Samir Shah “has not shown the strength and character necessary to challenge the leadership of the BBC”, says UK government commission

Samir Shah “failed to adequately demonstrate the strength and character needed to challenge the leadership of the BBC” in areas such as political interference, said the British parliamentary committee which criticized him this week.

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee (CMSC) said it had “serious reservations” about Shah’s “ability to provide the strong challenge the BBC leadership needs at this time”. The report of Shah’s three-hour hearing criticized his refusal to answer questions about the BBC board’s interference in the role of Ofcom chairman and cuts to local radio and television. News night.

Shah has been questioned several times about allegations that BBC board member Robbie Gibb pressured Ofcom to appoint his preferred candidate as chairman, an allegation made in a recent book by former culture secretary Nadine Dorries and yesterday by a senior source confirmed to Deadline.

Shah, who previously worked with Gibb, said he would have to wait until he was in office – when he was vacated – before he could comment on Gibb’s involvement. Current acting chair Dame Elan Closs Stephens has already said that Gibb did not breach BBC policy, and Shah only told the committee that he would “not give answers based on a series of hypotheses and allegations, but rather first with Dame Elan will consult to discuss this.”

“In his testimony before us, Dr. “Shah has not sufficiently demonstrated the strength and character required to challenge the BBC’s leadership,” the CMSC report said. “We have serious reservations about his willingness to provide his views and insights on some of the corporation’s most fundamental issues, and his ability to provide the strong challenge that the BBC leadership needs at this time.”

The CMSC recommended Shah’s appointment but asked him to return to the committee within the first three months of his appointment “to demonstrate that he has adequately considered and addressed our concerns.”

He has been praised for speaking out in other areas, such as his claim that Gary Lineker was likely to breach social media guidelines last week with a tweet attacking a Conservative Party politician. He said he would also write to the committee about other issues, such as the cuts News night and local radio.

Shah appeared confident at the hearing, expressing optimism that the company should continue to offer “distinctive” programming in the wake of the content cuts, as a financial cut in licensing costs is likely to close a further shortfall of around 90 million pounds ($114) will result. ). would. M).

He has held a number of roles for the BBC over the past thirty years, including directing political programmes, and his brother is Mohit Bakaya, the boss of Radio 4.