Team Blitz India
New Delhi: The Rishi Sunak Conservative Government has picked Samir Shah, a British-Indian, to head the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) as its next chair. Shah, 71, was born in Aurangabad and moved to the U.K. in 1960.
“Shah has a wealth of experience to bring to the position of BBC Chair,” Culture Minister Lucy Frazer said in a post on X. “He has a clear ambition to see the BBC succeed in a rapidly changing media landscape, and I have no doubt he will provide the support and scrutiny that the BBC needs to meet the challenges of the future.”
To be ratified
His appointment will almost certainly be ratified by a parliament committee and comes at a crucial time for the BBC, which is facing increased funding pressures.
The previous BBC chair, Richard Sharp, stepped down in June over his failure to disclose that he had helped arrange a £800,000 loan to former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Shah will be tasked with negotiating with the Government an increase to the licence fee, which is where the BBC gets most of its funding.
UK media reported recently that Sunak plans to block a nine per cent increase in the annual fee, which is currently £159 ($200) per household. Shah has worked in television for more than 40 years and has held a number of roles at the BBC, including as head of current affairs.
The CEO and owner of Juniper, an independent television and radio production company, Shah has also served as a non-executive director of the BBC between 2007 and 2010.
He said he was “delighted” to have been named the Government’s preferred candidate.
“The BBC has a great place in British life and a unique duty to reach a wide audience right across the country and I will do all I can to ensure it fulfils this in an increasingly competitive market,” Shah said.
“We welcome the announcement that Samir Shah has been selected as the Government’s preferred candidate to take up the role of BBC chair and look forward to him joining the board once the formal process has been complete,” said a BBC spokesperson.
Shah was honoured with a CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019.
