FT/Daniel Jones
The BBC’s new Director-General, Tim Davie, needs to be bold, argues Roger Mosey
Tim Davie
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An opportunity for change
ome BBC director- generals are a reaction to their predecessor. After the remorseless strategising of the John Birt years, Greg Dyke was chosen to bring the human touch to staff who felt unloved. When Dyke turned out to be a little too populist and freewheeling for some, the governors opted for a more cerebral traditionalist in the form of Mark Thompson. But, now, we appear to have a continuity candidate: Tim Davie is one of Tony Hall’s key lieutenants, supported by many senior colleagues and representing a known quantity, with 15 years of BBC board experience. The truth, though, is that he may have to be a revolutionary: the external and internal
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pressures on the BBC mean that “no change” is no longer an option. BBC executives are fond of Lord Hall, but many have been bothered by his avoidance of the tougher strategic decisions that they believe are overdue. “I think Tony himself accepts that it is time for something different,” murmurs one. These decisions cannot be avoided, because the financial outlook is bleak. It isn’t known whether Hall plans to emulate the Labour politician Liam Byrne MP and leave a letter behind saying, “There is no more money”, but there is certainly no magic money tree outside New Broadcasting House. The financial worries include: the long-running issue of free licences for over-75s, which has been costing the BBC an extra £40m a month during
the coronavirus crisis; the worry that decriminalising non-payment could cost hundreds of millions; an absence of dividends from BBC Studios, as a further consequence of the pandemic; and undelivered savings from the last budget round after Hall withdrew controversial plans to cut BBC News. Further politically toxic savings need to be made in the nations and regions. “They are royally screwed,” says one corporation finance expert. This would be a grim picture even without the likely long-term trends. The BBC has come into its own during the pandemic as an institution that can bring the nation together, and it has been buoyed by increased consumption levels even among younger audiences.
