Matt Brittin, who officially joined the BBC as director-general this week, has been laying out some of his plans for the broadcaster.
On his third day in the job, Brittin appeared on BBC Radio 4’s The Media Show to share his thoughts on the future of the corporation.
He said he is beginning his tenure by focusing on “listening and learning, and trying to provide some clarity in leadership”.
The former president of EMEA business and operations at Google said that one of the things he brings to his new role is a “sense of the velocity of change, and the pace of change in technology and how we are consuming [media].”
Brittin added that the broadcaster will have to make “some difficult choices” about its size and shape in the future, not just because of the £500 million worth of cuts announced last month, but also “because of the changes in consumer behaviour”.
“The question I’d have for our content creators is, how do we get the right story in the right format on the right platform for the audiences we’re trying to serve?” said Brittin.
“One of the reasons I accepted the job is that I read a 100-year history of the BBC. It basically invented radio technology and broadcast radio content, then it invented broadcast television and the content, then it was first to market with a streaming service with iPlayer ahead of Netflix launching, and I think we’re in another one of those moments now, which is, how do we reinvent this institution to serve in today’s moment?”
Discussing iPlayer, Brittin added that he thinks the BBC has invested heavily in content at the expense of its streaming service. “iPlayer could be better. We’re going to need to prioritise improving that product.”
Asked about consolidation in the industry, with the ongoing expectation that Sky’s parent company Comcast will acquire ITV, Brittin stated he thinks there is a case for a third public service broadcaster that is “bigger and able to compete on advertising”.
“I still think the BBC is best placed to be funded directly, but that’s part of the Charter discussion, and that’s part of what we need to make the case for, because actually 94 per cent of households every month consume the BBC, but about 80 per cent are currently paying.”
The new director-general explained he has set out three priorities going forward: “make the case for the BBC, editorial excellence, and move with velocity closer to the audiences, simpler and faster, and that’s what I’m going to try to do.”
Matt Brittin’s full interview with The Media Show is available to listen to here.
