This from The Guardian:

Frontrunner denies interest in BBC job

Owen Gibson and Jason Deans
Tuesday April 20, 2004
The Guardian

The race to be director general of the BBC today appeared to be thrown wide open after the frontrunner Mark Thompson effectively ruled himself out of the contest.

Mr Thompson, widely considered the favourite to succeed Greg Dyke as DG, told reporters that he had the job he wanted as chief executive of Channel 4 and would turn down any approach from the BBC.

Previously, he has said he would not "apply" for the post, but this was seen as a tactical statement designed to comfort the Channel 4 board and the new chairman Luke Johnson, while at the same time leaving the door open for an approach from headhunters or the new BBC chairman, Michael Grade.

"I have to say that the whole issue of my contractual understanding, I regard as a private matter between me and Channel 4. I absolutely intend to stay at Channel 4 and deal with the uncertainty and challenging questions in Channel 4's future.

"I intend to stay at Channel 4. I don't intend to take part in any process leading to any kind of recruitment at the BBC. I have a job I want," he told reporters at a press conference unveiling the broadcaster's annual report.

Pressed on the question, he was unequivocal. "I will turn down any approach from the BBC," he said.

Last month it emerged that restaurant entrepreneur Mr Johnson, who was appointed Channel 4 chairman in February, was so desperate to ensure he didn't lose his chief executive that he told Mr Thompson to "name his price" for staying.

Despite Mr Thompson's protestations today, the door remains ajar for the BBC to swoop.

Insiders at Channel 4 confirmed today that he has not signed a new contract which would handcuff him for longer than his current one-year rolling contract.

Me Johnson later said that he wanted to keep all of Channel 4's management team on board.

"It seemed to me that what he had said is unequivocal. I hope he will stay. I think he is doing a great job. There is a level of independence he enjoys here that he might not get at the BBC. He is only half way through the job."

Mr Thompson, who spent virtually his entire career at the BBC, defected from the corporation in March 2002 and many at the time predicted he would use the position to gain valuable commercial experience to enhance his chances of being appointed director general of the BBC once Greg Dyke stood down.

The dynamics changed when Dyke was dramatically sacked from the corporation in February following the cataclysmic Hutton report which also saw the resignation of the BBC chairman Gavyn Davies.

Other front-runners for the coveted director general's job include the BBC's head of television, Jana Bennett, the BBC's head of radio, Jenny Abramsky, and head of factual programming, John Willis.

The head of sport, Peter Salmon, has the support of Mr Dyke while the acting director general Mark Byford has already thrown his hat in the ring. He was one of those who applied when the BBC appointed headhunters to start the process of finding a new director general rolling ahead of the appointment of a new chairman.

However that process has been frozen by Mr Grade and will not be restarted until he arrives a the corporation on May 17.

Michael Jackson, the former chief executive of Channel 4 and former controller of BBC, is also being tipped to apply