Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Updated: Everything we know about: New BBC chair

23/10/2020

TVBEurope rounds-up the runners and riders to succeed David Clementi

By Jenny Priestley

Published: October 19, 2020 Updated: October 23, 2020

TVBEurope rounds-up the runners and riders to succeed David Clementi

target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> TVBEurope rounds-up the runners and riders to succeed David Clementi

https://www.tvbeurope.com/business/everything-we-know-about-new-bbc-chair title=Share via Email class=share-email>

Once David Clementi announced in June that he intended to stand down as the BBC's chair in February 2021 speculation immediately began as to who would be his successor.

A number of names have been floated as possible contenders.

In September, former Daily Telegraph editor Charles Moore was said to be the government's preferred choice. At the time, analyst Alex DeGroote told TVBEurope he was surprised so many people had fallen for what he described as a wind-up.

The role of a chairman is mainly around governance, not strategy. The BBC chairman is not a Soviet-style dictator, he works with other board members and stakeholders, added DeGroote.

Reaction within the industry, and the BBC itself, was overwhelmingly negative with Clementi himself telling the DCMS select committee, I hope the government will encourage well-qualified candidates to apply so there is a strong and diverse field, rather than putting them off by giving them the impression there is already a preferred candidate.

Later that same week, Moore let it be known that he had dropped out of the race.

In early October, former head of the BBC's political unit Sir Robbie Gibb was named as the government's preferred alternative. Gibb left the BBC in 2017 to move to Downing Street as former prime minister Teresa May's director of communications.

Broadcaster David Dimbleby is also said to be considering throwing his hat into the ring, telling the BBC's Newscast podcast, You want somebody in charge of the BBC who is sympathetic not to the BBC as an institution but to the concept of the BBC as reflecting the whole richness of British life.

Former chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne is also said to be a possible candidate with reports suggesting he is being encouraged to apply for the role. Other names being linked with the position include Trevor Phillips, the former chair of the equalities watchdog, and former culture secretary Nicky Morgan.

Both Osborne and Morgan are now said to have decided not to put their names forward.

Former Goldman Sachs banker Richard Sharp could also be a possible contender. He was chancellor Rishi Sunak's boss when he was at Goldman and was also an adviser to prime minister Boris Johnson during his time as London mayor.

He took an unpaid role advising the Treasury when the coronavirus pandemic hit, and played a part in organising the £1.5 billion arts bailout and a £500 million insurance deal to help TV production restart.

What impact would Dacre and Moore have on the British TV industry?

Former Downing Street spin doctor new BBC chair favourite

Is David Dimbleby considering BBC chairman bid?

SubscribeFor more stories like this, and to keep up to date with all our market leading news, features and analysis, sign up to our newsletter here.
LINK: https://www.tvbeurope.com/business/everything-we-know-about-new-bbc-ch...
See more stories from tvb

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

09/10/2026

Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026

September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026 New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...

07/10/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Media Operations from Ingest to Distribution

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...

15/09/2026

IBC 2026: Pixitmedia by DataCore to Showcase Cloud and Connected Production Workflows

At IBC2026, Pixitmedia by DataCore will showcase its latest capabilities designe...

15/09/2026

IBC 2026: Quantum Introduces Autonomous Data Management, Dramatically Reducing Storage Costs While Increasing Efficiency and Availability

Quantum Corp. today announced the release of Quantum Autonomous Data Management ...

15/09/2026

PGA Tour Taps Mike Mahar as Chief Technology Officer to Drive Digital, Data, AI Strategy

Former Wyndham Hotels & Resorts technology executive will focus on fan engagemen...

15/09/2026

Creator Sports Network and FAN.live Launch 3D NFL Watch Party for Creators

Creator Sports Network (CSN) and FAN.live have announced a partnership giving CSN's network of more than 2,000 vetted creators access to live 3D NFL broadca...

15/09/2026

IBC 2026 In Review: Our Complete Collection of Video Interviews with Industry Thought Leaders

SVG and SVG Europewere all over the IBC 2026 show floor out in Amsterdam, bringi...

15/09/2026

Rise Announces 2026 Awards Shortlist

Rise WIB has announced the shortlist for the Rise Awards 2026, returning to Troxy in London on Tuesday, November 17. The awards recognize outstanding women, adv...

15/09/2026

Major League Table Tennis Announces 2026-27 Media Distribution Lineup

Major League Table Tennis (MLTT) has announced its media distribution lineup for the 2026-27 season, beginning September 11. Every match will stream live on the...

15/09/2026

Willow Sports to Air 700 Hours of Free Asian Games Coverage for U.S. and Canadian Viewers

Willow Sports has announced it will serve as the exclusive U.S. and Canadian hom...

15/09/2026

Gravity Media to Broadcast MXGP of Australia Championship Finale

Gravity Media has announced it will provide outside broadcast production and technical services for the MXGP of Australia, the finale of the 2026 FIM World Moto...

15/09/2026

Scott Coker and Peter Y. Levin Launch Ki MMA Global MMA Promotion

Co-founders Scott Coker and Peter Y. Levin have unveiled Ki MMA, a new global mixed martial arts promotion launching in the first quarter of 2027. The announcem...

15/09/2026

Sony Announces FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS and FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS Super-Telephoto Lenses

Sony Electronics has announced two new G Master super-telephoto prime lenses for...

15/09/2026

Former NEP Group Exec Saeed Izadi Opens The Matrix, Next-Gen Remote Production Center in Singapore

GlobeCast provides facility for AI-power automated production core...

15/09/2026

Gravity Media Set to Deliver 2026 FIM World Motorcross Championship

Gravity Media, a leading global provider of production and content, and media services and facilities, is empowering Tourism and Events Northern Territory (NT) ...

