Samir Shah has been confirmed as the government’s choice for chair of the BBC, replacing Richard Sharp who resigned in April.
Shah is a seasoned TV executive, having worked for London Weekend Television and the BBC, where he held the post of head of television current affairs from 1994 to 1998 was head of the BBC’s political journalism programmes.
He is chief executive of Juniper TV which produces BBC shows Politics London and Politics South East.
In 2021, he co-authored the government’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report.
Today, culture secretary Lucy Frazer said that Shah had 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 and opportunities of the future”.
Shah said the BBC “is, without doubt, one of the greatest contributions we have made to global culture and one of our strongest calling cards on soft power.”
Pippa Considine
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