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I'm the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's media correspondent and this is my brief selection of what's going on.
This is my last Media Brief till the New Year - have a great Christmas!

The [registration required] six people are on the shortlist to be the next chairman of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Trust, according to two insiders who have seen the document. Ben Fenton writes: "Lord Patten, former Conservative party chairman and governor of Hong Kong, is clear favourite. But Sir Howard Davies, director of the London School of Economics, might be preferred if the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ were to be subject to more stringent reforms, the pair said."
It says the other names are Richard Lambert, form¬er Financial Times editor, now director-general of the CBI; Dame Patricia Hodgson, former ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ policy director, now principal of Newnham College, Cambridge; Anthony Fry, an investment banker; and Richard Hooper, former deputy chairman of Ofcom. Interviews will take place on 28 and 31 January.

The "Fears are growing of a Tory takeover at the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ after party grandee Chris Patten was lined up for the Corporation's top job. The Conservative peer... is favourite among the six contenders to be chairman of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Trust."

, the first time the pontiff has broadcast to the people of one country. In his Christmas message, he says God is faithful to his promises but often surprises us by how he fulfils them.

The the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ has rejected accusations that its ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ1 drama The Nativity contained an "anti-Jewish" libel, after a leading rabbi complained about the portrayal of one its characters. The paper says the drama won praise from the Roman Catholic archbishop of Westminster, who said while there was "some clear dramatic licence" there remained "an overall fidelity, not only to the Gospel accounts but also to traditional imagery". The Evangelical Alliance called it an "utterly moving piece of television".

The Queen has made sport the central focus of her Christmas broadcast this year, Buckingham Palace has revealed. She emphasises how it can be used to build communities and create harmony, and highlights the important role that volunteers play reports the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ.

The "the Frankie Boyle racism storm plunged Channel 4 into crisis last night after major backers began pulling their adverts". L'Oreal said: "This is not language we condone and we are pulling the online advert." Nestle, which advertises its Nespresso coffee machine online, said it would not renew its contract with Channel 4. Fosters, which sponsors all comedy on the channel, refused to say whether it would renew the deal.

The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ iPlayer is celebrating its third birthday with a record number of requests - 141 million during November and 1.3 billion across the year. Doctor Who was the most watched single programme with 2.2 million requests for The Eleventh Hour.

The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's Newspaper review says the newspaper headlines on Christmas Eve make depressing reading for rail travellers. "Festive getaway derailed by lack of trains," according to the Daily Telegraph. The Daily Mail says: "Return ticket to chaos" because passengers returning to London on Boxing Day will be hit by strikes on the Underground.

Links in full

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• ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ | God often surprises us, says Pope in ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ broadcast
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• ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ | Queen focuses on sport in speech
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• ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ | Newspaper review

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