New BBC director-general Matt Brittin has made his first appearance before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, facing questions from MPs on the corporation's funding, future and handling of scandals. The former Google executive and Olympic rower took on the role, which has been described as a "poisoned chalice", after several high-profile candidates reportedly turned it down.
The session took place in a sweltering committee room in the Palace of Westminster, with temperatures breaching 80 degrees. A fan had been placed facing the wall to avoid interfering with the committee's microphones. Brittin remarked at the conclusion: "They told me it was going to be a hot seat. I didn't realise it was literal." He was joined by BBC chair Samir Shah.
During the two-hour session, Brittin was questioned on the BBC's relevance and how he would handle future scandals. He declined to share confidential board meeting documents with one MP, saying it was reasonable practice not to do so. The new boss had spent months touring BBC offices to understand its output, and spoke of the need to preserve audience value, reduce duplication and simplify the corporation.
On funding, Brittin said the BBC was "locked into yesterday's model of consumption" and needed to look again at the licence fee. He suggested a household levy, as used in some European countries, which would be automatically added to utility bills. This would provide universality and reduce collection costs, currently about £190 million a year, and could allow the fee to be lowered. However, the government has reportedly ruled this out. He also said extending the licence to cover all video content, including streaming, was "compelling".
Brittin argued that traditional advertising was in structural decline and that BBC advertising would have a devastating impact on the economy. He said some public service content, such as local journalism, would be very hard to fund under a different model. The role remains challenging, with internal restructuring, low morale and an ongoing lawsuit from President Trump, which contributed to the departure of his predecessor.
