Doctor Who fans may be interested to learn that a new Director-General of the BBC has been announced: Tim Davie will take over from Tony Hall on 1st September.

Davie was the chief executive of BBC Worldwide, now BBC Studios, so interestingly comes from the commercial side of the corporation. He has, however, acted as DG for the BBC before – from November 2012, after George Entwhistle resigned following the Jimmy Saville scandal. Davie was essentially an interim DG, and Hall took over the position in March 2013.

Davie said:

“I am honoured to be appointed the BBC’s next director general. This has been a critical time for the U.K. and these past few months have shown just how much the BBC matters to people. Our mission has never been more relevant, important or necessary. I have a deep commitment to content of the highest quality and impartiality.

“Looking forward, we will need to accelerate change so that we serve all our audiences in this fast-moving world. Much great work has been done, but we will continue to reform, make clear choices and stay relevant. I am very confident we can do this because of the amazing teams of people that work at the BBC.”

He’ll guide the corporation through a very difficult time: not only does it face competition from streaming service like Netflix and Disney+, but the Tory government also perpetually threatens its existence (including the duplicitous way the Conservatives have handled the question of free license fees for over-75s, dumping the onus on the BBC entirely after previously agreeing to share the financial burden). The BBC will face a mid-term review in 2022, before a debate on the charter renewal in 2027.

Tim Davie will be the 17th Director-General of the BBC.