BBC staff strike as new director general warns of tough choices' on his first day

"Matt Brittin, the BBC's new director general, has warned staff that tough choices are unavoidable under his tenure, as his first day coincided with a strike by a group of the corporation's journalists. Brittin, formerly Google's most senior executive in Europe, arrived at the corporation's New Broadcasting House while a group of journalists from the World Service's Newshour and Radio 4's The World Tonight were picketing in response to a plan to increase their workloads."

"The action, which relates to a dispute over shift patterns that has been rumbling on for months, is one of a series of planned strikes by the staff. They say morale is in the red. It is being seen by some insiders as a sign of the obstacles Brittin will face as he attempts to implement sweeping cuts right across the corporation that aim to save hundreds of millions."

"Brittin, who will address staff on Tuesday, has been spending the last few weeks visiting various parts of the BBC. Insiders say he has shown particular interest in the costs of production as he begins the task of finding budget cuts of 10%. Matt Brittin arrived for his first day at Broadcasting House as staff staged a picket."

"In a message to staff, Brittin, who replaces Tim Davie, said his visits had underlined just what an extraordinary, priceless asset the BBC is for all of us. However, he also suggested he would push for the BBC to make some dramatic changes in how it delivers its programming as digital platforms such as YouTube and TikTok become more prominent. The BBC has proved throughout its history how quickly it can reinvent itself to serve the needs of audiences."

Matt Brittin began his role as BBC director general while journalists picketed at Broadcasting House over plans to increase workloads. The dispute centers on shift patterns and has continued for months, with further planned strikes and low morale reported among staff. Some insiders view the strike as an early sign of the challenges Brittin will face while implementing sweeping cuts intended to save hundreds of millions, including a production cost reduction target of 10%. Brittin has visited parts of the BBC to understand costs and told staff the organization is an extraordinary asset. He also signaled dramatic changes in how programming is delivered as digital platforms like YouTube and TikTok grow in importance, urging urgency, velocity, and clarity.

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