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Richard Sharp

BBC Sharp practice not good enough

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 […]

February 14, 2023

MPs: BBC Chair’s ‘significant errors of judgement’

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 […]

February 13, 2023By Colin Mann

BBC Chair fends off ‘jobs for chums’ jibe

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 […]

February 7, 2023

MPs to question BBC Chair

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. […]

January 25, 2023By Colin Mann

BBC marks centenary

On marking 100 years since the BBC was founded, BBC Chairman Richard Sharp says: “The BBC is 100 today – it’s a time to celebrate, but also to embrace the future. I believe its best days are ahead. We have always innovated, changed and adapted. Our path has always been guided by the needs of […]

October 18, 2022

BBC DG: ‘Not strapped to one funding mechanic’

Tim Davie, the BBC’s Director-General, has acknowledged that the Licence Fee is the ‘least bad’ option for funding the Corporation, an observation made by current BBC Chairman Richard Sharp before taking up his post and repeated by former Broadcast Minister John Whittingdale earlier in 2022. “If you believe in universal broadcasting, the pressure is on […]

September 27, 2022Colin Mann @ RTS London Convention 2022

MPs to question BBC chiefs

The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the UK House of Commons is to question senior BBC figures on the licence fee, impartiality, and earnings. The Committee will quiz Tim Davie CBE, Director General, BBC, Richard Sharp, Chair, and Leigh Tavaziva, Chief Operating Officer, BBC on how the broadcaster plans to remain relevant and […]

September 5, 2022By Colin Mann

Dorries confirms licence fee freeze

Following suggestions that such an announcement was imminent, Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has confirmed the TV licence fee will remain at £159 (€190) until 2024 and then rise in line with inflation for the following four years. The plans for the new licence fee settlement cover a period of six years and will take effect […]

January 18, 2022By Colin Mann

MPs to question BBC senior leaders 

The UK’s House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee is to question the BBC’s senior leaders in its regular scrutiny of the work of the corporation. Director-General Tim Davie, Chair Richard Sharp and Chief Operating Officer Leigh Tavaziva are expected to consider the Director-General’s progress on his initial priorities a year into the […]

September 20, 2021By Colin Mann

BBC apologises for Diana interview

The BBC has published the Rt Hon Lord Dyson’s independent investigation into the circumstances around the 1995 Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales, with Director-General Tim Davie offering a “full and unconditional apology” for the process for securing the interview. The BBC Board appointed Lord Dyson to lead the investigation on November 18th 2020. […]

May 20, 2021