Creativity and cost savings are key for BBC, says new DG Entwistle

World-class creativity should be at the heart of the BBC, according to new director general George Entwistle.

Addressing staff for the first time yesterday, Entwistle said the public service broadcaster should provide more creativity and distinctive output for licence fee payers. “Our task is to serve the public, who pay for us, and whose licence fees make us independent,” he said. “Our independence from everyone except our audience gives us one core responsibility – to deliver content of outstanding creative quality whenever and wherever we can.”

Entwistle emphasised that a culture of creativity needed to be fostered with cost savings in mind. With this in mind, one of his first moves as director general has been to merge the BBC’s finance and operations divisions. “I believe this will play a vital part in simplifying the way we work so that a sharp focus on our creative purpose can be maintained by everyone at all times,” Entwistle said. The move means current COO Caroline Thomson, who was a rival candidate to Entwistle for the DG job, is leaving the organisation.