One of the BBC’s most senior executives, Tim Davie, has been announced as the new director general of the broadcasting company.
Davie has prior experience of the role, acting as director general following the 2012 resignation of George Entwistle in 2012. He now stands to take over the role from current director general, Tony Hall.
The new director general has disclosed his plans to negotiate the future of the licence fee with the government as one of his first acts in the role. His former role as the chief executive of BBC Studios ensures he is well versed in the way the BBC operates.
At present, the TV licence fee is expected to stay in place until 2027, however, the government plans to review the level of funding from 2022.
Davie has been with the BBC for almost two decades, having started his tenure in 2005 as the BBC’s director of Marketing, Communications and Audiences. Three years later he became director of the Audio and Music division, granting him control of Radios 1 through 4.
His time at the BBC has not been without controversy – most notably his decision to shut 6 Music and then reverse the decision caused outcry at the time.
Davie took over from Entwistle in 2012, following a Newsnight error in a child abuse report. Entwistle had been in post for just eight weeks at the time.
According to the BBC: “Most DGs' legacies are defined by how they handle unforeseen crises.” It is as yet unknown how Davie plans to respond to the impact of Covid-19 on the broadcasting station.
Davie is the 17th director general in almost a century of the BBC.
