Big Tech Vet Matt Brittin Takes BBC Helm

On March 23, Matt Britton, the former president of Google in Europe, the Middle East, in Africa,

is set to become the BBC's next director general. After nearly 20 years at the tech giant,

he stepped away at the end of last year and has been taking a break, focusing on rowing and other.

Personal pursuits as a sort of gap year student and part-time athlete.

During his time at Google, Britton rose to lead operations across a huge region,

handling tough issues like advertiser pullouts from YouTube over.

Extremist content and navigating European regulations on big tech.

Colleagues describe him as analytical, diplomatic, and skilled at making hard decisions,

including major job cuts during restructurings. The BBC desperately needs strong leadership

after a string of editorial missteps, high profile resignations like the news directors

and ongoing. scrutiny from parliament, the media, and its own 21,000 employees.

Britton's commercial background is praised for bringing efficiency and a performance-driven culture

to fix underperformance. Critics worry about putting a big tech veteran in charge of

public service broadcasting, citing clashes over issues like AI training on creators work.

And past tax controversies at Google, supporters argue he'll build smart partnerships

like recent YouTube deals to help the BBC compete globally. As he steps into this high-pressure

role with a public salary around 550,000 pounds, Britton faces an immediate to-do list,

including appointing a new news head and tackling the license fee model amidst shrinking budgets.

His focus on growth and accountability could reshape the BBC for the digital age ahead.

That's the story for today. Entertainment and celebrity news today, driven by AI. I'm Corey

with the story.