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The Board of Governors of the BBC was the governing body of the

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. It consisted of twelve people who together regulated the BBC and represented the interests of the public. It existed from 1927 until it was replaced by the

BBC Trust The BBC Trust was the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) between 2007 and 2017. It was operationally independent of BBC management and external bodies, and its stated aim was to make decisions in the best interests of ...

on 1 January 2007. The governors were independent of the

Director-General A director general or director-general (plural: ''directors general'', ''directors-general'', ''director generals'' or ''director-generals'' ) or general director is a senior executive officer, often the chief executive officer, within a governmen ...

and the rest of the BBC's executive team. They had no direct say in programme-making, but were nevertheless accountable to

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

and to licence fee payers for the BBC's actions. Although a 'state broadcaster', the BBC is theoretically protected from government interference due to the statutory independence of its governing body. The Governors' role was to appoint the Director-General (and in earlier years, other key BBC staff). They approved strategy and policy, set objectives, oversaw complaints, and produced ''Annual Reports'' that documented the BBC's performance and compliance each year. The role of chairman of the Board of Governors, though a non-executive, was one of the most important positions in British media.

Appointments

Governors were usually appointed from senior positions in various walks of British society. Appointments were part-time positions and lasted for four (formerly five) years. Four governors were given specific responsibilities: for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the English regions. Governors were nominally appointed by the

monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...

on the advice of ministers. In practice, governors were chosen by the

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government i ...

of the day. This has led to claims of political interference, in particular during the years of

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...

's premiership.

Controversy

The Thatcher government appointed a succession of governors with the apparent intent of bringing the BBC "into line" with government policy.

Marmaduke Hussey Marmaduke James Hussey, Baron Hussey of North Bradley (29 August 1923 – 27 December 2006), known as Duke Hussey, was Chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC from 1986 to 1996, serving two terms in that role. Education and career The so ...

was appointed chairman of the Board of Governors apparently with the specific agenda of bringing down the then-Director-General

Alasdair Milne Alasdair David Gordon Milne (8 October 19308 January 2013) was a British television producer and executive. He had a long career at the BBC, where he was eventually promoted to Director-General, and was described by ''The Independent'' as "one ...

; this government also broke the tradition of always having a trade union leader on the Board of Governors. BBC director general Mark Thompson said "staff were "quite mystified" by the rise of Margaret Thatcher but that there was "less overt tribalism" among its journalists. It has also been suggested that

Harold Wilson James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from October 1964 to June 1970, and again from March 1974 to April 1976. He ...

's appointment of the former Tory minister Lord Hill as chairman of the Board of Governors in 1967 was motivated by a desire to undermine the radical, questioning agenda of Director-General Sir

Hugh Greene Sir Hugh Carleton Greene (15 November 1910 – 19 February 1987) was a British television executive and journalist. He was director-general of the BBC from 1960 to 1969. After working for newspapers in the 1930s, Greene spent most of his later ...

– ironically Wilson had attacked the appointment of Hill as Chairman of the

Independent Television Authority The Independent Television Authority (ITA) was an agency created by the Television Act 1954 to supervise the creation of "Independent Television" (ITV (TV network), ITV), the first commercial television network in the United Kingdom. The ITA exi ...

by a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

government in 1963. In January 2004

Gavyn Davies Gavyn Davies, OBE (born 27 November 1950) is a former Goldman Sachs partner who was the chairman of the BBC from 2001 until 2004. On 28 January 2004 he announced that he was resigning his BBC post following the publication of the Hutton Inqui ...

, who had been appointed chairman of the Board of Governors by the

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

government in 2001, resigned in the wake of the

Hutton Inquiry The Hutton Inquiry was a 2003 judicial inquiry in the UK chaired by Lord Hutton, who was appointed by the Labour government to investigate the controversial circumstances surrounding the death of Dr David Kelly, a biological warfare expert and f ...

. Lord Ryder of Wensum, previously a Conservative Member of Parliament and a member of Margaret Thatcher's personal staff, replaced him as Acting Chairman. It has been claimed that Ryder and other Conservatives on the Board of Governors were effectively responsible for "forcing out" Director-General

Greg Dyke Gregory Dyke (born 20 May 1947) is a British media executive, football administrator, journalist, and broadcaster. Since the 1960s, Dyke has had a long career in the UK in print and then broadcast journalism. He is credited with introducing ' ...

, who had not initially believed that his offer of resignation would be accepted by the Governors. In May 2004,

Michael Grade Michael Ian Grade, Baron Grade of Yarmouth, (born 8 March 1943) is an English television executive and businessman. He has held a number of senior roles in television, including controller of BBC1 (1984–1986), chief executive of Channel 4 ( ...

took over as permanent chairman. He was to be the last permanent chairman of the Board of Governors.

Chairmen of the Board of Governors

* Lord Gainford (chairman of the

British Broadcasting Company The British Broadcasting Company Ltd. (BBC) was a short-lived British commercial broadcasting company formed on 18 October 1922 by British and American electrical companies doing business in the United Kingdom. Licensed by the British Genera ...

, before incorporation) (1922) *

Earl of Clarendon Earl of Clarendon is a title that has been created twice in British history, in 1661 and 1776. The family seat is Holywell House, near Swanmore, Hampshire. First creation of the title The title was created for the first time in the Peer ...

