Samir Shah, a veteran television executive, will take over for Richard Sharp, who resigned after breaking rules with a loan to Boris Johnson.
Shah, the founder and CEO of Juniper TV, was born in Aurangabad, India, and migrated to England in 1960. He holds a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Hull and a PhD from the University of Oxford.
Mohit Bakaya, his half brother, is the controller of the BBC’s flagship station, Radio 4.
During his tenure as non-executive director, Shah criticised the BBC, claiming in 2008 that the “One BBC ethos” accidentally created a “monolithic posture that appears anti-competitive.”
His viewpoints were expressed in an essay titled The BBC, Viewed from Inside and Out, which included in the book The Price of Plurality, which was published in 2008. In the essay, Shah questioned if the BBC should be the exclusive recipient of the licence fee in the future.
Shah would take over for Richard Sharp, who stepped down as BBC chairman in April.
(With inputs from agencies)
