Tim Davie Appointed BBC Director General

Amol desperatly trying to avoid the first DG ordered P-45 of his new reign when he starts in September, there...

Seems to be a fairly well received appointment for what seems to be a thankless job.

Can I say I think this comment is unnecessary. The guy has been given the job because he is best for it out of those in the process, not for any other reason. It isn't right for you to suggest because he is white it is bad, and that is what you are doing indirectly. I won't go as far as calling it racist but..... You could have said I am disappointed that the person taking the job isn't a woman etc.

Well is he wrong though? I do hope Tim Davie rides out the upcoming challenges for the Beeb.

There's speculation that the BBC will unveil its new Director General today.

Just a reminder, that in the 98 years the BBC has had a Director General, every single one has been a man. pic.twitter.com/0QYTyIHph1

— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) June 5, 2020

It is not really a question a person can answer with yes or no. For a large period of those 98 years of the BBC's existence, it was a "man's world". It is therefore no surprise that all of the DGs have been male. It is only really in the past 25 years that attitudes have changed enough, and the media landscape (as with other industries) has become more diverse. But it takes time, any DG taking over would need to have had the required experience. I think it is a simple fact that most people who would currently be suitable for the role are male, purely because most people with the experience and those that get on the path to that experience are still male. This is a legacy of the “old world” so to speak.

The industry is making big pushes to make it more diverse, especially the BBC. But you can't produce people with the right experience overnight. So it will take a while longer before the field of leadership contenders matches the lower levels and it is equal as a whole. To be clear here, I am not saying there isn’t a woman out there who could do the job, I am sure there is, but there will be less of them currently. I am sure most people at the top and near the top, in many organisations, are male. But this continues to change in these modern times. Next time around we may well get a female DG. But what we should not do, is expect a certain choice just because it would be fasionable. It appears the BBC is about to enter (or has already entered) one of its most turbulent periods. It would be doing the BBC (and any organisation) a disservice, to appoint a person who isn't fully capable, based on something other than their skillset and experience. I am sure many in the BBC would want such an appointment, but now is not the time for empty gestures that are going to impress for a brief period and then flutter into nothing, while the challenges they were appointed to take on continue to grow.

I would add (I actually saw it below the tweet you posted) that the new DG was the first in his family to go to university, and attended a private school on a scholarship. So in some ways we can see that diversity is at play. It doesn't matter if it isn't one of the most fashionable forms of it, it is still happening before us. The world is changing. In another 25 years it will be a very different place.

I remember reading in Greg Dyke's book "Inside Story" that not long after he became Director General of the BBC in 1999/2000 someone apparently said that it was strange hearing a cockney DG.

It just goes to show that exclusivity is not simply because of gender. Here was a man who grew up in London, never lost his accent or forgot his roots. Went to university as a mature student (Politics at York) and built up a reputation as an effective manager.

And yet one of the first reactions was because of his accent. I hope that in 10 years time let alone 25 that things will be different.

I wonder of Hull will remain on the weather map after Tony Hall leaves

“It’s a tough gig running this organisation..” “You can say that again..” between Clive and Amol on tonight’s ten. And they’re right. This is going to be difficult.

Not going on a political sidetrack but it’s worth noting Tim stood as a Conservative candidate many years ago. One wonders if - I repeat if - Tim could know people in government. Could be a very small yet significant step to saving the licence fee.

Only as a local councillor, but perhaps.

Ah. Apologies.

Fair play to you. I wanted to make the same observation but didn’t have the courage.

Hmm...