Event summaries, slides and recordings

Breakfast Briefing: The Future of the BBC with Richard Sharp, Chairman, BBC

Author WIG Date 19 Jan 2023

In this special briefing WIG was delighted to be joined by Richard Sharp, the Chairman of the BBC, to discuss the ways in which the economics of culture, entertainment and news support the UK both domestically and internationally, and how this will change in the coming years.

Theme(s)

Technology and digital

Economic growth and prosperity

In 2023 the BBC will be 101 years old, since its inception the Corporation has existed to inform, educate and entertain millions of people in the UK and around the globe. Impartiality is a core principle of its work. As a world leading public broadcaster, it is both a cultural and economic powerhouse for the UK. Yet with the rise of new forms of digital media, a rocky economic backdrop, and an increasingly polarised socio-political landscape, the BBC has no shortage of challenges and opportunities on the horizon.

In this special briefing WIG was delighted to be joined by Richard Sharp, the Chairman of the BBC, to discuss:

  • The ways in which the economics of culture, entertainment and news supports the UK both domestically and internationally, and how this will change in the coming years
  • Approaches to ensure the BBC represents the whole of the country, beyond London and the Southeast
  • Threats and opportunities for the BBC on the world stage in an era of growing geopolitical tensions and globalisation
  • How the BBC wants to work across the sectors to support the continued development of the UK as an economic and cultural force

Speakers at the Event

Richard has had a forty-year career in finance working with a number of financial institutions. Most notably he worked at JP Morgan and was for 23 years a partner at Goldman Sachs. Subsequently, Richard served for two terms on the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee, charged with protecting the UK’s financial stability. Richard has served on the boards of public and private companies in the UK, Germany, Denmark and the United States.

Throughout his career, Richard has supported and held governance roles in a number of non-profit organisations including, amongst others, the Royal Academy of Arts, The Royal Marsden, The Institute of Cancer Research, International Rescue, and Uprising.

As Chairman of the Board, Richard is responsible for upholding and protecting the independence of the BBC. He is responsible for ensuring that the BBC fulfils its mission to inform, educate and entertain and promotes its public purposes.

;