BBC Publishes Director General Job Advert, As Elisabeth Murdoch Is Linked With The Role

The BBC has officially begun the hunt for its next director general, publishing a job advert for the role and appointing executive search company Odgers Berndtson as headhunters.

Alongside the basic job advert, in which the director general post is described as an “unmatchable opportunity to lead a multinational creative organization,” there is an 11-page candidate brief setting out the priorities for Tony Hall’s successor.

It says the BBC faces a “unique set of challenges in a fast-moving and increasingly global market,” including the rise of streaming and “unprecedented scrutiny” over its funding, content and services. “The next director general will hold the role through a hugely critical and transformative period in the corporation’s history,” the candidate brief added.

It goes on to outline eight personal qualities and areas of experience the successful candidate must possess, including a commitment to the BBC’s public service values, resilience, good editorial judgement, an understanding of the streaming world and commercial expertise.

The BBC hopes to have Hall’s replacement in place when he steps down over the summer. Those linked with the job include BBC director of content Charlotte Moore, Apple’s Jay Hunt, BBC Studios boss Tim Davie, and Carolyn Fairbairn, the former director general of the UK’s Confederation of British Industry.

A new candidate emerged over the weekend, when British newspaper, the i, linked Elisabeth Murdoch to the top job. Although there was no suggestion that the former Shine Group founder is gunning for the role, the newspaper suggested she might be a popular choice with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.