“Tardiness and timidity” sounds like the sort of costume drama for which the BBC is justly renowned. In fact, the words typify the publicly funded broadcaster’s response to the furore this week over obscene telephone messages broadcast by two of its star names. After Sir John Tusa, the former head of BBC World Service, called on the BBC’s director-general on Thursday to “get a grip”, the Beeb has finally injected some urgency into its reaction.

Ever since the storm broke over the crude prank calls by Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand, the BBC has seemed nonplussed by the extent of audience anger. As the complaints ran into thousands and political leaders demanded action, the Beeb continued to behave as though an apology and an unhurried internal inquiry would end the matter without the public involvement of senior figures from the corporation. Any of its news staff could have told the BBC this was wrong.