Former Google executive set to become BBC director-general

The BBC has confirmed that former Google executive and Great Britain rower Matt Brittin will be the corporation’s next director-general.

The BBC board approved Brittin’s appointment at a meeting on March 19, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

He is expected to be announced as the corporation’s 18th director-general this week after final due diligence checks are completed.

Brittin, 57, will succeed Tim Davie, who announced his resignation last year and is stepping down next month following the controversy over Panorama’s misleading edit of a President Trump speech.

Brittin is expected to start the role soon after Davie departs. He left his role as Google’s president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa in late 2024 and has since described himself as being on a “gap year”, enabling him to join the BBC without delay.

It means that Davie’s interim successor, Rhodri Talfan Davies, could become the shortest-serving director-general in the BBC’s history.

The appointment of a tech executive with no direct experience in television journalism marks a significant shift for the BBC. Brittin’s name had raised eyebrows when he emerged as a frontrunner for the role in February.

Samir Shah, the chair of the BBC, conducted Thursday’s meeting to finalise the appointment. Brittin had impressed board members with his vision for the future of the corporation.

A former rower for Cambridge in the Boat Race and for Great Britain at the Olympics, Brittin joins the BBC at a critical moment. Negotiations for the corporation’s next royal charter, which defines its future funding, are already underway before a renewal due at the end of 2027.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has voiced her support for the BBC’s plea to have a permanent charter, rather than one that needs to be reviewed every ten years.

The BBC has raised concerns over its current funding model but has dismissed the idea of selling advertising and subscriptions against its shows in the UK. Instead, the corporation has proposed extending the scope of the licence fee — potentially covering households’ access to streamers such as Netflix or radio services — and has called for the government to allow its commercial arm to expand.

Brittin emerged as a dark horse for the job after rivals, including Apple TV executive Jay Hunt and former Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon, dropped out.

The BBC’s decision to appoint Brittin reflects a belief among its board that it must adapt to a media landscape dominated by streaming giants and digital platforms such as YouTube, which is owned by Google and has recently overtaken the broadcaster in some audience metrics.

However, the appointment has prompted questions. Last month, Baroness Kidron, a film producer and critic of Big Tech, said she felt the “values of the Silicon Valley attention economy are not in line with the public service broadcast remit”.

By Aghakazim Guliyev