(first chairman of the British Broadcasting Corporation) (1927) *

John Henry Whitley John Henry Whitley (8 February 1866 – 3 February 1935), often known as J. H. Whitley, was a British politician and Georgist. He was the final Liberal to serve as Speaker of the House of Commons, a role he held from 1921 to 1928. Family an ...

(1930) *

Viscount Bridgeman Viscount Bridgeman, of Leigh in the County of Shropshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1929 for the Conservative politician William Bridgeman, who had previously served as Home Secretary and First Lord of ...

(1935) *

Ronald Collet Norman Ronald Collet Norman JP (15 November 1873 – 5 December 1963) was a banker, administrator and politician. He was chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC from 1935 to 1939 and of the London County Council from 1918 to 1919. Biography ...

(1935) *

Allan Powell Sir George Allan Powell GBE (1 February 1876 – 24 January 1948) was Chairman of the BBC Board of Governors between 1939 and 1946. Educated at Bancroft's School and at King's College London, and was called to the bar at Gray's Inn in 1907. E ...

(1940) * Lord Inman (1947) * Lord Simon of Wythenshawe (1947) * Sir Alexander Cadogan (1952) * Sir Arthur fforde (1957) *Sir

James Fitzjames Duff Sir James Fitzjames Duff (1 February 1898 – 24 April 1970) was an English academic and Vice-chancellor of Durham University. The son of James Duff Duff, he was educated at Winchester College then (after serving in the Royal Flying Corps from ...

(1964) *

Lord Normanbrook Norman Craven Brook, 1st Baron Normanbrook, (29 April 1902 – 15 June 1967), known as Sir Norman Brook between 1946 and 1964, was a British civil servant. He was Cabinet Secretary between 1947 and 1962 as well as joint permanent secretary to H ...

(1964) * Lord Hill of Luton (1967) * Sir Michael Swann (1973) *

Sir George Howard Field Marshal Sir George Howard KB, PC (17 June 1718 – 16 July 1796) was a British military officer and politician. After commanding the 3rd Regiment of Foot at the Battle of Fontenoy in May 1745 during the War of the Austrian Succession ...

, latterly Lord Howard of Henderskelfe (1980) * Stuart Young (1983) * Sir Marmaduke Hussey, latterly Lord Hussey of North Bradley (1986) *

Sir Christopher Bland Sir Francis Christopher Buchan Bland (29 May 1938 – 28 January 2017) was a British businessman and politician. He was deputy chairman of the Independent Television Authority (1972), which was renamed the Independent Broadcasting Authority in th ...

(1996) *

(October 2001 – 28 January 2004) * Lord Ryder of Wensum (acting chairman) (28 January 2004 – 17 May 2004) *

(17 May 2004 – 28 November 2006)

The last Board of Governors

The governors as of the board's dissolution on 31 December 2006 were: *

Anthony Salz Sir Anthony Michael Vaughan Salz (born 30 June 1950) is a British solicitor. He sat on the Board of Governors of the BBC from 1 August 2004, after the resignation of the former Vice Chairman, Lord Ryder, and was Acting Chairman in 2006 following ...

(Acting Chairman) *

Ranjit Sondhi Ranjit Sondhi CBE was a BBC Governor with responsibility for the English regions. First appointed in August 1998, his term of office was renewed for another four years in 2002 and finished in October 2006. He is a senior lecturer at the Universi ...

(Governor for the English regions) *

Fabian Monds Fabian Charles Monds, CBE (born 1 November 1940) was a BBC Governor with responsibility for Northern Ireland. Appointed in 1999, in June 2003 his term of office was extended until 31 July 2007. He has contributed to economic development and inw ...

(National Governor for Northern Ireland) *

Merfyn Jones R. Merfyn Jones CBE (born January 1948) is a Welsh historian and broadcaster, was vice-chancellor of Bangor University (2004 to 2010) and a governor of the BBC (2003 to 2006). He grew up and still lives in Gwynedd, Wales. Academic career ...

(National Governor for Wales) * Jeremy Peat (National Governor for Scotland) *

Deborah Bull Deborah Bull, Baroness Bull, CBE (born 22 March 1963) is an English dancer, writer, and broadcaster and former creative director of the Royal Opera House. She joined King's College London as Director, Cultural Partnerships in 2012. In 2015 she w ...

* Andrew Burns *

Dermot Gleeson Dermot Gleeson SC (born 12 November 1949) is an Irish barrister who served as Attorney General of Ireland from 1994 to 1997. Educated in Blackrock College, Dublin and University College Dublin. Gleeson holds B.A. and LL.M degrees and qualif ...

* Angela Sarkis *

Richard Tait Richard Graham Tait Commander of the British Empire, CBE (born 22 May 1947) is a British journalist and Professor of Journalism at Cardiff University. He had been a member of the BBC Trust, the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporat ...

* Note:

had left the BBC before the dissolution of the board to take up the position of Executive Chairman at rival broadcaster

ITV plc ITV plc is a British media company that holds 13 of the 15 regional television licences that make up the ITV network (Channel 3), the oldest and largest commercial terrestrial television network in the United Kingdom. ITV plc is listed on the ...

References

External links

BBC Annual Reports
{{BBC * * 1927 establishments in the United Kingdom 2007 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Organizations established in 1927 Organizations disestablished in 2007