TV Executive Samir Shah Named As New BBC Chair

BBC Headquarters (Press Association via AP Images)

Samir Shah, who previously served as non-executive director at the BBC, will be named as the broadcaster’s new chairman, replacing Richard Sharp who resigned in April.

Shah who is expected to take on the role imminently was appointed following Sharp’s resignation over a breach of rules on public appointments related to a secret £800,000 loan made to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Shah’s appointment also comes at a crucial juncture for the BBC, as Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer hinted at a below-inflation increase to the broadcaster’s licence fee forcing it to make cuts. The current £159 annual fee has been frozen for two years, and Frazer suggested that an inflation-aligned increase is unlikely.

During his tenure as a non-executive director, Shah was openly critical of the BBC. In a 2008 essay, Shah challenged the BBC’s monopoly over the licence fee and critiqued its public service ethos for creating a seemingly “anti-competitive” posture.

The investigation into Sharp’s conduct revealed a conflict of interest in his appointment, with Johnson personally approving Sharp while aware that he was the government’s sole supported candidate.

Shah, born in Aurangabad, India, is a graduate from the University of Hull and the University of Oxford. He takes the reins at a time when the broadcaster is marked by financial and ethical challenges.