The BBC will face looming cuts and the government’s review of how it operates without one of its top executives following the decision by director of television, Danny Cohen, to leave the corporation.
Described by director general, Tony Hall, as “one of TV’s great talents” with “one hell of a CV”, Cohen has decided to leave after eight years at the corporation.
During his time there he has been behind some of its biggest hits – from Call the Midwife to Happy Valley, and Poldark to Peter Kay’s Car Share. Before the BBC he was responsible for Channel 4 successes including The Inbetweeners, Supernanny and Skins.
Cohen had an approach from a US company in the summer but turned it down, preferring to wait to move on until after the BBC’s licence fee settlement negotiations were concluded.
One source said he wanted to go at a time that was right for the BBC and to allow a new director of television to be appointed before Hall decides where to implement the cuts he is due to announce before the end of the year.
It is arguably a good time for him to leave, while BBC television is on a high having won audiences of around 14 million for The Great British Bake Off and nearly 8 million for drama Doctor Foster.
Cohen, who was previously controller of BBC1 and BBC3, said: “After eight wonderful years at the BBC it is time for my next big challenge. BBC television is on brilliant creative form. I feel very privileged to have led television for the world’s finest public service broadcaster and to have worked with so many smart and talented people.”
It is understood that he is is considering offers from both UK and US companies. He will leave in November and his deputy, controller of entertainment commissioning Mark Linsey, will take over while the BBC contemplates the thorny question of who will be Cohen’s successor.
Cohen was paid around £327,800 – less than many senior TV executives at similar levels – but the job is one of the toughest in television, as he might attest to having been on the receiving end of intense press scrutiny earlier this year during the deliberations over Jeremy Clarkson’s future after the presenter punched a Top Gear producer.
The director of television post is powerful, coming with responsibility for a budget of around £1.5bn and for all the main BBC television channels and shows on iPlayer. But the fact that Cohen’s successor will be in the public eye, coupled with a smaller pay packet than in the commercial sector and uncertainty over budget cuts, may make the job less attractive to some outside the BBC.
Those who were considered candidates in 2013 when the job went to Cohen included Channel 4 chief creative officer, Jay Hunt, and Peter Salmon, who was recently made head of the BBC’s production arm, BBC Studios.
Other names in the frame include Linsey, who is said to be particularly good with talent, acting controller of factual commissioning, Alison Kirkham – who ordered BBC2 hit Back in Time for Dinner and has been responsible for some of the biggest BBC brand including Antiques Roadshow and Crimewatch – and the controllers of BBC1 and BBC2, Charlotte Moore and Kim Shillinglaw.
Other suggestions are former BBC2 controller, now controller of seasons and special projects, Janice Hadlow, and ex-BBC3 controller, now Sky’s director of entertainment channels, Stuart Murphy.
Whoever takes over will need, like Cohen, to be able to stand up for the BBC and have an eye for the bigger picture as the corporation faces the challenges of new technology and competes for programmes with the bulging wallets of US rivals Netflix and Amazon.
They will also need to be able to handle talent. The Late Late Show presenter and actor, James Corden, who starred in BBC3 hit Gavin & Stacey, said of Cohen: “Danny has been instrumental in my development as both a person and a performer. He has a fantastic creative mind and much as I’m sad he’s leaving the BBC, I’m excited to see what he does next.”
Strictly Come Dancing co-host Claudia Winkleman added: “I have worked with Danny for eight years and have loved every minute. He’s smart, dedicated and extremely kind to everyone on the team. He has been a brilliant creative leader of BBC television. We’ll miss him enormously. I wish him all the luck in the world.”
The BBC will be hoping for some luck in finding a suitable replacement too.
Profile: Danny Cohen
After graduating with a double first from Oxford, Cohen began his career in television at independent production company Diverse. He then went to work at Channel 4, as head of factual entertainment and then at E4, commissioning Skins, The Inbetweeners and Supernanny.
As controller of BBC3 from 2007 to 2010 he commissioned cult drama Being Human and the lauded documentary series Our War and grew the channel’s share of young audiences by 58%. Cohen then became BBC1’s youngest ever controller. His commissions included Call the Midwife, Last Tango in Halifax, The Syndicate and Poldark. He also pushed for more diversity on air through shows such as comedy Citizen Khan.
Saturday nights were more tricky. Although he bought talent show The Voice, other shows – including gymnastics series Tumble and the gameshow Don’t Scare the Hare – struggled.
In 2013 he became director of television and spoke out against attacks on the broadcaster by some of its biggest stars, saying they were “driving staff mad” and asking them not to join the “daily chorus of BBC bashing”.
This year he has had to deal with the fallout from Jeremy Clarkson’s departure after Clarkson rang to tell him he had punched producer Oisin Tymon, plus the reaction from MPs to the so-called “luvvies’ letter” of support for the BBC from stars such as Daniel Craig and Chris Evans, which was sent to David Cameron, and which Cohen helped organise.
He also apologised to Sir Tom Jones, saying he was “truly sorry” after the singer was upset at being axed from The Voice. On the plus side, BBC television won more Baftas and Royal Television Society awards this year than any other broadcaster.
• This article was amended on 14 October 2015 to correct the title of Tumble, from Let’s Get Ready to Tumble as an earlier version said.
