Strong woman must lead BBC, says Kirsty Wark
The BBC should be led by a strong woman, Kirsty Wark has said.
Calling for a 'more adventurous' choice as the next director-general (DG), she said some 'brilliant' women had been overlooked in the past and should be in the running to be Tim Davie's successor.
'I want to see a female DG very soon. I'm not saying, 'Tim, go now,' but I think it's time for a woman,' said Wark, who stepped down from Newsnight last summer after 30 years.
She is this year's recipient of the Bafta Fellowship, the British Academy's highest honour.
Asked why a woman had never been appointed to the top BBC role, Wark said: 'It's definitely not because there hasn't been anyone good enough. I can think of three women who would be brilliant.'
She continued: 'We've got brilliant women running departments and running programmes but I think we just need to be a bit more adventurous.
'The BBC has so many other ways it's on the front foot – technology, iPlayer, BBC audio and other things – and I would really love to see a woman take hold of that.'
Wark, 70, who continues to work for the BBC as a presenter of Radio 4's Front Row and The Reunion, said that the corporation needed a charismatic leader who did more than appear in public at times of crisis. She cited Greg Dyke, the director-general from 2000 to 2004, who became a household name.
'I want the DG to be a really strong public figure, someone really out there. We often only hear from the DG when they're firefighting. What we want to hear is the way they're going to deliver the best for you.
'For example, every DG is different but if you look at somebody who was really out there, I'd say Greg Dyke. [The public] knew Greg Dyke and that was terrific.
'I love the idea of walking the floor and being collegiate. Tim does that as much as possible but I do actually think we want somebody who is very open to conversations with staff all the time.
'Tim has done a really good job but I just feel: why not a woman?'
Davie is expected to remain in post to negotiate the next BBC charter, which begins in January 2028. He has been the broadcaster's director-general since 2020.
Wark will be presented with the Fellowship at the Bafta Television Awards on May 11, honouring her outstanding contribution to television.
She said: 'This is a wonderful surprise and a great honour. Television has been my home for 40 years, both at the BBC and in independent production, and I continue to learn every day from people with awe-inspiring skills who have become treasured colleagues and dear friends.'
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