After several years working as a journalist at the Daily Mirror and in my family's theatrical agency, I entered the broadcasting world in 1973, as an executive at London Weekend Television, and have been there ever since.

I first joined the BBC as controller of BBC1 in 1984, after a stint working in America, then left to become Chief Executive of Channel 4 - a post I held until 1997. Since then, I've worked at various broadcasting and leisure organisations, most recently as Chairman of Camelot plc, from 2002 to 2004.

On 17 May 2004, I became Chairman of the BBC.