15/09/2026

Audient unveil flagship Horizon interfaces

New Thunderbolt audio interfaces aimed at pro studios Audient's latest announcement sees the company introduce three new high-end audio interfaces desig...

15/09/2026

Sennheiser launch the Spectera SKM handheld

Completes core wireless system line-up The latest addition to Sennheiser's Spectera range is now shipping, completing the core elements of the company&#...

15/09/2026

Schwabe Digital reveal HiFAL 2

High-frequency dynamics plug-in upgraded Schwabe Digital have just released a major free update for their acclaimed high-frequency dynamics processing plug-...

15/09/2026

LUNA 3.0 & UAD Spark Studio from Universal Audio

DAW update launched alongside all-in-one subscription bundle The latest version of Universal Audio's DAW software has just arrived, and has been release...

15/09/2026

Rupert Neve Designs introduce three plug-ins

Three popular hardware units go virtual Rupert Neve Designs are entering the software market in style, with not one, but three of their sought-after hardwar...

15/09/2026

Argo M Powers Cloudbass' Next Generation OB Fleet

When longstanding OB specialist Cloudbass made the decision to expand its fleet to accommodate remote production facilities for a leading UK sports broadcaster&...

15/09/2026

Study: 3 in 4 U.S. TV Viewers Use Smartphones While Watching TV

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/09/2026

Agent TiVo Will Help Track Down Your Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/09/2026

Nielsen Marketing Cloud Launches Data Enrichment Capabilities

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/09/2026

Six Berklee Alumni Win at 2026 Emmy Awards

Six Berklee Alumni Win at 2026 Emmy Awards The recipients were recognized for their contributions to Widow's Bay, Beef, South Park, and Bad Bunny's Su...

15/09/2026

OWC Announces Acquisition of OpenDrives, Expanding Software-Defined Video and Rich Media Storage Management Capabilities

OWC Announces Acquisition of OpenDrives, Expanding Software-Defined Video and Ri...

15/09/2026

Podcast The Vertical Buzz Shot with Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro

Podcast The Vertical Buzz Shot with Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro Brie Clayton September 14, 2026 0 Comments Production team builds premium p...

15/09/2026

Grass Valley Launches AVORA at IBC2026

Grass Valley Launches AVORA at IBC2026 Brie Clayton September 14, 2026 0 Comments New standalone solution gives production teams everything they need ...

15/09/2026

Brandon Woody Joins Berklee Student Ensemble for Signature Series Concert

Brandon Woody Joins Berklee Student Ensemble for Signature Series Concert The acclaimed trumpeter, composer, and bandleader will lead a Berklee student ensemb...

15/09/2026

IBC2026 Announces IBC Innovation Award Winners

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/09/2026

IEEE BTS to Host Broadcast Technology Forum at NAB Headquarters

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/09/2026

Huw Mills Joins Technetix as SVP, Global Operations

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/09/2026

TiVo Introduces Agent TiVo

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/09/2026

Study: Younger Fans Are Watching More Sports Than Ever

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/09/2026

NFL Melbourne Game Scores 18.5 Million U.S. Viewers on Netflix

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/09/2026

Applications open for Future Leaders Delegation to BitSummit 2027

Applications open for Future Leaders Delegation to BitSummit 2027 15 September 2026 Applications are open for Screen Australia's annual Future Leaders Dele...

15/09/2026

Red Seat Ventures' Supercast Launches Live Streaming, Bringing Real-Time Video and Community to Subscribers

Red Seat Ventures' Supercast Launches Live Streaming, Bringing Real-Time Vid...

15/09/2026

Arqiva recognised with Armed Forces Covenant Silver Award

Arqiva recognised with Armed Forces Covenant Silver AwardPresented to organisations that demonstrate outstanding support for the Armed Forces community -- Sh...

14/09/2026

ESPNs MNF Gets in Tune With Apple Music, Adds Ludacris to In the Air Tonight Open

Lil Baby's Dead Fresh kicks off ESPN's Week 1 Monday Night Football, ...

14/09/2026

ESPN's Monday Night Football Begins Its Super Bowl Run With Year 2 of Flagship, New Tech, and 4K HDR Distribution

With Super Bowl LXI waiting in Los Angeles, ESPN will use the regular season to ...

14/09/2026

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Padraic McKinley, the Director of The Weight

By Bailey Pennick One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. ...

14/09/2026

Sony expand WH headphone line-up

Three new models introduced Sony have just announced the launch of three new pairs of headphones that span their premium, mid-range and entry-level line-ups...

14/09/2026

Audient unveil Horizon interfaces

New flagship Thunderbolt units aimed at pro studios Audient's latest announcement sees the company introduce three new high-end audio interfaces designe...

14/09/2026

Cobalt Digital to Bring New and Enhanced Practical Solutions to Evolving Broadcast Workflows at IBC2026

Cobalt Digital IBC Stand 8.F90 // Journalists: Click to visit Cobalt Highlights...

14/09/2026

TV Tech Unveils Best of Show Winners at IBC2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

14/09/2026

TV Skyline Becomes 'World's First Ultrix FR30 Customer

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

14/09/2026

Bitmovin AI Scene Analysis Selected by Nine to Enhance it...

Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming solutions, has announced that Australia's largest media company, Nine Entertainment (Nine), has deployed Bit...

14/09/2026

Creativepool Annual 2026 Winners Announced

Creativepool Annual 2026 Winners Announced Brie Clayton September 13, 2026 0 Comments The creative industry's Most' awards celebrates another...

14/09/2026

Inside DPA's N-Series at IBC2026: Wireless audio without compromise

At IBC2026, Ren M rch explains how the N-Series combines DPA's renowned microphone technology with a high-performance wireless platform, offering a wide tu...