BBC crisis: John Humphrys sealed George Entwistle's fate How ironic that a BBC radio interview about a television programme should, within hours, bring about the downfall of the Corporation's Director General. On Saturday, John Humphrys on Radio 4's Today asked George Entwistle what part he had played in, what responsibility he took for broadcasting an edition of Newsnight that contained a serious allegation about a senior Tory figure. Humphrys was focused, persistent, well informed. Entwistle was not. He had not seen the programme, was not aware of subsequent newspaper coverage, had been otherwise engaged, he said. He sounded like a man who had not slept for days, disoriented, alone, at bay. No one listening can have been in any doubt that this interview was historic. I remember having the same feeling nine years ago, in May 2003, when Humphrys was talking to Andrew Gilligan on Today, with Gilligan challenging the dossier the Blair government used to justify the war against Iraq. That interview brought instant response from Downing St, and led, eight months later, to the resignations of Director General Greg Dyke and Chairman of the Governors Gavyn Davies after the Hutton Report found for Downing St. Director General Dyke had not actually heard that broadcast either. Yet Entwistle's omissions were more serious, in not reacting decisively enough to the Jimmy Savile scandals, stumbling in response to questions from the House of Commons culture select committee. How could he not have kept a closer eye on Newsnight of late? He has appeared consistently to lack good advice and his resignation has not stopped the bad press. On Sunday night and Monday morning Radio 5 Live rattled with adverse comment on the size of his pay settlement. I wanted to know who had agreed this, whether it was before he offered to depart. I still do. A greater irony is that this is all happening in the week the BBC marks its 90th birthday. It should be joyful. There is much to celebrate. There have already been good programmes on Reithian inheritance, there will be others on music, broadcasting history, archives, listeners. Tomorrow afternoon Radio Reunited, a special three minute montage woven from listeners' greetings, will be simultaneously broadcast on all 60 of the BBC's radio stations, a broadcasting first. It will, I fear, drop into the deep pool of obscurity given everything else going on at the top of the organisation. That, perhaps, is the grimmest irony of all. We should be celebrating BBC radio, its journalism, its documentaries, plays, comedies, sports reporters and djs, the sum of its astonishingly durable popularity. Instead we'll be riveted to the bloodbath of the bosses.