Media

BBC Chairman Richard Sharp Resigns; Know Why

By
OB Bureau

London: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) chairman Richard Sharp on Friday announced his resignation after an inquiry found he had breached rules for failing to declare his involvement in arranging a £800,000 ($1 million) loan for then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, reported AFP.

The British government has been accused of seeking to muzzle the publicly-funded BBC for long.

The appointment of Sharp, who reportedly made hefty donations to the Conservative Party, was criticised by Opposition parties when he was appointed BBC chairman in February 2021.

Sharp denied any wrongdoing but said he was stepping down to avoid becoming ‘a distraction’ from the Corporation’s good work.

“I feel that this matter may well be a distraction from the Corporation’s good work if I were to remain in post until the end of my term,” said Sharp, who was once incumbent PM Rishi Sunak’s boss at Goldman Sachs.

However, Sharp’s close ties with the ruling Conservative party was already a distracting controversy for BBC and the government.

Those ties were raised by critics last month when BBC suspended former England football star Gary Lineker from its popular football highlights show.

Lineker had taken to social media to accuse the Sunak government of using Nazi-era rhetoric in promoting its hardline immigration policies.

Lineker had to be reinstated by the BBC Board after other presenters protested and refused to work.

Following Sharp’s resignation, Lineker said the government should not get to choose the BBC chair. “Not now, not ever,” he tweeted.

Sunak, however, refused to rule out another political appointee, saying that he would not “prejudge” the recruitment process.

OB Bureau

Recent Posts

Outrage After Photo Of Man Smoking Inside Lingaraj Temple In Bhubaneswar Goes Viral

Bhubaneswar: A photo of a man smoking cigarette on the premises of Shree Lingaraj Temple…

November 27, 2024

BJD Govt Sanctioned Gandhamardan Land Purchase By Adani Group; No Mining To Be Allowed: Odisha Deputy CM

Bhubaneswar: The issue relating to purchase of land by Adani Group near Gandhamardan hills in…

November 27, 2024

Over 1 Lakh Ghost Ration Card Holders Detected During E-KYC Verification: Odisha Minister

Bhubaneswar: Over 1 lakh ghost ration card holders have been identified and removed from the…

November 27, 2024

Another Jharkhand Accused Nabbed For Death Of Woman In Chain-Snatching Incident In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Another accused was arrested by the police on Wednesday in connection with the death…

November 27, 2024

Cyclone Fengal Likely Over Bay In 6 Hours; Night Temp To Rise In Odisha Amid Rainfall Activity

Bhubaneswar: The Deep Depression over southwest Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a…

November 27, 2024

CDPO In Odisha Caught Taking Rs 12K Bribe From Anganwadi Staffer

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance sleuths on Wednesday apprehended Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) of Ganjam's…

November 27, 2024

Petition In Bangladesh High Court Seeks Ban On Iskcon, Attorney General Dubs It As ‘Religious Fundamentalist’ Body

Dhaka: The Bangladeshi government on Wednesday called Iskcon or the International Society for Krishna Consciousness…

November 27, 2024

Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Seeks UN Intervention Into Alleged Attacks On Hindus In Bangladesh After Chinmoy Krishna Das’ Arrest

New Delhi: Condemning the arrest and denial of bail to Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das…

November 27, 2024