Sir Howard Stringer joins BBC Executive board as BBC sets out changes to improve relationship with the Trust
Meetings between the BBC Trust and BBC Executive are to be filmed and broadcast on the Trust’s website in a bid to improve transparency following “a year of difficult events” at the corporation.
Appointment: Sir Howard Stringer
The move comes amid a series of changes announced today after a review of the relationship between the Trust and Executive was carried out in September.
The BBC said there would be “greater separation” between each body and identified a need for a “change in the working culture on both sides”. The corporation said that confusion over who was responsible for what had “undermined confidence in the governance and operation of the BBC”.
The BBC also announced the appointment of former chairman and CEO of Sony Corporation, Sir Howard Stringer, as a non-executive director on the BBC Executive Board as part of the changes. The number of non-executive director positions on the board has been increased from four to six, and the BBC said the roles would be given greater responsibility.
Sir Howard Stringer previously served as president of the CBS network and will take up the role from 1 January 2014.
BBC director-general Tony Hall said: “This is an important first step in making the BBC simpler and better run. And, I’m delighted that Sir Howard Stringer will be joining as a non-executive director.”
The BBC has faced a series of crises since the Jimmy Savile child abuse scandal broke last year.
As well as facing tough questions over how much figures at the corporation knew about what had gone on, the BBC Newsnight programme brought the corporation fresh trouble after wrongly implicating former Conservative party treasurer Lord McAlpine in a separate paedophile scandal.
In August of this year, BBC HR director Lucy Adams announced she was standing down from her position after questions were raised about huge severance payments given to senior BBC managers.