Tessa Jowell announces final eight BBC Trust Members
128/06
The appointment of the final eight new BBC Trust members was announced today by the Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell.
They are Chitra Bharucha (vice-chair), Diane Coyle, Janet Lewis-Jones, Alison Hastings, Patricia Hodgson, Rotha Johnston, David Liddiment and Mehmuda Mian Pritchard.
They will join the chair, Michael Grade, and three former BBC governors – Dermot Gleeson, Jeremy Peat and Richard Tait - on the Trust, which is tasked with bringing the BBC closer to licence fee payers and ensuring that the BBC is accountable and transparent.
The Trust will be responsible for representing the views of licence fee payers. It will apply the principle of public value in holding to account the Executive Board, which is responsible for the day-to-day management of the BBC. The Trust will also ensure that the BBC's activities are not anti-competitive and are consistent with a vibrant and dynamic broadcasting market.
The Secretary of State’s decision to overhaul the BBC’s governance system was part of the recent charter review, which saw an unprecedented level of public involvement in determining the future of the BBC. The new 10-year charter was sealed on 19 September 2006.
Licence fee payers also suggested the type of questions that should be used in interviews for prospective Trust members, such as:
• How should the Trust respond to complaints about poor quality programming?
• There are 24 million licence fee payers, with many different opinions. How can the Trust serve them all?
• If challenged, how would you defend the licence fee, or public service broadcasting more generally?
Welcoming the appointments, which were made by Her Majesty the Queen by Order in Council, Ms Jowell said:
“The way the BBC talks to the people it serves is changing for the better.
“During the charter review, licence fee payers told us they wanted to see a BBC that listened and responded to their views, and as a result the Trust will oversee the BBC, consider the needs of a diverse audience, safeguard the BBC’s independence and strive to ensure the corporation produces public services of the very highest quality.
“I am very pleased to announce the final appointments to the Trust. I’m sure this talented group of people, with their enthusiasm and expertise, will play a key role in ensuring that the BBC is driven by the views of licence fee payers.”
The Trust will formally replace the BBC governors as the sovereign body of the BBC from 1 January 2007. Transitional arrangements are in place to ensure a seamless transfer of responsibilities.
Notes for editors
1. To ensure transparency, DCMS carries out all public appointments in accordance with Nolan principles and taking account of the guidance of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
2. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in keeping with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity (if any declared) to be made public. None of the appointees has undertaken any political activity during the last five years.
3. Individual Trust members will not have specific representative functions, except in relation to the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom.
4. Appointments to the Trust will be made for four year terms, beginning on 1 November and ending on 31 October 2010. The four transferring Governors will also begin their terms as Trust members on 1 November, but will continue to work out their existing terms. They will therefore be appointed for terms as follows Michael Grade -1 November 2006 to 16 May 2008; Dermot Gleeson - 1 November 2006 to 31 October 2008; Richard Tait – 1 November 2006 to 31 July 2008 and Jeremy Peat – 1 November 2006 to 31 December 2008.
5. BBC Trust members are remunerated at the following levels: chair - £140,000 per annum, vice-chair - £75,000 per annum, members for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland - £40,000 per annum and ordinary members £35,000 per annum.
4. Full biographies and photographs of the BBC Trust members are available from the BBC press office. Summary details as follows:
Michael Grade CBE (chair) became chairman of the BBC on 17 May 2004. He is non-executive chairman of Pinewood Shepperton plc and non-executive chairman of Ocado. He is a director of Charlton Athletic football club. He was made a fellow of the Royal Television Society in 1991 and a fellow of Bafta in 1994. He became vice-president of Bafta in June 2004.
Dr Chitra Bharucha (vice-chair) chairs fitness to practise adjudication panels of the General Medical Council. She also chairs the advisory committee on animal feedingstuffs for the Food Standards Agency and was appointed Lay Member of the Review Body for Judicial Complaints when it was created in 2006.
Janet Lewis-Jones (Wales member) is vice president of the British Board of Film Classification, a trustee of the Baring Foundation and chairs the membership selection panel of Glas Cymru (Welsh Water). She is a Welsh speaker.
Rotha Johnston CBE (Northern Ireland member) is an entrepreneur in commerce and property. She is a non-executive director of Allied Irish Bank (UK) plc and vice chair of Invest Northern Ireland. She is also a non-executive member of the Northern Ireland Office Board.
Jeremy Peat (Scotland member) has been the national governor for Scotland on the Board of Governors since January 2005. He is also chair of the BBC Pension Scheme Trustees.
Alison Hastings (England member) is a media consultant whose clients include Camelot, Liverpool City Council and the Press Complaints Commission. She is a member of the Society of Editors.
Dermot Gleeson is executive chairman of MJ Gleeson Group plc. He was appointed a BBC governor in November 2000 and re-appointed for a further four years in July 2004. He is deputy chair of the BBC Pension Scheme Trustees. His term of office now runs to the end of October 2008.
Richard Tait CBE is professor of journalism and director of the Centre for Journalism Studies, Cardiff University. He became a BBC governor on 1 August 2004 for a period of four years. He is vice-chair of the International Press Institute and a fellow of the Society of Editors and the Royal Television Society.
Diane Coyle is an economic consultant specialising in new technologies and globalisation and has been a member of the Competition Commission since 2001. She is a frequent commentator on radio and television.
Dame Patricia Hodgson is principal of Newnham College, Cambridge. She is a governor of the Wellcome Trust, and a member of both the Higher Education Council for England and the Committee on Standards in Public Life. She is a non-executive director of the Competition Commission.
David Liddiment is a consultant to and non-executive creative director of the independent production company All3Media. He is also producer at the Old Vic Theatre Company.
Mehmuda Mian Pritchard is a commissioner of the Independent Police Complaints Commission, London and South East Region.
5. All BBC charter review publications can be found at: http://www.bbccharterreview.org.uk/
Press Enquiries: 020 7211 6052/6277
Out of hours telephone pager no: 07699 751153
Public Enquiries: 020 7211 6200
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