Former Goldman Sachs banker Richard Sharp has been chosen to become the next BBC chairman, the British government said on Wednesday. Culture Minister Oliver Dowden confirmed in a statement that Richard Sharp was the candidate ” prefer “ government, after his next appointment to chair the public radio and television group was revealed by the press. His formal appointment by Queen Elizabeth II on the recommendation of the government is expected in the coming days.
According to the Minister of Culture, Richard Sharp is “Exactly the president the BBC needs” to do “Advancing BBC reforms so that it serves and reflects the needs of all parts of the UK and evolves to remain a global success”. Richard Sharp said to himself “Honored to be offered the chance to guide her through the next chapter of her story”.
Turbulence
According to the British media, Richard Sharp was advisor to Boris Johnson when the current Conservative Prime Minister was Mayor of London (2008-2016) and was notably the boss, during his years at Goldman Sachs, of the Minister of Finance, Rishi Sunak , which he then advised in the face of the Covid-19 crisis.
Richard Sharp, 64, is due to succeed David Clementi – former vice-governor of the Bank of England – in February, amid turmoil for the British public media giant, debates over whether or not to maintain the royalty after 2027 and fierce competition from paid platforms, like Netflix.
He will work closely with Managing Director Tim Davie, who took office in September after serving as executive head of BBC Studios, the group’s commercial arm. Engaged in a vast plan to reduce costs and staff, the BBC derives a large part of its resources from the license fee (154.50 pounds sterling, or 178 euros per year) currently paid by 25.8 million households, this which corresponds to 3.6 billion pounds.
