Why I became a Governor
Journalism runs in the family - my father was a journalist, my daughter is one, as a family we've always been addicted to news. I grew up in a modest home, where we had a radio in every room: both an important source of information and a window on the world. And at school, too, radio played a big role - music programmes in particular. We didn't have television till I was much older, but my radio was my friend, my companion and my educator from my earliest days right through my teens and early student life. So one of the key reasons I wanted to become a Governor was so that I could play a part in ensuring the BBC continued to offer to others what I had when I was growing up.
Issues of regulation and governance are very important to me. I have spent a lot of my time sitting on panels and quangos like the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and Oxford University's governing body. My main job at the moment is that I'm the first Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education. A new role, created by the Higher Education Act 2004, I'm here essentially as a last court of appeal for any student in England and Wales whose complaint can't be resolved by their University. So I have a broad range of experience as a regulator which I can draw on in my role as a BBC Governor.
My work keeps me in touch with young people and helps me appreciate the vital role television, the internet and to an extent radio still play in educating people of all ages, from children at school right through to older people returning to education. The BBC plays an enormously important part in educating every citizen.
I believe the BBC has a key role in citizenship: in helping people understand what's really going on in the world and equipping them to play their role as citizens. And of course that's not just true here in the UK - all around the world, people look to the BBC for the truth.
I think the BBC represents the best of what Britain has to offer the world - its values, its culture. And of course it's also an absolute mainstay of Britain's cultural life - particularly in music - everything from the regional orchestras to the Proms. Where would we be without it?
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