What happens if Thompson goes west?

Monkey hears that Mark Thompson, the director general of the BBC, and Eric Huggers, his future media supremo are taking a trip to Los Angeles next week, to meet studio bosses and the like. Now that Project Canvas, allowing internet TV to come of age, has won semi-approval from the BBC Trust, it seems they have plenty to talk about. But the rumour mill suggests that Thompson, who has an American wife, is not averse to setting out his stall in Hollywood, and may even seek his next big challenge Stateside. Thompson has surrounded himself with executives who present little threat to him. The trust really ought to get on with succession planning.