EXCLUSIVE: The BBC could decide to remove the role of chief content officer from the board and prioritise other operations as the UK broadcaster looks to fill an empty seat at its top table.
Kate Phillips succeeded Charlotte Moore as the BBC’s TV, audio, and streaming boss in June, but was not automatically handed a position on the board. Moore served on the board from 2020, when she was elevated to chief content officer.
The BBC’s nominations and governance committee, which oversees board appointments, is expected to consider the vacancy left by Moore during a meeting in September.
Phillips will be a contender to join the board, but there are also expected to be other candidates among the BBC’s executive committee.
Depending on the BBC’s governance priorities, the UK national broadcaster could also consider the likes of BBC Studios CEO Tom Fussell (BBC director-general Tim Davie had a board role when he ran Studios) or Storm Fagan, the chief product officer responsible for iPlayer.
The BBC board comprises four executive members, as well as 10 non-executives, four of whom are appointed for each of the UK nations. Chair Samir Shah is a non-executive member. The three existing executive members are: Davie, BBC News CEO Deborah Turness, and chief operating officer Leigh Tavaziva.
Board meetings are regularly attended by BBC executives, meaning that if Phillips did miss out on a seat, she would still present to those responsible for the corporation’s governance.
Moore is now running The Crown producer Left Bank Pictures alongside a wider group role at Sony Pictures Television.
