The outgoing chief of Ofsted is among the many candidates for one of many greatest jobs in British broadcasting after being included on the shortlist to chair the BBC.
Sky News has learnt that Amanda Spielman, who has spent practically seven years because the schooling watchdog’s chief inspector, is within the body to exchange Richard Sharp because the Corporation’s long-term chairman.
Industry sources stated that Ms Spielman was one among about eight contenders for the job, with the popular candidate topic to sign-off from the prime minister.
Her involvement within the course of will come as a shock on condition that her latest profession has been spent in regulating elements of Britain’s schooling sector.
Prior to Ofsted, Ms Spielman chaired the examination regulator, Ofqual, for 5 years, earlier than which she had spent 15 years in finance, technique and consulting roles.
She can be a trustee of the Victoria & Albert Museum, whereas Samir Shah, one of many different contenders for the BBC chairmanship, has additionally served on the board of the London museum.
Ms Spielman is because of depart Ofsted subsequent month, and in a latest interview with The Times stated that the truth that she had not been a instructor had not hindered her work there.
“Nobody expects the chief executive of CAA to have been a pilot or the chief executive of the Office of Rail and Road to be a train driver or a lorry driver,” she informed the newspaper.
Sky News revealed earlier this month that Mr Shah was additionally on the shortlist for the job.
He has extra of a media pedigree, having been on the board of the BBC and spent many years in tv programme-making.
The seek for a successor to Mr Sharp, who resigned in April amid a row over his position in serving to to facilitate a six-figure mortgage to Boris Johnson, the previous prime minister, is predicted to be concluded within the subsequent few months.
Interviews for the publish not too long ago bought underway, with greater than a handful of contenders nonetheless within the body to tackle one of the vital prestigious posts within the British media business.
Various distinguished enterprise and media figures have, nonetheless, declined to use.
Sir Damon Buffini, the deputy chairman and chair of the BBC’s business arm, was anticipated to be the frontrunner for the job, however is reported to not have thrown his hat into the ring.
Other distinguished media executives, together with Sir Peter Bazalgette, the previous ITV chairman, have publicly dominated themselves out.
Dame Elan Closs Stephens, the appearing chair, is regarded as within the body to take the publish on a everlasting foundation.
The appointment of Mr Sharp’s long-term successor will come at a delicate time for the BBC, which has been plunged right into a sequence of crises this yr involving present and former presenters – together with the newsreader Huw Edwards and Russell Brand.
It has additionally been grappling with a long-running problem over the impartiality tips to which it expects its broadcasters – such because the Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker – to stick.
Those sensitivities are more likely to turn into much more acute throughout the subsequent yr with a normal election on the horizon.
Tim Davie, the BBC director-general, is grappling with longer-term questions in regards to the Corporation’s future funding mannequin, with latest tradition secretaries reminiscent of Nadine Dorries having signalled the tip of the licence price after 2027.
The Corporation has been compelled to implement vital value cuts affecting components of its information and present affairs output, together with long-running programmes reminiscent of BBC 2’s Newsnight.
Saxton Bampfylde, the headhunter, is overseeing the seek for the BBC chair.
A Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport spokesman declined to remark.
Source: information.sky.com”
