Chairman of the BBC

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Chairman of the BBC
BBC.svg
Incumbent
Richard Sharp

since 10 February 2021
AbbreviationCOTBBC[citation needed]
Member ofBBC Board
AppointerMonarch
Term lengthFour years, renewable once
Constituting instrumentRoyal charter
First holderThe Lord Gainford
Salary£160,000

The Chairman of the BBC 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 chairman leads the process for appointing the Director-General and can dismiss the Director-General.[3] The chairman of the BBC also acts as the corporation's most senior representative to Parliament and the government, including the devolved administrations.[4]

The chairman is formally appointed by the Queen-in-Council, on the advice of the Secretary of State for a four-year term.[3] The current chairman is Richard Sharp, who succeeded Sir David Clementi in February 2021.[5]

List of chairmen[]

Status
  Denotes Acting Chairman
Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Honour(s) Prime Minister Monarch
(Reign)

Chairman of the Board of Governors of the British Broadcasting Company[]

1910 Jack Pease.jpg The Baron Gainford
(1860–1943)
18 December 1922 31 December 1926 David Lloyd George George V
(1910–1936)
Bonar Law
Stanley Baldwin
Ramsay MacDonald
Stanley Baldwin

Chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC[]

George Herbert Hyde Villiers.jpg The Earl of Clarendon
(1877–1955)
1 January 1927 1930 Stanley Baldwin George V
(1910–1936)
Ramsay MacDonald
1915 John Henry Whitley.jpg John Henry Whitley
(1866–1935)
1930 3 February 1935
(Died in Office)
William Bridgeman, 1st Viscount Bridgeman.png The Viscount Bridgeman
(1864–1935)
1935 14 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)
1935 1939
Neville Chamberlain Edward VIII
(1936)
George VI
(1936–1952)
No image.svg Allan Powell
(1876–1948)
1939 1946
Winston Churchill
Clement Attlee
No image.svg The Baron Inman
(1892–1979)
1947 1947
Lord Simon.jpg The Baron Simon of Wythenshawe
(1879–1960)
1947 1952
Winston Churchill Elizabeth II
(1952–Present)
Sir Alexander Cadogan.jpg Alexander Cadogan
(1884–1968)
1952 1957
Anthony Eden
Harold Macmillan
No image.svg Arthur fforde
(1900–1985)
1957 1964
Alec Douglas-Home
No image.svg The Baron Normanbrook
(1902–1967)
1964 15 June 1967
(Died in Office)
Harold Wilson
No image.svg The Baron Hill of Luton
(1904–1989)
1967 1972
Edward Heath
Michael Swann 1987.jpg Michael Swann
(1920–1980)
1973 1980 Baron Swann for Life in 1981
Harold Wilson
James Callaghan
Margaret Thatcher
No image.svg George Howard
(1920–1984)
1980 1983 Baron Howard of Henderskelfe for Life in 1981
No image.svg Stuart Young
(1934–1986)
1983 29 August 1986
(Died in Office)
No image.svg Marmaduke Hussey
(1923–2006)
1986 1996 Baron Hussey of North Bradley for Life in 1996
John Major
No image.svg Christopher Bland
(1938–2017)
1 April 1996 30 September 2001
Tony Blair
Gavyn Davies.jpg Gavyn Davies
(1950–)
1 October 2001 28 January 2004
Official portrait of Lord Ryder of Wensum crop 2.1.jpg The Baron Ryder of Wensum
(1949–)
28 January 2004 17 May 2004
Official portrait of Lord Grade of Yarmouth crop 2.jpg Michael Grade
(1943–)
17 May 2004 28 November 2006 Baron Grade of Yarmouth for Life in 2011
No image.svg Anthony Salz
(1950–)
28 November 2006 31 December 2006 Knighted in 2013

Chairman of the BBC Trust[]

No image.svg Chitra Bharucha
(1945–)
1 January 2007 30 April 2007 Tony Blair Elizabeth II
(1952–present)
No image.svg Sir Michael Lyons
(1949–)
1 May 2007 30 April 2011
Gordon Brown
David Cameron
Official portrait of Lord Patten of Barnes crop 2.jpg The Baron Patten of Barnes
(1944–)
1 May 2011 6 May 2014
Diane Coyle gets OBE-27Feb2009.jpg Diane Coyle
(1961–)
6 May 2014 8 October 2014
Official portrait of Baroness Fairhead crop 2, 2021.jpg Rona Fairhead
(1961–)
9 October 2014 2 April 2017 Barones Fairhead for Life in 2017
Theresa May

Chairman of the BBC Board[]

No image.svg Sir David Clementi
(1949–)
16 February 2017[6][7] 15 February 2021[7] Theresa May Elizabeth II
(1952–present)
Boris Johnson
No image.svg Richard Sharp
(1956–)
16 February 2021[8] 15 February 2025[8]

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. ^ a b "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. ^ "Former banker Richard Sharp to be next BBC chairman". BBC News. January 6, 2021.
  6. ^ Became Chairman of the BBC Board on replacement of the BBC Trust on 3 April 2017
  7. ^ a b "David Clementi". About the BBC. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Richard Sharp". About the BBC. Retrieved 19 February 2021.

External links[]

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