The software that powers this website has been upgraded to keep out nuisance postings. This may involve some teething troubles - for which we apologise. But the site should now be available 24/7, without the intrusions that have plagued us over the past few months. More details here.

Pensions "will not deflate".

A member of this web forum has had word from the BBC Pension scheme that pensions will not be reduced, if the Retail Price Index goes into negative territory this year. Details here.

Memorial service for "the BBC's finest reporter".

About 1,000 people were in Westminster Abbey for a service of thanksgiving for the life and work of Charles Wheeler. The DG, Mark Thompson, described him as "the finest reporter in the BBC’s history". There was also a tribute from Tim Gardam, readings by Jenny Abramsky, Hywel Ceri Jones and Annabel Harris, and recollections from Charles's daughters, Marina and Shirin. Obituary notices and tributes can be found here.

Margaret Douglas

St Bride’s, Fleet Street, was full for a service in memory of Margaret Douglas. She had been Chief Political Adviser to three Directors General. Paul Fox, who gave the tribute, said that what distinguished her, apart from her exceptional career, was "her modesty, her independence and her sheer niceness". Details can be found here.

Some recent deaths:

Bob Friend, reporter, foreign correspondent, presenter.
Margaret Douglas, Chief Political Adviser.
Bill Cotton, Managing Director of television.
Brian Dunning, duty editor at Bush and BH.
Jim Black, head of Presentation, Radio 4.
Colin Vaines, popular broadcast engineer.
Cormac Rigby, Head of Presentation, Radio 3.
Keith Kyle, television reporter.
Geoff Owen, head of Radio 2.
Marmaduke Hussey, controversial and long-serving BBC Chairman.
Roger Bolton, General Secretary of BECTU.
Nick Clarke,World at One presenter.
Paul Walters, Terry Wogan's radio producer.
Margaret Hubble, presenter of Woman's Hour.
James Hawthorne, Controller, Northern Ireland.
Raymond Baxter, presenter of Tomorrow's World.
Israel Wamala, Editor, Focus on Africa.
John Drummond, controller Radio 3.
Michael Vestey, Radio reporter and presenter.
Bob Simpson, Radio foreign correspondent.
John Bierman, foreign correspondent.
June Knox-Mawer, presenter of Woman's Hour.
Roger Mann, journalist in WS newsroom.
John Crawley, CA to DG.

See the full list of more than 200 obituaries.

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