Ex-Google executive becomes BBC’s new director-general
The BBC has appointed former Google executive Matt Brittin as its new chief executive, replacing Tim Davie, who resigned last year after a speech by US President Donald Trump was misleadingly edited.
The BBC is facing a $10 billion ($14 billion) lawsuit from Trump. Trump is accusing the publicly funded UK broadcaster of defamation over how it stitched together footage of parts of his speech before some of his supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
The publisher argued that the case should be dismissed, saying Trump’s subsequent re-election showed that the alleged insult did not harm his reputation.
Brittin joined Google in 2007 as president of the UK and Ireland and was promoted to president of Europe, Middle East and Africa in 2014.
He resigned in 2024 and will take on the new role from May 18.
Brittin said the 104-year-old BBC was “an extraordinary, uniquely British entity”.
“This is a moment of real risk and also real opportunity. The BBC needs speed and energy to be where both the stories and the audiences are,” he said in a statement.
“To build on our access, trust and creative powers today, to boldly face challenges and thrive as a public service fit for the future. I can’t wait to begin this work,” he added.
The BBC said it would appoint an assistant director-general, reflecting his lack of editorial or broadcast experience.
Brittin, 57, steps in at a critical moment.
The broadcaster will have to negotiate a new funding deal after its royal contract expires at the end of 2027.
Options include keeping the license fee paid for households to watch TV or switching to subscriptions or advertising financing.
The BBC faces a struggle to stay relevant as viewers, especially younger viewers, move to broadcasters and other digital platforms.
The job also comes with intense political scrutiny; The BBC has faced wide-ranging criticism over its impartiality, piling pressure on an institution long regarded as one of the UK’s most trusted and enduring cultural fixtures.
A documentary released days before the 2024 US presidential election combined three quotes from a speech to create what appears to be a quote in which Trump urges his supporters to march with him and “fight like hell.”
Trump is suing the broadcaster for defamation in a Florida court.
via Reuters
