Weekend Spy: King of the BBC jungle

While one Michael is running ITV, another is now heading up the BBC Trust. So what do we know of Sir Michael Lyons, and what are his plans for the BBC as it approaches a challenging time in its history?

Sir Michael Lyons knows a thing or two about red tape. A former councillor, council chief executive, and involved in local politics for twenty years, he understands the meaning of governance and scrutiny more than most.

He also knows quite a bit about economics: a subject the BBC is going to have to focus on very hard following the lower-than-expected licence fee settlement earlier this year. After studying a masters degree in the subject at the University of London, Sir Michael worked as a lecturer in economics at London’s Wallbrook College and the University of Nottingham. As well as a full-time economist, he also became a Labour councillor for Birmingham City Council in the early 1980s. His political career continued, becoming chief executive of Wolverhampton Borough Council, Nottinghamshire County Council and Birmingham City Council, before he was knighted in January 2000 for his services to local government.

In 2004 he was appointed as chairman of two government projects: the 'Review of Public Sector Relocation' on behalf of the Chancellor and Prime Minister, and the 'Corporate Governance Commission' on behalf of Cardiff City Council. He was also deputy chairman of the Audit Commission for two years until October 2006, serving as Acting Chairman for a while. In March 2007 he published his final report and recommendations from his three year inquiry into the future role, function and funding of local government.

Unlike some previous chairmen of the BBC governors, Sir Michael has also had the benefit of doing some ‘real work’ in his time. At one time a kennel boy, he paid his way through university by working as a part-time street trader at Bell Street Market in London, an experience Sir Michael says he keeps on his CV to show his "entrepreneurial spirit, a willingness to engage with people… and the need to fund my way through a masters in economics."

So what makes someone who is used to the trials of local government want to lead one of Britain’s most institutionalised corporations? Sir Michael sees it as a way of carrying on with things he is most interested in: "working with communities, working closely within public service and trying to find a stronger voice for the taxpayer. All of those issues which I think are relevant to the job of the Chairman of the Trust," he said on his appointment.

With all this governmental experience, you can be sure that the regulatory aspect of the BBC Trust is high on Sir Michael's agenda. He has been reported as referring to the Trust as the BBC’s "parent body." Does this make him the new 'father' of the BBC? Sir Michael has pledged to be a "firm but fair father figure,” adding that “a good parent sets very clear expectations, is consistent in their behaviour, is supportive, but is ready to question what they do."

Though he does not have a traditional programming background, he was non-executive director of what was formerly Central Television for three years, and chaired ITV's regional advisory council until fairly recently. He also has experience within arts governance too, being chairman of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and a member of the boards of City Pride, Birmingham Marketing Partnership and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

What does the Trust hope to achieve under his leadership? Set up in the wake of the Hutton enquiry to replace the BBC governors, the Trust was intended to be independent of BBC management and represent more clearly the interests of licence fee payers. On his appointment, Sir Michael reiterated this point, adding that the Trust would be the "voice of licence fee payers," safeguarding the BBC's independence and impartiality. Sir Michael's impartiality has certainly been under scrutiny since his appointment, with many trying to draw conclusions about his close connections with the ‘PM-in-waiting’, Gordon Brown.

It was Brown, after all, who as Chancellor asked Sir Michael to conduct a review of local government and on civil servant relocations. But this is a link that Sir Michael has dismissed: "well it's certainly true that he [the Chancellor] asked me to do three jobs - all of them difficult - and I've done them to the best of my ability. I think that's really where it begins and ends. I've worked for him and I've enjoyed the work," he adds.

On a more personal note (which might feature under ‘Other interests’ on his CV), Sir Michael is a keen classical music fan and an enthusiast of BBC Radio 4, citing the Today programme, Moral Maze and its new comedy output as his favourite programmes on the station. One feels sure that these will be comforting words to the BBC director of audio, Jenny Abramsky, when ‘economies’ inevitably need to be made. And favourite TV? Life on Mars and The Sopranos. The latter of which one hopes does not influence his management style.

His first priority as the Trust’s chair, Sir Michael says, is to learn what the public expects from the BBC - what they love and hate - which involves digesting the results of a major survey. This insight will be used to rule on the executives’ plans, to be revealed over the next few months, for its future spending of the licence fee. Though he will not be drawn, at this stage, on matters such as advertising on BBC.com and BBC's on-demand plans, Sir Michael has backed the proposals to move parts of the BBC to Salford near Manchester. The BBC executive are currently looking at options which it will present to the Trust before the summer.

"As the BBC's sovereign body, the Trust has a duty to ensure that the public, who pay for the BBC, retain overall control of their BBC. As chairman I will never lose sight of the public's core expectations of editorial independence and quality programmes across television, radio and the internet, which inform, educate and entertain," he has said.

Referring to the future of the BBC, Sir Michael commented on his appointment: "It is clear to me that some radical thinking is underway." What is clear is that the new chair of the BBC Trust has been chosen because he has experience of making tough financial decisions and is not afraid of the BBC's long-established bureaucracy, which could be said is similar to that of local government. At the end of his ‘welcome’ press conference he said that he "welcomed" the press, and looked forward to appearing in front of them again, "so that you can hold me to account." Since scrutiny is a major part of local government, one feels confident that Sir Michael Lyons has exactly the right experience to enter this demanding new arena.