Ö÷²¥´óÐã

Chitra Bharucha, Vice-Chairman and Acting Chairman since November 2006, has welcomed the appointment saying:

"On behalf of all the Trustees, I am delighted to welcome Michael Lyons to the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Trust and congratulate him on his appointment as Chairman. The Trust has made important decisions in our first three months and significant challenges lie ahead. All of us look forward to working with Michael as we go forward."

Commenting in advance of a press conference he will be holding later this morning, Sir Michael Lyons said:

"It is a great privilege to be appointed Chairman of the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Trust. As the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's sovereign body, our duty is to ensure the public who pay for the Ö÷²¥´óÐã retain overall control of their Ö÷²¥´óÐã. 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. I look forward to the exciting challenges of the future and working with my colleagues on the Trust to ensure the Ö÷²¥´óÐã provides a quality service to justify the public's continuing support."

Ends.

Notes to Editors

Sir Michael Lyons will hold a press conference at 11.30 in the Council Chamber at Broadcasting House. The text of his opening statement will be made available.

Sir Michael Lyons is Chairman of the English Cities Fund (since 2002) and recently completed the "Lyons Inquiry" into the functions and funding of local government (published March 2007).

He is a former Deputy Chairman and Acting Chairman of the Audit Commission (2003 to 2006) and was Professor of Public Policy at Birmingham University (2001 to 2006). He was knighted in January 2000 for Services to Local Government after serving as the Chief Executive of three major local authorities: Birmingham City Council (1994-2001); Nottinghamshire County Council (1990-1994) and Wolverhampton Borough Council (1985-1990). He has also chaired or been a member of a number of public sector bodies and working groups.

Michael Lyons is Chairman of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and a Governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He is a former non-executive director of Central Television Ltd (2003 to 2006); and until recently was Chairman of the Regional Advisory Council for ITV.

Michael Lyons' early career was as an economist working in the public sector, and this followed lecturing economics at the University of Nottingham and Wallbrook College London. He was an elected member (Labour) of Birmingham City Council from 1980 to 1983. Whilst completing his formal education, he worked for two years as a part-time street trader at Bell St Market in London.

Michael Lyons was educated at Stratford Grammar School (London), Middlesex University, and at Queen Mary College University of London. He is 57, married, with three grown-up children.

Michael Lyons is non-executive director of MouchelParkman plc, Wragge & Co, and SQW Ltd. He will divest himself of any other significant responsibilities or interests and declare all remaining interests in the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Trust's register before taking up his appointment on 1 May 2007.

Members of the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Trust:

• Chitra Bharucha – Vice-Chairman
• Diane Coyle
• Dermot Gleeson
• Alison Hastings – National Trustee for England
• Patricia Hodgson
• Rotha Johnston – National Trustee for Northern Ireland
• Janet Lewis-Jones – National Trustee for Wales
• David Liddiment
• Mehmuda Mian Pritchard
• Jeremy Peat – National Trustee for Scotland
• Richard Tait

For all information about the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Trust, including its major decisions and activity since it came in to force on 1 January 2007, visit the website:

www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust