Chair of the BBC

Last updated

Chair of the BBC
BBC Logo 2021.svg
Incumbent
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 The Lord Gainford
Salary£160,000

The Chair of the BBC, referred to as Chairwoman when the incumbent is female and Chairman when male, 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, Samir Shah, succeeded acting 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

Chair 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 The Lord 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

George Herbert Hyde Villiers in October of 1899.jpg The 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 The 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 The Lord Inman
(1892–1979)
19471947
Lord Simon.jpg The Lord 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
No image.svg The Lord Normanbrook
(1902–1967)
196415 June 1967
(Died in Office)
Harold Wilson
No image.svg The Lord 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 The Lord 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 The Lord 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
(1949–)
27 June 20234 March 2024Knighted as a Dame in 2019
Samir Shah - broadcaster, producer and public servant.jpg Samir Shah
(1952–)
4 March 2024Incumbent

See also

Footnotes

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Republican National Committee</span> Top institution of the U.S. Republican Party

    The Republican National Committee (RNC) is the primary committee of the Republican Party of the United States. Its members are chosen by the state delegations at the national convention every four years. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fundraising and election strategy. It is also responsible for organizing and running the Republican National Convention. When a Republican is president, the White House controls the committee. According to Boris Heersink, "political scientists have traditionally described the parties' national committees as inconsequential but impartial service providers."

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Graham Brady</span> British politician (born 1967)

    Sir Graham Stuart Brady is a British politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Altrincham and Sale West since 1997. A member of the Conservative Party, he has been Chairman of the 1922 Committee since 2010, except for a brief period during the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Jenkin</span> British Conservative politician

    Sir Bernard Christison Jenkin is a British Conservative Party politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Harwich and North Essex since 2010. He also serves as chair of the Liaison Committee. He was first elected to represent Colchester North in 1992, and went on to represent North Essex before the Harwich and North Essex constituency was created.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoffrey Cox (British politician)</span> British Conservative politician

    Sir Charles Geoffrey Cox is a British Conservative Party politician and barrister serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Torridge and West Devon since the 2005 general election. Cox worked as a barrister from 1982 onwards and was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 2003, two years before his election to Parliament. He served as Attorney General for England and Wales and Advocate General for Northern Ireland under Theresa May and Boris Johnson from 2018 to 2020.

    The BBC Trust was the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) between 2007 and 2017. It was operationally independent of BBC management and external bodies, and its stated aim was to make decisions in the best interests of licence-fee payers. On 12 May 2016, it was announced in the House of Commons that, under the next royal charter, the regulatory functions of the BBC Trust were to be transferred to Ofcom.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Geidt, Baron Geidt</span> Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II (born 1961)

    Christopher Edward Wollaston MacKenzie Geidt, Baron Geidt, is a member of the House of Lords, former Courtier and Chairman of the Council of King's College London. He was Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II from 2007 to 2017.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Boris Johnson</span> Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2022

    Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British politician and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He was previously Foreign Secretary from 2016 to 2018 and Mayor of London from 2008 to 2016. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Henley from 2001 to 2008 and Uxbridge and South Ruislip from 2015 to 2023. He has played little role in active politics since he resigned from Parliament, subsequent to the finding of the Commons Privileges Committee that he had repeatedly misled the House.

    The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current state with its current name on New Year's Day 1927. The oldest and largest local and global broadcaster by stature and by number of employees, the BBC employs over 21,000 staff in total, of whom approximately 17,900 are in public-sector broadcasting.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Jo Johnson</span> British Conservative politician, brother of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson

    Joseph Edmund Johnson, Baron Johnson of Marylebone, is a British politician and peer who was Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation from 2015 to 2018, and from July to September 2019. A member of the Conservative Party, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for Orpington from 2010 to 2019. He currently sits in the House of Lords. His older brother, Boris Johnson, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom between 2019 and 2022.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Nadhim Zahawi</span> British politician (born 1967)

    Nadhim Zahawi is an Iraqi-born British politician who served in various ministerial positions under prime ministers Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak from 2018 to 2023. He most recently served as Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister without Portfolio from 25 October 2022 until he was dismissed by Sunak on 29 January 2023. A member of the Conservative Party, he became Member of Parliament (MP) for Stratford-on-Avon in 2010.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Oliver Dowden</span> British politician (born 1977)

    Oliver James Dowden is a British politician and the current Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. A member of the Conservative Party, he is also Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office and has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hertsmere since 2015.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Hall (politician)</span> British politician

    Luke Anthony Hall is a British politician and former retail manager who has served as the Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education since 26 March 2024 and as Member of Parliament (MP) for Thornbury and Yate since 2015. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as Minister of State for Regional Growth and Local Government from 2020 to 2021 and as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party from February to July 2022 and from 2023 to 2024.

    The BBC Board is the governing board of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The board replaced the BBC Trust in April 2017.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Maclean (politician)</span> British Conservative politician

    Rachel Helen Maclean is a British politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Redditch in Worcestershire since 2017. A member of the Conservative Party, she currently serves as its Deputy Chairman. She has previously served as Minister of State for Housing and Planning and has held ministerial roles in the Department for Transport and Home Office.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Clarke (politician)</span> British politician (born 1984)

    Sir Simon Richard Clarke is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland since 2017. A member of the Conservative Party, he briefly served as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities from September to October 2022 and Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2021 to 2022.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Griffith</span> British politician

    Andrew John Griffith is a British politician and former senior media executive who, since 2019, has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Arundel and South Downs.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Rosenfield</span> British political advisor and civil servant (born 1977)

    Daniel Robert Rosenfield, Baron Rosenfield, is a British political adviser and civil servant who served as the Downing Street Chief of Staff from January 2021 to February 2022. Between July 2007 and April 2011, he served as the principal private secretary to chancellors Alistair Darling and George Osborne, and subsequently as a managing director for Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

    Richard Simon Sharp is a British former banker who became chairman of the BBC in February 2021. Following the findings of the Heppinstall inquiry into the appointment process, Sharp submitted his resignation to the BBC Board and to the Culture Secretary, which took effect at the end of June 2023.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Samir Shah</span> Television and radio executive

    Samir Shah, CBE, is an Indian–British television and radio executive. He has worked for London Weekend Television, the BBC, and is the chief executive of Juniper TV, a British company. In 2021, he co-authored the UK government's Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report.

    Gabriel Pogrund is a journalist who is currently Whitehall editor at The Sunday Times.

    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.