Barbara Slater to stop as head of BBC Sport, six months after Gary Lineker fiasco

The BBC Sport government on the centre of the Gary Lineker disaster is to stop.

Barbara Slater, the company’s first feminine director of sport, has introduced she’s going to retire within the spring after 14 years within the function and 40 working there.

The information comes lower than six months since she presided over her division’s response to one of many worst crises to engulf the BBC after Match of the Day presenter Lineker was taken off air for publicly evaluating the Government’s flagship unlawful immigration invoice to Nazi Germany.

A former gymnast who competed on the 1976 Olympic Games, Slater’s tenure has additionally seen the company give up stay and unique tv rights to a bunch of main occasions, together with the Olympics.

However, the Lineker furore threatens to be her defining legacy amid an on-going row over impartiality that noticed the star’s fellow presenters and pundits boycott Match of the Day in solidarity.

It was Slater who was pressured to apologise to employees for the unprecedented fallout, with sources telling the Telegraph on the time she appeared “visibly worn out” from the affair.

A BBC insider additionally stated it could be harsh if she ended up being “thrown under the bus” for a choice that had come from the very prime and culminated in a humiliating about-turn from director-general Tim Davie.

However, different sources highlighted how Slater had taken the editorial route in direction of “talent over journalists” lately. There was a powerful feeling amongst some that the company indulged freelancers reminiscent of Lineker who had completely different guidelines versus employees journalists.

Part of that, in line with a well-placed supply, was turning a blind eye to freelancers’ social media output when employees members might count on “a rap across the knuckle” for a lot much less controversial or political messages. “This has built up and come home to roost,” the supply stated.

Slater’s announcement comes because the BBC braces itself for the damning findings of an inside overview triggered by the Lineker disaster.

Confirming her retirement plans, she stated: “It was this week 40 years ago that I first walked through the doors at Broadcasting House. A career in BBC Sport has been an absolute passion, never just a job. Since joining in 1983 I’ve been privileged to have had such amazing opportunities and the delight of working with such talented colleagues and partners. There are a huge number of people to thank, and so many magical memories to reflect upon.

“From being in the director’s chair for occasions like Pete Sampras’s seventh Wimbledon triumph, to leading the move to Salford, seeing the extraordinary growth of our digital services and new talent excel. I also hope that in showcasing the brilliance of women’s sport the BBC has played its part in changing attitudes, increasing its profile and inspiring the next generation. I must also make special mention of the Olympic Games having been a competitor in 1976 and then leading the sport teams covering a home Games in 2012. It was a monumental achievement for the BBC and everyone involved, as the UK hosted a sensational Olympics in London. I will be following the BBC’s coverage of Paris next summer – this time as a proud sports fan.”

Paying tribute, Davie stated: “Barbara has had an extraordinary career at the BBC – a pioneer, innovator and outstanding leader – she has kept the BBC at the forefront of sport for a generation. I wish her well. She will leave the BBC with a tremendous legacy.”

Charlotte Moore, chief content material officer, stated: “Barbara has had an extraordinary career at the BBC and leaves a legacy few will ever be able to replicate. She is a much-respected leader, a real trailblazer for women in the industry who can proudly say she has inspired the next generation.

“Barbara has been at the helm for some of the most memorable sporting moments and brought the nation together in their millions. She has tirelessly driven BBC Sport forward in the face of an ever-competitive landscape. She is a passionate advocate of listed events and free-to-air sport and her commitment to increasing the profile of women’s sport in this country has been unrelenting.

“Barbara leaves BBC Sport in fantastic health with major rights deals agreed with Wimbledon up to and including 2027, the Uefa men’s football European Championship in 2028, the Olympics up to 2032, Champions League and a bold strategy in place for how we bring these incredible sporting moments to audiences across TV, Sounds, iPlayer and the website. I will really miss working with her but wish her all the best for whatever the future holds.”