Controversy Surrounds Appointment of Samir Shah as BBC Chair

Members of Parliament have expressed concerns over the government's choice of Samir Shah as the next BBC chair, questioning his ability to challenge the leadership of the organization. MPs were disappointed with Shah's lack of opinion on fundamental principles such as board-level interference and political impartiality. They also criticized his failure to provide views on changes to local radio and cuts to BBC Newsnight. While the MPs deemed Shah "appointable," they requested further clarification from him in January. Shah, a former non-executive director at the BBC, was announced as the preferred candidate by the culture secretary last week. The government will now consider whether to proceed with the appointment.