Who is Samir Shah, the Indian-origin media executive to take over as BBC chairman?

Britain’s government on Wednesday chose a new BBC chair after the previous incumbent was forced to quit earlier this year over breach of rules. The seasoned TV executive Samir Shah has been announced as the culture secretary’s “preferred candidate” for the three-days-a-week position, which pays a salary of £160,000, according to The Guardian. He will be replacing Richard Sharp, who stood down in April, as head of the broadcaster. Here’s all we know about him. Who is Samir Shah? Born in Aurangabad, India, Samir Shah immigrated to England in 1960. He graduated from the University of Hull with a degree in geography and the University of Oxford with a doctorate, according to The Guardian. Beginning in 1979 at the commercial broadcaster London Weekend Television, he has almost 40 years of experience in both TV production and journalism. He joined BBC in 1987 and oversaw the TV current affairs before moving on to manage Millbank’s political journalism division. In 2007, he was appointed as a non-executive director on the BBC Board. Mohit Bakaya, the controller of BBC Radio 4, is Shah’s brother. Shah co-wrote the 2021 Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report, which came under fire for allegedly minimising the negative impacts of discrimination. That year, he was a member of the interview panel for appointments to the Ofcom board. Currently, he serves as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Juniper Communications, an independent British production business that provides content to the BBC, National Geographic, Netflix, and Channel 4. In addition to being chairman of One World Media and a fellow of the Royal Television Society, he serves on the board of Bafta and advocates for independent media coverage from developing nations, as per the report. He received an OBE in the 2000 New Year’s Honour List and a CBE in 2019 for his services to television. His new role at BBC At the century-old British Broadcasting Corp, Shah will be tasked with negotiating with the government an increase to the license fee, which is where the BBC gets most of its funding, AFP reported. The culture secretary, Lucy Frazer, said that Shah’s vast experience in the industry gave him “a wealth of experience to bring to the position of BBC chair.” The British outlet quoted her as saying, “He has 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.” During his tenure as non-executive director, Shah criticised BBC in 2008, saying that the “One BBC ethos” had led to a “monolithic posture that makes it appear anti-competitive.” His opinions were expressed in an essay titled The BBC, Viewed from Inside and Out that was included in the 2008 book The Price of Plurality. According to The Guardian, the topic of whether the BBC should receive the entire licence fee going forward was brought up by Shah in his essay. The report also suggests Shah is believed to be an ally of Robbie Gibb, who served as Theresa May’s Downing Street director of communications before he was accused of being an “active agent of the Conservative party.” Gibb later joined the BBC board for England in April 2021. Although the government might have been drawn to Shah because of his “anti-woke” background, an insider at the BBC asserted that Shah’s knowledge and skill as a journalist would be respected within the organisation. “We welcome the announcement that Samir Shah has been selected as the Government’s preferred candidate to take up the role of BBC chair and look forward to him joining the board once the formal process has been complete,” said a BBC spokesperson, according to AFP. Shah said in a statement that he was “delighted” to be chosen by the government, saying the BBC held a “great place in British life." “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. If I am able to put what skills, experience, and understanding of public service broadcasting I have built up during my career to help this brilliant organisation meet the complex and diverse challenges it faces over the coming years, it would be an honour,” he said, adding that the BBC had a “unique duty” to reach a wide audience right across the country” and promised to do “all I can to ensure it fulfils this in an increasingly competitive market”. Challenges that the incoming leader must overcome Shah succeeds Richard Sharp, a former executive at Goldman Sachs investment firm who quit after breaching rules on public appointments involving a covert £800,000 loan to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Dame Elan Closs Stephens has been acting as the interim chair. His appointment will almost certainly be ratified by a parliament committee and comes at a crucial time for the BBC, which is facing increased funding pressures. The organisation receives funding from an annual fee of £159 ($200) on all British television viewers and users of the BBC’s on-demand streaming service, which it sets in partnership with the government. The BBC has faced financial challenges from wealthy US streaming corporations and has had to make budget cuts in order to survive a licence fee that has remained frozen for two years. The company has announced cuts to its popular Newsnight broadcast and is currently looking to save £500 million. Amidst rumours of licence fee restrictions on Sunday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared the BBC cuts were “welcome.” Frazer effectively confirmed this week that the licence fee hike for the broadcaster will be less than inflation.