Chair of the BBC

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Chair of the BBC
BBC Logo 2021.svg
Incumbent
Dr Samir Shah
since 4 Mar 2024
BBC Board
BBC
Member of BBC Board
Appointer Monarch, on the advice of the Secretary of State.
Term length Four years, renewable once
Constituting instrument Royal charter
First holder Jack Pease, 1st Baron Gainford
Salary£160,000

The Chair of the BBC, referred to as Chairman when the incumbent is male and Chairwoman when female, is the head of the BBC Board, responsible for maintaining the independence of the BBC and overseeing the functioning of the BBC to fulfil its mission. [1] [2] The chair leads the process for appointing the Director-General and can dismiss the Director-General. [3] The chair of the BBC also acts as the corporation's most senior representative to Parliament and the government, including the devolved administrations. [4]

Contents

The chair is formally appointed by the King-in-Council, on the advice of the Secretary of State for a four-year term. [3] The current chairman, Dr Samir Shah, succeeded chairwoman Dame Elan Closs Stephens on 4 March 2024. [5]

List of chairmen

Status
  Denotes Acting Chair
PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Term of officeHonour(s)Prime MinisterMonarch

Chairman of the Board of Governors of the British Broadcasting Company

George V
King George 1923 LCCN2014715558 (cropped).jpg
r.1910–1936
1910 Jack Pease.jpg Jack Pease, 1st Baron Gainford
(1860–1943)
18 December 192231 December 1926 David Lloyd George
Bonar Law
Stanley Baldwin
Ramsay MacDonald
Stanley Baldwin

Chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC

Earl Clarendon LCCN2014716484.jpg George Villiers, 6th Earl of Clarendon
(1877–1955)
1 January 19271930Stanley Baldwin
Ramsay MacDonald
1915 John Henry Whitley.jpg John Henry Whitley
(1866–1935)
19303 February 1935
(Died in Office)
William Bridgeman, 1st Viscount Bridgeman.png William Bridgeman, 1st Viscount Bridgeman
(1864–1935)
193514 August 1935
(Died in Office)
Stanley Baldwin
Philpot, Glyn Warren; Ronald Collet Norman (1873-1963), Chairman of the BBC; City of London Corporation.jpg Ronald Collet Norman
(1873–1963)
19351939
Neville Chamberlain Edward VIII
HRH The Prince of Wales No 4 (HS85-10-36416).jpg
r.1936
George VI
King George VI LOC matpc.14736 (cleaned).jpg
r.1936–1952
No image.svg Allan Powell
(1876–1948)
19391946
Winston Churchill
Clement Attlee
No image.svg Philip Inman, 1st Baron Inman
(1892–1979)
19471947
Lord Simon.jpg Ernest Simon, 1st Baron Simon of Wythenshawe
(1879–1960)
19471952
Winston Churchill Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II official portrait for 1959 tour (retouched) (cropped) (3-to-4 aspect ratio).jpg
r.1952–2022
Sir Alexander Cadogan.jpg Alexander Cadogan
(1884–1968)
19521957
Anthony Eden
Harold Macmillan
No image.svg Arthur fforde
(1900–1985)
19571964
Alec Douglas-Home
Norman Brook, 1st Baron Normanbrook, in 1951.jpg Norman Brook, 1st Baron Normanbrook
(1902–1967)
196415 June 1967
(Died in Office)
Harold Wilson
No image.svg Charles Hill, Baron Hill of Luton
(1904–1989)
19671972
Edward Heath
Michael Swann 1987.jpg Michael Swann
(1920–1990)
19731980 Baron Swann for Life in 1981
Harold Wilson
James Callaghan
Margaret Thatcher
No image.svg George Howard
(1920–1984)
19801983 Baron Howard of Henderskelfe for Life in 1981
No image.svg Stuart Young
(1934–1986)
198329 August 1986
(Died in Office)
No image.svg Marmaduke Hussey
(1923–2006)
19861996 Baron Hussey of North Bradley for Life in 1996
John Major
No image.svg Christopher Bland
(1938–2017)
1 April 199630 September 2001
Tony Blair
Gavyn Davies.jpg Gavyn Davies
(1950–)
1 October 200128 January 2004
Official portrait of Lord Ryder of Wensum crop 2.1.jpg Richard Ryder, Baron Ryder of Wensum
(1949–)
28 January 200417 May 2004
Official portrait of Lord Grade of Yarmouth crop 2, 2023.jpg Michael Grade
(1943–)
17 May 200428 November 2006 Baron Grade of Yarmouth for Life in 2011
No image.svg Anthony Salz
(1950–)
28 November 200631 December 2006Knighted in 2013

Chair of the BBC Trust

No image.svg Chitra Bharucha
(1945–)
1 January 200730 April 2007Tony Blair
No image.svg Sir Michael Lyons
(1949–)
1 May 200730 April 2011
Gordon Brown
David Cameron
Official portrait of Lord Patten of Barnes crop 2.jpg Chris Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes
(1944–)
1 May 20116 May 2014
Diane Coyle gets OBE-27Feb2009.jpg Diane Coyle
(1961–)
6 May 20148 October 2014
Official portrait of Baroness Fairhead crop 2, 2021.jpg Rona Fairhead
(1961–)
9 October 20142 April 2017 Baroness Fairhead for Life in 2017
Theresa May

Chair of the BBC Board

No image.svg Sir David Clementi
(1949–)
16 February 2017 [6] [7] 15 February 2021 [7] Knighted in 2004Theresa May
Boris Johnson
No image.svg Richard Sharp
(1956–)
16 February 2021 [8] 27 June 2023 [9] [10]
Liz Truss
Charles III
King Charles III (July 2023).jpg
r.2022–present
Rishi Sunak
No image.svg Dame Elan Closs Stephens
(1948–)
27 June 20234 March 2024Knighted as a Dame in 2019
Samir Shah - broadcaster, producer and public servant.jpg Dr Samir Shah
(1952–)
4 March 2024Incumbent
Sir Keir Starmer

See also

References

  1. "The Chairmanship of the BBC" (PDF). Parliament of the United Kingdom. 6 August 2007. p. 6. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  2. "Sir David Clementi". BBC. Archived from the original on 2 November 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Royal Charter for the Continuance of the British Broadcasting Corporation" (PDF). BBC. December 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  4. "Chair - British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)". Cabinet Office. Government of the United Kingdom . Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  5. "Dr Samir Shah CBE is confirmed as the new BBC Chair". 22 February 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  6. Became Chairman of the BBC Board on replacement of the BBC Trust on 3 April 2017
  7. 1 2 "David Clementi". About the BBC. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  8. "BBC chairman Richard Sharp resigns after Boris Johnson loan row". BBC News. 28 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  9. "Richard Sharp resigns as BBC chairman following row over Boris Johnson loan" . Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  10. "Richard Sharp". About the BBC. Retrieved 19 February 2021.