BBC Chief Tim Davie Commits to CIISA Standards in Anti-Bullying Push

BBC director-general Tim Davie has said that the broadcaster will refuse to work with anyone not committed to the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) standards, indicating a zero-tolerance approach to workplace bullying and harassment.

Speaking at the Lowry Theatre in Salford on Wednesday, Davie responded to a question from Nazir Afzal, a board member of the creative industries independent safeguarding agency, about trust and workplace standards.

“Let me answer just very quickly on the direct point about CIISA,” Davie said. “Very, very specifically, we will not contract with people unless they’re signed up for CIISA standards and protocols. We will not do that anymore, because we cannot be in a position where we’re working with people, where those risks are there, end of.”

The Q&A was after a speech where Davie said the U.K. must make a series of bold, urgent choices to reverse the erosion of societal trust, and that the BBC stands ready to play a central role in this renewal.

Davie elaborated on a deeper cultural issue regarding the abuse of power in the media industry: “I think there’s something more profound isn’t there, which I’ve touched on in my speech, which is trust in those people who have power and how they use it. I mean, one of my old, cliched lines is the acid test of a human being, is, when they get power, how do they deploy it generously and in whose interest?”

The BBC chief acknowledged past failures in the industry, noting: “Frankly, we have had a situation this is, this is long standing and deep which is people don’t believe that the people in power are acting in their interests, and the worst case is that means abuse of power in all that means, and I think there are industries, ours has been one where you are also particularly exposed into that dynamic because of that person being creative, or the so called presenter dynamic… and that has led to deep problems, bad people being able to abuse power.”

Following the recent publication of an independent workplace culture review, the BBC is implementing immediate reforms. Davie expressed pride in the BBC’s progress while acknowledging ongoing challenges: “We don’t think overall, we have a toxic culture. And I think some of those previous problems, you know, I’d be aghast if we were in some of those zones. But we still have the risks and pockets where, if you’ve got power, you know, are you deploying it flawlessly, and are you bringing out the best of people across the organization?”

The CIISA Standards, published in February this year and chaired by Helena Kennedy, establish minimum standards of workplace behavior across the U.K.’s creative industries, focusing on creating safe and inclusive environments free from harassment and bullying.