Dyke savages BBC governors in fresh attack on management

Published Thursday 19 May 2005 at 10:05 by Liz Thomas

Former BBC director-general Greg Dyke has branded the board of governors at the Corporation “a bunch of hopeless, gutless bastards” in his latest attack on his one-time employers.

Speaking as the broadcaster is bracing itself for industrial action against cuts instigated since the departure of Dyke and chairman Gavyn Davies, his outburst at a media accounting conference is the latest in a series of comments criticising senior level executives at the BBC that Dyke has made since his sacking last year.

Said Dyke: “For a long time I had to pretend that I believed the governors were fine, upstanding people. I think it’s safe to say now that I do not think that at all. They are a bunch of hopeless, gutless bastards and the sooner the system of governance is over the better.”

He also reiterated his accusation that the 15% cuts being pushed through by his successor Mark Thompson were not necessary, adding the plans to axe up to 4,000 jobs created a climate of fear and that programme- making would suffer in the long run.