Davie, 53, has not given an interview or made a speech about his plans since his appointment in June, but we have spoken to senior BBC sources, close friends and executives who have worked with him and say he is determined to drive through “huge reform and reset”.
He has two key objectives, they say. He wants the BBC to “reconnect” with a broader audience by shedding its London-metropolitan bias and its “politically correct” culture. He also aims to rid the corporation of its lumbering management, lampooned in its self-parodying spoof documentary W1A.
First, Davie will take a hatchet to BBC management. Friends who worked with him in the private sector — he was at Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo before joining the BBC in 2005 — say he likes small, nimble management teams. They predict he will halve the executive committee to about nine members. Every remaining senior executive will be given ambitious targets. “Tim thinks too many BBC managers earn big money for just drifting around,” warns a colleague.
As the first director-general without a journalistic background since Sir Michael Checkland — who joined the corporation as an accountant and ran it from 1987-92 — Davie will not balk at taking on the behemoth of BBC News, colleagues say. He recognises the era of fake news “must also be the hour of impartiality”, he has told friends. “People want the facts, the truth, proper reporting.”
He sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
At a time of perhaps unprecedented division in the country, the incoming DG of what is supposed to be an impartial state broadcaster is bringing with him an anti "PC" agenda and in addition, despite having no journalism experience, fancies overhauling the news division.
At a time of perhaps unprecedented division in the country, the incoming DG of what is supposed to be an impartial state broadcaster is bringing with him an anti "PC" agenda and in addition, despite having no journalism experience, fancies overhauling the news division.
You could use the same argument to say he has no sport experience, no drama experience, no education programming experience etc.
There are people who make the editorial decisions already. The DG isn’t rung constantly on a ‘should we do this’.. anything major would have multiple departments involved and other staff to inform his decision.
I know some who’ve met him are reasonably impressed with his approach.
At a time of perhaps unprecedented division in the country, the incoming DG of what is supposed to be an impartial state broadcaster is bringing with him an anti "PC" agenda and in addition, despite having no journalism experience, fancies overhauling the news division.
You could use the same argument to say he has no sport experience, no drama experience, no education programming experience etc.
There are people who make the editorial decisions already. The DG isn’t rung constantly on a ‘should we do this’.. anything major would have multiple departments involved and other staff to inform his decision.
I know some who’ve met him are reasonably impressed with his approach.
On the other hand. Look at George Entwistle.
They would be the same arguments if he was reported to also be "taking on the behemoths" of BBC Sport, or the drama division but that wasn't mentioned in the section of the Sunday Times article shared on the previous page.
BBC News does have its issues but I don't trust the man who seems to see no issue with calling for impartiality in the news division in one hand, while dismissing the culture of the entire corporation as "politically correct" on the other to be the one to resolve them. If anything, I can see him undermining trust in the news division further.
I don't tend to believe anything the Murdoch rags print. They have their own agenda for Rupert & Lachlan's new 'news channel' which will no doubt be ruddy awful right wing tripe.
I don't tend to believe anything the Murdoch rags print. They have their own agenda for Rupert & Lachlan's new 'news channel' which will no doubt be ruddy awful right wing tripe.
Maybe it will, maybe it won't but it will get ratings and it will get revenue.
Always popular to say they're getting rid of "unnecessary" management or "middle management", and though I've no doubt the BBC is management heavy they need to ensure that money saved isn't subsequently losts through future squeezing of the BBC by the government and outside parties.
And a more general point about society but the axing of managers is always reported as if they don't really matter compared to people in lower level positions, but of course managers are people to with mortgages and expenditure of their own, many of whom have worked hard to go through the ranks to reach that position rather than just been gifted it by a friend of daddy. Crucially although of course not everyone can be a management the idea that society can somewhat "level up" means there needs to be roles people can aspire too rather than there being an overreliance on subordinate positions, and also in the creative industries, and any other industry really, there often needs to be someone who can manage the boring administrative stuff so the "creatives", for want of a better word, are spending the majority of their time doing what they do best.
There are people who make the editorial decisions already. The DG isn’t rung constantly on a ‘should we do this’.. anything major would have multiple departments involved and other staff to inform his decision.
Problem with all this stuff is that the arguments made on these kind of issues are just so bad faith. Shouting about political correctness is just a way to argue that you don't agree with treating people nicely. I know that will get some people riled up when they read it, but really, that's all it is. Right-wing culture wars sprang up as a response to a changing-society, going as far back as the mid 70s when the tactics used by that side came to the fore. Psychology and politics are intertwined.
I could (and will refrain massively) talk about this for eons, but TV Forum is absolutely not the place. So I'll just point people instead to the mountains of comedians and artistic folk talking about this on Twitter who are doing a better defence of comedy than I ever could.
Has anyone on here watched Alex Belfield on YouTube? He seems to be on an anti BBC vendetta, launching a sue the BBC fundraiser which he managed to get thousands of pounds, and then it all suddenly went quiet. People donated, and then he hardly mentions the court action he threatened the BBC?
Alex seems to have two large chips on his shoulders, and he revels in the stories coming out about the BBC, and he appeals to the usual far right fans who constantly moan on and on about "defund the BBC now" - where they overlook the fact that the BBC will continue to be funded exactly as it is until at least 2027, it is going nowhere in the next seven years, and I am sure will remain with us post 2028.
It's day one. Tim Davies is saying that the left wing comedies at the BBC need to be axed.
The #DefundTheBBC brigade must somewhat welcome this move? Oh no.
The twitter left have gotten hold if that article and I can tell you - aren't happy. I sense that Tim was trying to get on side those on the right accusing the BBC of left wing bias - instead have angered the left who are now accusing the BBC of right wing bias.
Has anyone on here watched Alex Belfield on YouTube? He seems to be on an anti BBC vendetta, launching a sue the BBC fundraiser which he managed to get thousands of pounds, and then it all suddenly went quiet. People donated, and then he hardly mentions the court action he threatened the BBC?
Alex seems to have two large chips on his shoulders
He's got a whole bag of Mcains on his shoulders. A very odd troubled character going by his videos. He had a run in on Twitter with Greg Scott a few months back, he was bullying the author of a theatre review website too.