Bland To Step Down From BBC Chairman Role

Christopher Bland is quitting his position as chairman of the BBC to take up the same role at British Telecom. He will replace the out-going BT chairman Iain Vallance on May 1 but will keep his role at the BBC until a suitable successor is found.

Keeping both jobs could lead to a conflict of interest however, and there were calls today for him to stand down from his position at the BBC immediately. Bland denied that taking on the two roles would create a problem. “The independence of the BBC, its editorial independence, is sacrosanct,” he told Radio 4’s Today programme. “If I have as little influence on stories about BT as I have had about the BBC I am very happy about that.”

Bland has held the position of chairman of the board of governors at the BBC since 1996 (see BBC Appoints New Chairman)

BBC: 020 8743 8000