The BBC’s Board of Governors has appointed Matt Brittin, the former Google President for the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), as the broadcasting corporation’s Director-General.
The Director-General serves as the corporation’s Chief Executive Officer, as well as its Editor-in-Chief, overseeing creative, editorial, and operational leadership both within the UK and globally, according to the announcement. Brittin’s remuneration will be £565,000.
Brittin is set to commence his duties on May 18th; until then, the role of Acting Director-General will be filled by Rhodri Talfan Davies. Among Brittin’s initial priorities as the head of the BBC will be selecting his second-in-command.
“Matt is joining the BBC at a pivotal time. The charter is currently under government review, and it is clear that significant reform is needed across the BBC, its funding model, and the structure within which it operates. The stakes for the BBC and the future of public service broadcasting have never been higher,” stated Samir Shah, the Chairman of the BBC’s Board.
“Now more than ever, we need a thriving BBC that works for everyone in a complicated, uncertain, and rapidly evolving world. At its finest, it demonstrates to us and the world who we are. This is an exceptional, uniquely British asset with over 100 years of history in pioneering storytelling, technology, and driving creativity. I am deeply honored and thrilled to be invited to take on the role of Director-General,” commented Brittin.
News of Brittin’s approval for the BBC leadership position was first reported by The Times three days prior. The newspaper had indicated that he emerged as the frontrunner for the role a month earlier.
Brittin had been with Google since 2007, initially leading its UK business, and departed last year from his position as the EMEA head. Prior to his tenure at Google, he worked in regional and national media, and also offered consultancy services on media and technology matters. Furthermore, he served a nine-year term on the board of directors for the retailer Sainsbury’s and more recently stepped down from the board of The Guardian Media Group.
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Brittin’s predecessor, Tim Davie, tendered his resignation early last November following criticism regarding a BBC Panorama documentary that was accused of misleading viewers by doctoring remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021, prior to the Capitol storming.
The edited version included the lines: “We will go to the Capitol, I will be with you, and we will fight. We will fight like hell.” In the original speech, these statements were separated by an hour-long interval. The program aired a week before the U.S. elections.
The BBC issued an apology to Trump. Shah acknowledged that the editing “created a false impression of a direct call to violence” and dispatched a personal letter to the White House. The corporation stated it would no longer broadcast the 2024 program. Nevertheless, the BBC refused to provide compensation to Trump. He subsequently filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the company. BBC lawyers have requested the Florida court to dismiss the suit, arguing that the documentary did not damage Trump’s reputation as it aired in the UK a week before his re-election bid, and was not broadcast in the U.S. The lawyers maintain that, due to the latter point, the Florida court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case.
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