BBC director-general Tim Davie has said “imbalances of power are dangerous and we care about them” in front of MPs at a parliamentary committee.
Mr Davie was among three of the broadcaster’s chief executives appearing before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday to answer questions on a wide range of topics, including impartiality and accuracy, funding pressures and progress to address unequal pay.
The director-general was questioned on safeguarding at the BBC following Phillip Schofield’s departure from ITV’s This Morning after admitting to an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger male colleague.
On Tuesday we will question Tim Davie, Director General, and other senior figures @BBC
This is one of a series of regular scrutiny sessions with the BBC and will cover a wide range of the Corporation's work.
Watch live from 10am: https://t.co/JuyNYrcadE pic.twitter.com/10lrdkyrSA
— Culture, Media and Sport Committee (@CommonsCMS) June 12, 2023
Mr Davie said “we do have imbalances” in the “strange” TV industry, with top tier talent earning high salaries compared with producers – but confirmed the BBC has a “robust” process to combat safeguarding.
He told committee chair Caroline Dinenage: “I do think from the leadership there is an absolutely clear signal very direct, and this is born from experience.
“I have been personally been through a number of reviews looking at the history of the BBC and I think your concerns are well-placed, which is imbalances of power are dangerous and we care about them.
“The first thing is culturally at the top of the BBC I am very, very direct that that is something I do not want to see at the organisation.
“It’s also about the leadership being very clear that (that) is unacceptable and we do have imbalances and it is a strange industry but not wholly strange where you’ve got people earning … talent salaries versus producers, all of that, this is an environment in which there is power in place.”
Mr Davie said the BBC sets a “cultural framework” underpinned with process with the broadcaster spending “a lot of time on BBC values and policies when you sign up to a production”.
He also said he is “confident about the culture of the BBC” when asked during the select committee session about toxicity, amid a debate over the alleged toxicity at ITV’s This Morning following 61-year-old Schofield’s exit.
The regular scrutiny session also saw director of editorial policy and standards David Jordan and chief content officer Charlotte Moore attend,
