Chairman of the BBC
BBC Logo 2021.svg
Incumbent
Richard Sharp
since 10 February 2021
BBC Board
BBC
AbbreviationCOTBBC[citation needed]
Member ofBBC Board
AppointerMonarch, on the advice of the Secretary of State.
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 King-in-Council, on the advice of the Secretary of State for a four-year term.[3] The current chairman, Richard Sharp, succeeded Sir David Clementi in February 2021[5] and will leave post on 27 June 2023, when Dame Elan Closs Stephens will become acting chair.[6]

List of chairmen

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

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

1910 Jack Pease.jpg
The Lord Gainford
(1860–1943)
18 December 1922 31 December 1926 David Lloyd George George V
George V

r. 1910–1936
Bonar Law
Stanley Baldwin
Ramsay MacDonald
Stanley Baldwin

Chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC[edit]

George Herbert Hyde Villiers in October of 1899.jpg
The Earl of Clarendon
(1877–1955)
1 January 1927 1930 Stanley Baldwin George V
George V

r. 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
Edward VIII

r. 1936
George VI
George VI

r. 1936–1952
No image.svg
Allan Powell
(1876–1948)
1939 1946
Winston Churchill
Clement Attlee
No image.svg
The Lord Inman
(1892–1979)
1947 1947
Lord Simon.jpg
The Lord Simon of Wythenshawe
(1879–1960)
1947 1952
Winston Churchill Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II

r. 1952–2022
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 Lord Normanbrook
(1902–1967)
1964 15 June 1967
(Died in Office)
Harold Wilson
No image.svg
The Lord 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 Lord 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[edit]

No image.svg
Chitra Bharucha
(1945–)
1 January 2007 30 April 2007 Tony Blair Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II

r. 1952–2022
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 Lord 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 Baroness Fairhead for Life in 2017
Theresa May

Chairman of the BBC Board[edit]

No image.svg
Sir David Clementi
(1949–)
16 February 2017[7][8] 15 February 2021[8] Knighted in 2004 Theresa May Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II

r. 1952–2022
Boris Johnson
No image.svg
Richard Sharp
(1956–)
16 February 2021[9] Present
(Expected to leave office on 27 June 2023)[a][10][11]
Liz Truss
Charles III
Charles Prince of Wales.jpg

r. 2022–present
Rishi Sunak
Dame Elan Closs Stephens

(1949-) (Expected to assume office as of 27th June 2023)Dame Elan Closs Stephens

27th June 2023 (Expected Start Date) Expected to stay in role for 12 months or less Knighted as a Dame  Rishi Sunak Charles 111

r. 2022-Present

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ On 28 April 2023, Sharp announced his resignation and intention to leave office in June

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. 6 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Elan Closs Stephens appointed acting chair of BBC". BBC News. 2 June 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  7. ^ Became Chairman of the BBC Board on replacement of the BBC Trust on 3 April 2017
  8. ^ a b "David Clementi". About the BBC. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  9. ^ "BBC chairman Richard Sharp resigns after Boris Johnson loan row". BBC News. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  10. ^ "Richard Sharp resigns as BBC chairman following row over Boris Johnson loan". Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  11. ^ "Richard Sharp". About the BBC. Retrieved 19 February 2021.