As Doughty Street heads towards a more commercial footing, ConservativeHome’s Tim Montgomerie is moving out to become a programme producer in a separate unit, which backer Stephan Shakespeare thinks will enable the station “to develop as a truly independent, commercial broadcaster of non-partisan, interactive and innovative political, news and current affairs programmes.”

The technology is proven and the emphasis is now on making the channel pay for itself with a less partisan nightly news programme. “That doesn’t mean we shall be less opinionated, but it does mean we will be giving more opportunities to people with different perspectives” Iain Dale says. Guido thinks that the recruitment of Peter Tatchell and Yasmin Alibhai-Brown as presenters will definitely take the online broadcaster in a new direction.