Tim Davie to replace Tony Hall as BBC director-general

Commercial boss pledges to ‘accelerate change so that we serve all our audiences in this fast-moving world’

Tim Davie, the head of BBC Studios, is to replace Tony Hall as director-general of the BBC, the corporation has announced.

Mr Davie said he was “honoured” by the appointment and said it came at “a critical time for the UK” when the value of the BBC to many Britons had been made clear.

“Our mission has never been more relevant, important or necessary. I have a deep commitment to content of the highest quality and impartiality,” he said in a statement.

He added: “Looking forward, we will need to accelerate change so that we serve all our audiences in this fast-moving world. Much great work has been done, but we will continue to reform, make clear choices and stay relevant. I am very confident we can do this because of the amazing teams of people that work at the BBC.”

BBC Studios is the corporation’s commercial arm, selling its content abroad to bolster income derived from the licence fee.

Mr Davie has previously served as acting director-general. He took the reins in 2012 following the resignation of George Entwhistle over a Newsnight report into child abuse that wrongly implicated a Conservative peer.

He joined the BBC in 2005 and has worked in the marketing and audio divisions. Before that he worked for PepsiCo and Procter and Gamble.

Mr Davie stood as a councillor for the Conservative Party in Hammersmith in 1993 and 1994 and was deputy chairman of the Hammersmith and Fulham Conservative Party in the 1990s.

He will take a pay cut when he enters the top job, earning £525,000 a year – down from the £600,000 he pulled down in 2018-19. He has also agreed to take a salary stand-still and be paid the same as Lord Hall – £450,000 – until August 2021, as all senior managers at the BBC are currently subject to a pay freeze.

Sir David Clementi, chair of the BBC Board, said: “Tim has a strong track record as the CEO of BBC Studios and is one of the most respected names in the industry. His leadership and experience, both outside the BBC and within, will ensure that we are well placed to meet the opportunities and challenges of the coming years. Tim has an enthusiasm and energy for reform, while holding dear to the core mission of the BBC.

“We know that the industry is undergoing unprecedented change and the organisation faces significant challenges as well as opportunities. I am confident that Tim is the right person to lead the BBC as it continues to reform and change.

“My focus for the remainder of my own term as chairman, until February of next year, will be to ensure that there is a smooth and successful handover and that the BBC continues to serve audiences across the whole of the UK.”

The BBC is being forced to make major cutbacks in order to pay for the impending responsibility of subsidising licence fees for over-75s. Earlier this year, 450 planned job cuts in the news division were put on hold so the corporation could continue to cover the coronavirus pandemic.