After talking to 96 people for three hours, the BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons writes:

Performance in News and Current Affairs is rightly seen to be strong but the BBC is not always serving everyone on the audience as it should, with those who fall within the category of ‘low BBC approvers’ perceiving a performance gap. You [Mark Thompson] are addressing this as part of the six year plan to reach out to new audiences without jeopardising the support of existing and loyal audiences.

Really, you couldn’t make it up.

Remember, ‘regular and wide-ranging consultations are one of the key ways the BBC Trust ensures the BBC remains responsive and accountable.’

Focus groups were never intended to be surrogates for democratic accountability. Political pollsters use them to inform the political process, but they have never suggested replacing it with focus groups…

Of course, Mark Thompson could always pay for another 96 people to be canvassed and throw it back at Sir Michael. Don’t hold your breath for that to happen.