Poisoned chalice? The Bbc’s struggles to find a successor to Tim Davie
The ’s leadership contest has been reshaped by a week of high-profile crises and a narrowing field of candidates, leaving the corporation confronting talent attrition, legal and financial threats, and deep questions about the licence fee model.
leadership vacuum and candidate attrition
An impressive shortlist of senior executives circulated in media circles has been whittled down as several prominent names are now said not to be running for the top job. Observers point to the events of the past week as a key factor in that attrition, with potential successors stepping back amid mounting institutional strain.
Bafta fallout and the pressures that hastened Davie’s exit
A calamitous chain of events involving the Bafta awards, independent producers and the broadcaster culminated in the televised inclusion of the N-word. The slur was shouted by Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson while actors Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage. The episode prompted multiple apologies and the launch of an internal investigation, followed by a Wednesday night statement from the culture secretary that focused solely on the broadcaster’s failings. Senior figures inside the corporation described the mistake as major, and contributors point to an accumulation of similar crises across a sprawling organisation with tens of thousands of employees as a reason Tim Davie is leaving earlier than planned. Former communications director John Shield captured the scale of the role, saying he struggles to think of a harder public job and describing the expectations of creative leadership, editorial judgment, political navigation, public scrutiny and the drive for a sustainable funding model — concluding, wryly, "So apart from all that, it is a pretty straightforward job. "
Who has stepped back and who remains in contention
Several high-profile figures who were mentioned as possible successors have declined to apply. An early favourite, Jay Hunt — formerly a senior controller at a national television channel and later chief creative officer at a major streamer — did not put her name forward after being sounded out. Alex Mahon, who left a national broadcaster last year to run an events company, also declined. Charlotte Moore, who until recently was the corporation’s chief creative officer and who now runs a well-known production company, was widely regarded as a potential successor; in one account she is named as a contender, while in another she is understood not to have applied, a contradiction that remains unclear in the provided context. Mark Thompson was sounded out about a return but is settled in the US and has already been knighted for his previous tenure. Kevin Bakhurst, now director general at Ireland’s national broadcaster, declined to apply and is not expected to go for a new deputy director-general role intended to make the top job more manageable. One prominent media figure described the role as a "wonderful, beautiful, terrible poisoned chalice. "
Matt Brittin’s candidacy and credentials
Matt Brittin, a wealthy former Google executive, is described as the "prime candidate" for director-general. He is 57, Cambridge-educated and rowed for Team GB at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Brittin left Google last year after 18 years, the last 10 of which were spent as president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Some staffers express concern that he lacks programme-making experience; others argue his tech-sector background and regular dealings with regulators and politicians would be valuable as the broadcaster adapts to a rapidly changing marketplace. His 2016 appearance before the Commons Public Accounts Committee, when he was unable to recall his exact Google salary while defending the company’s UK tax arrangements, was raised by the panel and described by the committee chair as evidence that he "lived in a different world" from many constituents. Brittin is believed to have earned multiples of the £550, 000 director-general salary and may hold company stock that would need to be placed into a trust if he were appointed.
Financial, legal and strategic tests awaiting the next director-general
The next director-general will step into immediate and intense challenges. Negotiations with government over a radical overhaul of the licence fee are expected to be front and centre: non-payment and evasion cost the corporation £1bn last year. A $10bn lawsuit filed by the US President over a misleading edit on the flagship investigative programme is set for trial in Florida next year and will demand strategic decisions about whether to contest or settle. The incoming chief will also be charged with finding £600m in fresh cuts announced by Davie before his departure, turbo-charging commercial income from programme sales, addressing claims of institutional bias in news output, and attempting to win back viewers increasingly drawn to deep-pocketed streaming rivals and a major online video platform now touted as many households’ first-choice TV service.
Board expectations and the path ahead
The corporation’s board, led by its chairman Samir Shah, is seeking a director-general with the resilience to withstand intense public scrutiny. The role will require balancing creative leadership with financial stewardship, legal risk management and political navigation. With contenders both from inside the programme-making world and from high-level tech and commercial backgrounds, the choice will reflect a strategic judgment about whether the immediate priority is talent and content or regulatory, commercial and platform expertise. Recent coverage suggests the field has narrowed but remains unsettled, and the selection will shape how the corporation addresses the future of the licence fee, legal exposure and competition from rapidly evolving digital rivals.
