Mark Byford - DDG and Head of BBC Journalism

I don't think it's not newsworthy. Moreover, it's another example of the BBC reporting on its own internal HR, and giving it disproportionate importance.

Jon Sopel intones as if it's a massive story...rather than a civil servant leaving his job.

It's Breaking News in the terms of THIS SITE . That's why I posted.

No - John Birt was Deputy DG under Michael Checkland ISTR. When he was Deputy DG he oversaw the merger of News (based at TVC) and Current Affairs (based at Lime Grove at the time)

I think the role has historically been used to support the DG. Byford's appointment was, presumably, a response to Hutton. Birt's appointment was presumably to support the non-programme maker Michael Checkland, at a time when the BBC was under fire from the Tory government.

His predecessor, Alasdair Milne, had been forced to resign under a new Chairman of Governors (Marmaduke Hussey) after a number of editorial disputes with the government (Falkland Islands coverage, Libya Air strikes, Real Lives, Secret Society etc.)

The BBC has confirmed the departure of marketing chief Sharon Baylay and further changes at the top of the corporation that will see Peter Salmon and Lucy Adams step down from its executive board.

Baylay, who joined the BBC in May last year as director of marketing, communications and audiences (MC&A), is to leave without being replaced.

Salmon, the director of BBC North, and Adams, director of human resources department BBC People, will continue in their roles but will step down from the executive board and join the new BBC operating committee.

The MC&A and People divisions will no longer be standalone divisions, joining an expanded Operations group led by the chief operating officer, Caroline Thomson.

The corporation, which is aiming to reduce its senior management pay bill by 25% by the end of next year, said this would "enable the BBC to realise further efficiency savings in support and management costs".