Former Google executive Matt Brittin named as new head of the BBC

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The BBC on Wednesday named Matt Brittin, a former Google executive with no television or journalism experience, as its next director-general.

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The appointment to the high-profile role comes as the under-fire British broadcaster faces drastic shifts in the media landscape and a $10-billion lawsuit brought by US President Donald Trump.

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“The BBC Board has today appointed Matt Brittin as the 18th Director-General of the BBC. Matt, former President Google EMEA, will take over the role on 18 May,” the BBC said in a statement.

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Chairman of the BBC board, Samir Shah, said: “Matt brings to the BBC deep experience of leading a high-profile and highly complex organisation through transformation.”

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Brittin’s name has been circulating in the UK media for weeks, after the current director-general, Tim Davie, resigned in November over the editing of a documentary about Trump.

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The Times daily wrote ahead of Brittin’s appointment that appointing a tech executive with no direct experience of television or journalism would be a “significant shift” and “raised some eyebrows”.

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The Daily Telegraph quoted an unnamed senior media figure calling this a “huge, huge risk”.

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Davie, who has held the post since 2020, is due to step down on April 2, and Brittin will be taking on a challenging post.

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The job specification posted on the BBC website in November described the role as one of “the most important, high-profile public posts in the UK”.

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For over a decade, Brittin was president of Google’s Europe, Middle East and Africa division, which earns around a third of its revenue.

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The 57-year-old stepped down last year after 18 years at Google, saying he wanted a break.

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– ‘Dr Who’ fan –

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Last year Brittin became a fellow of the Royal Television Society, which hands out prestigious awards.

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In his acceptance speech he admitted to “imposter syndrome”.

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He voiced admiration for the British television industry he had “been trying to get into for a very long time”.

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And he named favourite shows including cult BBC sci-fi series “Doctor Who”.

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He was educated at the University of Cambridge, but his late father grew up in a small shop in London with “BBC wireless (radio) for news and entertainment”, he has said.

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Brittin describes himself on LinkedIn as a “Gap year student” with an image of him rowing.

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He represented the University of Cambridge three times at the annual Boat Race against Oxford and also rowed for Great Britain.

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Early in his career he worked at Trinity Mirror newspaper group, now called Reach, in non-journalistic roles.

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Last year he was made a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for services to technology and digital skills.

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– ‘Under pressure’ –

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BBC said earlier this month it had formally asked a US federal court in Florida to dismiss Trump’s lawsuit over a BBC documentary that edited his 2021 speech to supporters ahead of the US Capitol riot.

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The documentary was “never aired in Florida – or the US” or available to stream there on any platform, a BBC spokesperson said.

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Brittin takes up the job at a politically sensitive time for the BBC, which is due to renegotiate the Royal Charter that outlines the corporation’s governance. Its current charter will end in 2027.

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A sizeable proportion of the BBC’s income comes from the licence fee, which is payable by all UK households with a television, or whose occupants watch live screening online.

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But the BBC lost more than £1.1 billion in revenues in 2024-2025 as UK citizens dodged the licence fee and fewer homes felt the need to apply for one, a parliamentary committee report said in November.

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It also found that while the BBC remained “a trusted institution”, it was “under pressure”, struggling to retain its foothold in an evolving media landscape.

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“Younger people use the BBC less than older audiences and perceive it as less relevant to their interests,” it said.

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AFP

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