The BBC has named senior executive Rhodri Talfan Davies as its interim director general, following Tim Davie's resignation in November after a controversy over the corporation's editing of a Donald Trump speech.
As part of his transition, Talfan Davies will join the BBC board from February as an executive director and assume the responsibilities that are currently being handled by Davie. However, he won't take up the role until April, when Davie officially steps down.
The appointment was widely seen coming, as Talfan Davies had been heavily tipped to be the likely caretaker for the corporation during this period of transition. He will now have to navigate the complex task of guiding the BBC through the process of determining its future charter and funding structure.
Davie's departure has left a huge void, particularly when it comes to talks with the government over the BBC's charter, including potential reforms to the licence fee and an expansion of its remit. The corporation is facing significant challenges as media consumption habits shift towards digital platforms like YouTube.
In a note to staff, the BBC chair Samir Shah praised Talfan Davies for his "deep editorial experience and passionate commitment" to public service broadcasting. He urged staff to support him during this critical period.
The government's recent green paper on the future of the BBC charter has sparked controversy, with some advocating for funding by adverts or subscriptions – a move that Davie and Shah have strongly opposed.
Talfan Davies brings a wealth of experience to the role, having led investments in BBC programming and journalism outside London. However, the union Bectu has cautioned against any major restructuring plans during this transition period.
As part of his transition, Talfan Davies will join the BBC board from February as an executive director and assume the responsibilities that are currently being handled by Davie. However, he won't take up the role until April, when Davie officially steps down.
The appointment was widely seen coming, as Talfan Davies had been heavily tipped to be the likely caretaker for the corporation during this period of transition. He will now have to navigate the complex task of guiding the BBC through the process of determining its future charter and funding structure.
Davie's departure has left a huge void, particularly when it comes to talks with the government over the BBC's charter, including potential reforms to the licence fee and an expansion of its remit. The corporation is facing significant challenges as media consumption habits shift towards digital platforms like YouTube.
In a note to staff, the BBC chair Samir Shah praised Talfan Davies for his "deep editorial experience and passionate commitment" to public service broadcasting. He urged staff to support him during this critical period.
The government's recent green paper on the future of the BBC charter has sparked controversy, with some advocating for funding by adverts or subscriptions – a move that Davie and Shah have strongly opposed.
Talfan Davies brings a wealth of experience to the role, having led investments in BBC programming and journalism outside London. However, the union Bectu has cautioned against any major restructuring plans during this transition period.
i'm kinda surprised tho cuz i was expecting him to take over sooner lol i mean tim davie's departure was kinda sudden after that trump speech controversy 
anyway supposedly he'll be joining the board in feb and taking over full time in april 
but it's like, really hard for him to navigate now since everyone's all shook up about the future of bbc 
like what's gonna happen to the licence fee and charter and all that jazz 
does anyone think he'll be able to fix everything or is it too late already? 
anyway i hope the bbc stays true to its roots and doesn't sell out to adverts or anything 
It's a big responsibility for him to take on, guiding the corporation through all this digital shift stuff... I mean, who doesn't love a good ol' fashioned licence fee debate? 
But seriously, hopes he can keep everyone calm and figure out some workable solutions that won't upset the powers that be too much. Fingers crossed! 
. He's got the experience and knows how to handle all the drama that comes with the BBC. But let's be real, we're still gonna have to figure out how to deal with the whole digital thing 
... I mean, YouTube's where it's at nowadays 
. Still, I guess Talfan Davies will do just fine until April 
. Just hope he doesn't get too caught up in all the politics and forgets about the actual broadcasting part of the job 
. Oh, and btw, when's the last time we saw the BBC make a profit on adverts? 
. But you know who's gonna step up and try to keep it together? Rhodri Talfan Davies, of course! He's got the skills to handle all this, especially with his experience in BBC programming and journalism outside London 
Can't help but wonder what kind of shake-up we're in for with Talfan at the helm...
. But, tbh, the gov's green paper on charter reform has me feeling kinda anxious 
adverts or subs? not sure if that's the direction we want the BBC to go 
gotta support him during this critical period 
. We've gotta stay tuned to see how this whole thing shakes out... and what the government has in store for us 
so we'll need some clever thinking to adapt