The BBC will only work with top talent who sign up to a new set of anti-bullying standards in film and TV, according to the Director General, as he said the public “no longer believes the people in power are acting in their interests.”
Delivering a set-piece speech in Salford this morning, Tim Davie said drastic action is required as the corporation “can no longer work with people where there are risks” of abuse.
His proclamation came two weeks after the release of a review that found a small number of individuals’ behavior was “disproportionately” affecting the BBC’s culture, morale and reputation. This review was sparked by disgraced news anchor Huw Edwards’ guilty plea.
The BBC will therefore only contract talent who sign up to the new standards from the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA), which were unveiled several months back, Davie said. These standards focus on: ‘Safe Working Environments’, ‘Inclusive Working Environments’, ‘Open and Accountable Reporting Mechanisms’ and ‘Responsive Learning Cultures’.
Bullying and misconduct at the BBC had been under the microscope following a series of allegations made against top talent and senior figures including the likes of Russell Brand, Gregg Wallace and our own investigation into Breakfast boss Richard Frediani. The BBC is already giving funding to CIISA, which is yet to fully get off the ground, and Davie said its work is “absolutely critical.”
“The acid test of a human being”
Davie said the British public “no longer believes the people in power are acting in their interests and in the worst cases that means an abuse of power.”
“The acid test of a human being is when they get power how they deploy it,” he added. “In our industries you are particularly exposed to that dynamic in terms of people being seen as ‘creative’ or the presenter dynamic being a problem that has led to bad people being able to abuse power.”
Davie stressed the corporation has “made progress” and, “although we are often weaponized,” he urged people to “come in and see how we work, see the standards.”
Those standards were put to the test yesterday when Match of the Day host Gary Lineker once again landed himself in hot water by re-posting an Instagram video featuring an antisemitic trope, which he then deleted.
Questioned on Lineker’s behavior today, Davie suggested the top-paid BBC presenter may have broken the corporation’s social media rules. “The BBC’s reputation is helped by everyone and when someone makes a mistake it costs us,” he added. “We need people to be exemplars of BBC values and to follow our social media policy. It’s as simple as that.”
Preserving British IP
Varada Sethu and Ncuti Gatwa in ‘Doctor Who’
BBC Studios
Meanwhile during the lengthy set-piece, Davie urged “increased incentives” for UK TV production including tax credits to help resolve the funding crisis and “preserve” intellectual property.
The funding crisis has hit scripted TV especially this year due to the collapse of the American co-pro market but Davie went beyond scripted and said “at-risk genres” need to be helped via government intervention, “as well as incentivising public service media objectives like [shows made] out of London, telling local stories and preserving IP in the UK.”
An improved high-end TV tax credit was recommended by a recent Culture, Media & Sport Committee report in order to help get more shows off the ground.
Elsewhere, the BBC will work more closely with digital and social media creators, Davie said, as he promised to open up commercial arm BBC Studios to up-and-coming stars.
“We plan to open the doors of our studios to social media creators to be able to develop new work and know we have their best interests at heart,” he added. “We want to champion work from bedroom to [Glastonbury’s] Pyramid Stage.”
With social in mind, the DG discussed wanting to “go further against the culture wars” by “dramatically increasing” BBC News’ presence on YouTube and TikTok, “to ensure we have a stronger position amid the noise.”
While noting “there is an obvious tension” between how much of its news the 100-year-old broadcaster should put on YouTube and TikTok, he said the answer is to “incentivize people to say, ‘There is more [of this] on [BBC] services’.” “That prize of building BBC accounts and relationships is absolutely the main prize for us,” he added.
Davie used his speech to inject plenty blue sky thinking into the future of TV.
He called for a national plan for a switchover to internet-only TV in the next decade – an idea that he first floated in a set piece two and a half years back – and proposed a new streaming service with Freely aimed at helping audiences currently underserved by the digital revolution. Plans for the new streaming device are nascent, he told the Q&A session after the speech.
“We want to draw on the full creative potential of every corner of the UK”, and ensure that “whoever you are and wherever you live, you have the chance to build your career in the UK with the BBC and others,” he said.
Davie reaffirmed a commitment to working with the world’s biggest tech companies on AI, as he posited “the majority of BBC staff are using” the tech and it has become a big part of the process of “getting content from camera to screen, mic to headphone.”
