Historic moments

To the BFI for the launch of Maggie Brown's new history of Channel 4, A Licence to be Different (order your copy here). Channel 4 chairman Luke Johnson was on hand as master of ceremonies at the start of the evening and Channel 4 founding father David Scott was also in the crowd of meeja types, but the broadcaster's chief executive Andy Duncan was notable by his absence. He had sent his apologies - he'd had to attend parents' evening at his daughter's school, apparently. Nor was there any sign of former culture secretary Tessa Jowell, who - according to an anecdote expunged from the book that nevertheless surfaced in the press - was allegedly called "Mrs Shit for Brains" by a certain Channel 4 chief executive who's now fetched up at the BBC. As Maggie put it: "Tessa can't come because she's revising for her Mensa exams."