Juniper TV CEO Samir Shah to be next BBC chairman as UK gov’t sets below-inflation licence fee rise

Samir Shah (Source: Juniper TV)

Veteran TV executive Samir Shah has been named as the UK government’s preferred choice for the next chairman of public broadcaster the BBC.

Shah previously held several roles at the BBC, including as its head of current affairs and was appointed as a non-executive director on the BBC Board in 2007.

He is currently the chief executive of production company Juniper TV, which produces the BBC shows Politics London and Politics South East and The Political Slot for Channel 4.

UK culture secretary, Lucy Frazer, said that Shah’s four decades in TV production, as well as journalism, meant that he has a “wealth of experience” to bring to the role at the UK pubcaster.

Frazer also announced today that the BBC licence fee will rise next year from £159 to £169.50. As reported earlier in the week, this is below the 9% increase in line with inflation that had been expected and would have put the figure at £173.30. The UK TV licence fee is the BBC’s primary source of funding and a below-inflation increase could lead to further cuts to staffing and programming at the company.

This will be a primary challenge for Shah once he takes on the role. Before he is formally appointed, however, he will face questions from a cross-party group of MPs from the culture, media and sport select committee, in a meeting expected to be held on Wednesday next week.

In a statement, Shah said that he was “delighted” to have been named as the government’s preferred candidate.”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.

“The BBC has a great place in British life and a unique duty to reach a wide audience right across the country and I will do all I can to ensure it fulfils this in an increasingly competitive market,” said Shah.

Shah’s appointment comes following the resignation of previous incumbent Richard Sharp earlier this year after a report found he breached the code on public appointments.

The former Goldman Sachs banker, who was appointed to the role in 2021, found himself at the centre of controversy after he was alleged to have facilitated a loan for former prime minister Boris Johnson in 2020.