Purnell at DCMS

The dust has settled now on Gordon Brown's reshuffle of government ministers. Among the host of young up-and-comers, the biggest winner (excluding Ed Balls) seems to be James Purnell, who was promoted to Culture Secretary.

Great respect to Tessa Jowell for her work, but I think we can safely say the debate on the future of public service broadcasting is now going up a gear.

Purnell is as close as they come to a media policy specialist, having worked in the area at IPPR (where he is credited with 'inventing Ofcom'), advised Tony Blair on it, and been at the BBC. He has decided to retain personal charge of broadcasting in his brief as Culture Secretary.

What this points to surely, is that we are entering the end-game for this debate. There is no-one in political life more equipped to oversee it than Purnell, no-one with a better grasp of the issues. He will be keen not just to leave his mark but to finalise the fundamental direction of PSB for another generation. Let the games begin.