Surrounding himself with the right people will be critical in helping a director general lacking editorial experience. Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/ReutersSurrounding himself with the right people will be critical in helping a director general lacking editorial experience. Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/ReutersAnalysisFrom YouTube to Trump: six urgent issues for BBC’s new boss, Matt BrittinMichael Savage Media editorPressing tasks for new director general also include an expiring royal charter, and finding a new top team
Matt Brittin may have only just been announced as the new BBC director general, but his inbox is already overflowing. Here are his immediate challenges:
Crucial talks over the BBC’s future
A major reason for Brittin’s appointment is that he was seen as a figure with the presence to plunge straight into government talks over the renewal of the BBC’s royal charter, which expires at the end of 2027.
Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, has already said she is keen to give the BBC additional political protection. However, Brittin will face huge decisions over reforming the BBC’s funding model.
Tim Davie, his predecessor, pushed back against a subscription or ad-funded model, but also called for radical reform to the licence fee. That could result in a big change to the rules governing when someone is required to have a licence.
Make big internal cuts
To make things even harder, the BBC has already announced it is embarking on a major programme of internal cuts – 10% across departments, which will require savings in the hundreds of millions. That will cause significant internal unrest and uncertainty, and will almost certainly mean cuts to staff and programming.
Identify a new top team
Brittin has the task of surrounding himself with the right people, which will be critical in helping a director general lacking editorial experience. He is looking not only for a deputy, but also a new head of BBC News. Given the pressure the BBC’s news coverage comes under from political and commercial rivals, it is important he gets it right.
Managing the Trump court case
Managing an unprecedented court case with the US president would be a tall order for any director general, but Brittin will have to deal with it from day one.
The BBC is already fighting Donald Trump’s attempt to sue over a Panorama documentary that spliced together one of his speeches, but Brittin will have to manage the case and the costs – without compromising the BBC’s US coverage.
Have a strategy for YouTube and beyond
The rise of YouTube has challenged all traditional broadcasters, and more people across all age groups are using the digital platform. YouTube became the UK’s second most-watched media service last year, behind the BBC. That has been accompanied by the rise of short-form video, which has also contributed to a transformation in media consumption.
How the BBC chooses to react is a big strategic question. Given he has come from the world of big tech, it is another reason Brittin was given the job.
Crisis management
As Davie discovered, a crisis of some kind is never far away at the BBC. Its sheer size, combined with its numerous opponents in search of a fresh stick with which to beat it, means it is inevitable that Brittin will be dealing with one soon enough.
How he chooses to handle it will say a lot about how suited and prepared he is for one of the hardest jobs in public life.
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