LONDON: Yet another new face at the helm of the UK government's oddball hybrid, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Not only is it difficult to perceive what these three pursuits have in common, the tenure of its secretaries of state tends to extreme brevity.
Possibly the latest appointee, Andy Burnham (pictured) will be the exception that proves the rule.
Outgoing incumbent James Purnell (tenure: six months) has been sentenced to rule over the department of work and pensions, following the resignation of Peter Hain after a financial scandal.
Meantime, readers with a sense of humour will be glad to learn that Burnham "previously gained expertise in the media while working as a special adviser to the former culture secretary Chris Smith".
"He also worked as a researcher for Smith's successor, Tessa Jowell, after becoming an MP."
UK media executives will now exhale, secure in the knowledge that you can't get a better handle on the industry than that.
Data sourced from MediaGuardian.co.uk; additional content by WARC staff
