The UK Government has confirmed Professor Dame Elan Closs Stephens as the Acting Chair of the BBC. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer made the appointment following consultation with the BBC Board, in line with the terms of the BBC’s Royal Charter. Dame Elan will replace Richard Sharp who will step down on June 27th. The appointment […]

The BBC Board has commissioned a thematic review of the Corporation’s migration output, which is says is “part of its responsibility for setting and monitoring editorial standards across the BBC”. The review will assess BBC coverage of major migration topics affecting the UK. Expert on migration data Madeleine Sumption, Director of the Migration Observatory based […]

The BBC has published the conclusions of a review into Richard Sharp’s obligations in respect of conflicts of interest since his appointment as BBC Chairman. Sharp resigned from the role on April 28th after a report into whether he had been sufficiently candid about connections with former Prime Minister Boris Johnson concluded he had not. […]

Richard Sharp has quit his role of Chairman at the BBC as a report into whether he had been sufficiently candid about connections with the former Prime Minister concluded he had not. He had become embroiled in a controversy surrounding his involvement in facilitating a loan for former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and had been […]

A report on the controversial appointment of Richard Sharp as chairman of the BBC is said to have made some damning conclusions. The Financial Times is reporting that the report makes “grim” reading and with one person who had seen the report adding that it was “probable” that Sharp would have to resign. The report […]

The BBC has published its Annual Plan for 2023/24 which commits to providing a wealth of programming and services for all audiences across the UK, but which recognises the increased savings requirement caused by the 2022 licence fee settlement and economic environment. The publication confirms the BBC maintains its position as the UK’s number one […]

Richard Sharp, the current Chair of the BBC, may have been an outstanding banker. He worked for both JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs and, presumably, made them a lot of money, certainly made himself rich. Is that the definition of a good banker? Did he do it more outstandingly than any of the other individuals […]

BBC Chair Richard Sharp made ‘significant errors of judgement’ when failing to declare his role in the facilitation of a loan to the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson and should reflect on the potential damage caused to trust in the Corporation, according to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee. The conclusion from the Committee […]

Richard Sharp, the BBC chair, has told MPs his only role in providing a loan to Boris Johnson shortly before he got the job was to “ensure due process was followed”. Sharp said he had personally told Johnson as well as Rishi Sunak, the then chancellor, that he was going for the BBC job before […]

The House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee is to question BBC Chair Richard Sharp following media reports about his appointment. Sharp appeared before the Committee in January 2021 for a pre-appointment hearing in which he faced questions about his political independence and suitability for the role. The Committee subsequently approved his appointment. […]