BBC TV News: Making It

Nicholas Witchell is not talking about the Queen when he recalls the incident which, along with an icy encounter with her eldest son, has come to define his career in broadcasting. "I lowered myself gently astride the dear lady," he says. "You could hear all these muffled cries and groans. I think it came as a shock to us both."

It came as a shock, too, to poor Sue Lawley, who had to read the headlines while Witchell wrestled a gay rights protester under the desk beside her, clamping his hand against her mouth. A second woman had also invaded the studio at the swing of the final bong, handcuffing herself to the camera. It wobbled slightly as Lawley kept going. 'BEEB MAN SITS ON LESBIAN', the Mirror's front page screamed the next day.

It was 1988 and Witchell was on top of his game...

Nicholas Witchell recalls in The Independent when BBC One's Six O'Clock News was invaded by two lesbians protesting against Section 28.

BBC TV News celebrates its 60th anniversary today - surely this was its finest minute?

PS Here's the audio from the gallery; 'Oh fucking hell, there's some nutter in the studio! Get him out!' sic etc.

Evan Davis Watch: Cape Crusader

Did any eagle-eyed viewers see Evan Davis presenting a story on BBC TV News on Boxing Day about the Cape Verde economy?
It was most informative, I can tell you.
BBC don't put news programmes on iPlayer, but Evan has filed a report here.
I suppose at this time of year a lot of peoples' minds begin wondering how fares the ecomomy of Cape Verde - and the BBC was probably snowed under with requests from curious licence payers demanding their money's worth.
But even so it did seem rather cruel of "Auntie Beeb" to send Mr Davis to this tropical island paradise over Christmas - a time when a chap should surely be with his family.
I just hope they allowed Mr Davis to take his good lady wife.

Belgrade Pride: I Didn't Know You Cared

As I type the far Right/neo-fascist rioting triggered by the Gay Pride march in Belgrade is the fourth item on BBC TV News, and the second item on BBC Radio 4 News.
Thanks Auntie, I didn't know you cared.
But Pride events in other eastern European cities, including Bratislava, Moscow, Riga and Warsaw, have also been met with violence in recent years without them being considered newsworthy by BBC TV.
Fagburn wonders if this sudden but selective concern for gay rights in an eastern European country has more to do with the Western media having spent so many years demonising the Serbs and Serbia - our last Officially Declared Enemy before 9/11 - that this has become a Pavlovian response?
At least this time no-one is arguing that we should start bombing Belgrade.

• Reports from Belgrade's B92 here.