Britain named former Goldman Sachs banker Richard Sharp as the next chairman of the BBC, tasked with agreeing a long-term funding model for the broadcaster at a time of increasing competition and political scrutiny.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said Sharp was “exactly the chair the BBC needs right now”.
“I’m confident he will drive forward reforms to the BBC to ensure it impartially reflects and serves the needs of all parts of the UK, and evolves to remain a global success that is central to British national life in the decades ahead,” he said.
Sharp is a former donor to the Conservative Party and worked with finance minister Rishi Sunak at Goldman Sachs, according to a BBC news report. He has recently been advising Sunak.
The chairman, who is officially appointed by the queen on the recommendation of the government, is responsible for upholding and protecting the independence of the BBC, which is funded by a licence fee paid by every TV-watching household.
“The BBC is…