Google’s former Europe boss close to becoming next head of BBC, sources say

Appointment of Matt Brittin as director general would be latest sign of big tech’s power in media world

Google’s former Europe boss is closing in on becoming the BBC’s next director general, the Guardian has been told.

Sources said that Matt Brittin, 57, was very advanced in the appointment process. Some insiders believe that, barring a last-minute development, he will succeed Tim Davie as the broadcaster’s next director general.

Brittin, a member of the British Olympic rowing team in 1988, led Google in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for a decade until stepping down last year to take what he described as a “mini gap year”. He is also a non-executive director of Guardian Media Group.

His appointment would be the latest sign of big tech’s power in the media world, with the rise of online platforms and streaming.

The corporation declined to comment on whether Brittin would be the next director general. Other sources suggested no final decision has been made and that the process was continuing.

Brittin is seen as a similar figure to Davie, with both men championing the role of technology. Davie has created a “media tech” division that he hopes could eventually become a commercial operator. Davie also wants to bulk up the BBC’s digital platform, iPlayer.

The BBC is grappling with the impact of YouTube, which has become a hugely influential platform, pulling people away from traditional broadcasters. YouTube is owned by Google’s parent company.

Should he be handed the role, Brittin would be taking on a job that has forced Davie to deal with a series of crises. They culminated in his resignation after a row over institutional bias and criticism over the way the BBC edited a Donald Trump speech.

While Brittin has held very senior corporate positions, there will be concerns about how prepared he is for the public glare of leading the BBC. When he was questioned in parliament in 2016 over Google’s small corporation tax bill, he appeared to suggest he did not know how much he was paid.

In a final keynote speech before leaving his role, Davie raised concerns about the “brutal” nature of public life as he said he had been portrayed as both a “Tory implant” and a “woke warrior” during his tenure.

Davie said it was “not an impossible job”. However, he did raise concerns about the tenor of criticism facing public figures.

“I am worried slightly about where public life is going,” he said in a speech to the Royal Television Society in London. “I think it’s brutal. It can be very personal. Having said that, it’s just great. What a job – and someone’s got to have energy to do it. I really mean that. They’ve got to skip into the office.”

He said growing political polarisation and the rise of culture war rhetoric had been “the toughest thing to manage during my tenure”.

“Personally, I remember seeing myself on a bus stop advert condemning me for being an Israeli government sympathiser, having just read an article expressing outrage at my pro-Palestinian bias,” he said. “I’m either a rightwing Tory implant or Britain’s chief leftist woke warrior.

“Of course, we have made mistakes and this has not helped us, but I challenge anyone to come visit our teams and not acknowledge that they are striving to achieve their impartial coverage. Smart, caring people wrestling with tough issues.”

Some in the media industry say running the BBC has become unmanageable due to the size of the organisation, attacks from its political opponents and fierce competition from far wealthier rivals.

While the director general role commands a salary of more than £500,000, it pays much less than equivalent roles at many private companies.

Among those who declined to apply for the job were Jay Hunt, the former BBC One controller and Channel 4 chief creative officer who is now at Apple TV; Alex Mahon, until recently Channel 4’s chief executive, and Charlotte Moore, the BBC’s former chief creative officer who now runs Left Bank Pictures.

While Davie said he had no role in appointing his successor, he suggested some experience in public life may be a major benefit – as well as having the right character to cope with the pressures. “This is not for the faint-hearted,” he said.

“Finally, they’ve got to be lucky. Public life can get you in 10 days or even 10 years. You can burn up on impact. You’ve got to have a few air miles in that area, I think, before you arrive at Broadcasting House.”