | Independent | Murdoch under pressure to pay more for Sky
• Torin Douglas | BBC College of Journalism | Cut the jokiness from politics reporting
• BBC | Newspaper review

• Read my archive of media stories on Delicious

• Read Thursday's Media Brief