Applications for BBC top job to close as leading media figures steer clear
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Version 0 of 1. Opportunity to succeed Tony Hall as director general seen by some as ‘poisoned chalice’ The window to apply to become the next director general of the BBC is closing, with many leading media executives distancing themselves from a role seen by some as a “poisoned chalice” given the potential for clashes with the government. One prominent person who had been linked to the role said there was little point in applying given the risk that, even if successful, they could be replaced within 18 months. “If they appoint someone the government doesn’t like, the government will appoint a new chairman to sack the director general,” they said. Another leading British media executive pointed out that the outgoing director general, Tony Hall, earned £450,000 a year, substantially lower than chief executive pay in the rest of the UK commercial media market. They said taking a pay cut and dealing with the enormous scrutiny and political pressure that comes with running the public broadcaster would not be offset by the potential prestige of saving the BBC at a delicate moment in its history. Applications were due to close on Wednesday. Whoever takes the role later this year will face ever-reducing budgets; an imminent negotiation with the government over a new funding settlement; a battle to retain audiences that are drifting to commercial rivals such as Netflix; ministers demanding the redeployment of resources outside of London; ongoing issues regarding unequal gender pay; calls from Conservative MPs for programmes that reflect the views of Brexit voters; and the fallout of the decision to make most over-75s pay the licence fee. Any past political statements by candidates will also be expected to come under enormous scrutiny. Potential internal candidates for the job include the BBC commercial chief, Tim Davie, and the corporation’s director of content, Charlotte Moore. In a break with tradition, BBC sources suggested that no leading figure from the corporation’s news operation was putting themselves forward for the role. The director general is also editor-in-chief of the news operation and their attitude towards the department will be key at a time when the corporations’ news output has come under enormous scrutiny amid accusations of bias from all sides of the political divide. There will also be substantial pressure to appoint the first female director general, long after many other leading British media organisations have been led by women. This has led speculation to focus on the former Channel 4 chief creative officer Jay Hunt, currently running Apple’s European television operation, and Jane Turton of All3Media, which owns the independent production companies that make hits including Call the Midwife and Fleabag. Other external executives linked to the job have ruled themselves out of the running, with the ITV chief executive, Carolyn McCall, saying it is “not something I’m considering”. Others such as the Channel 4 chief executive, Alex Mahon, and the Glasgow-based STV chief, Simon Pitts, have said they remain committed to their current jobs. One of the few individuals happy to be linked to the job is the former chancellor George Osborne, with friends of the Evening Standard editor telling the Financial Times he was interested. A particular concern for candidates is the position of the government-appointed BBC chairman, who runs the corporation’s governing board, which ultimately oversees the work of the director general. The current occupant of the role is David Clementi, whose five-year term in office runs until February 2021. Hall’s decision to quit earlier than expected has enabled Clementi to oversee the appointment of the next director general, giving him substantial sway over the broadcaster’s future in the medium term. But it also means that whoever gets the director general job is likely to find themselves working for a new, unknown, government-appointed chairman shortly after being appointed. This raises the prospect of a repeat of previous incidents of government intervention in the workings of the BBC, such as when Margaret Thatcher’s government, concerned about the BBC’s output, appointed Marmaduke Hussey as chairman in 1986. Within months he had sacked the then director general, Alasdair Milne. |