Samir Shah is a British (Indian) journalist, television and radio host. He is chairman of the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). He is the owner, CEO and creative director of Juniper Networks Television, Inc.
Wiki/Biography
Samir Shah CBE (title CBE means Commander, Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) was born on Tuesday 29 January 1952 (age 72; as of 2024) in Aurangabad, Maharashtra (2023 Renamed Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar), India. His zodiac sign is Aquarius. Samir attended Latimer High School in West London, England. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Hull (formerly University College Hull), UK. In 1979 he received a PhD in Anthropology and Geography from St Catherine’s College, Oxford University. His thesis is on ‘Aspects of a geographical analysis of Asian migration in London’.
Samir Shah as a young man
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′7″
Hair color: gray
Eye color: brown
family
In 1960, Samir Shah and his family moved to England from India.
Parents and siblings
His father’s name is Amrit Shah. His mother’s name is Uma Bakaya and she is a mathematician. Amrit and Uma’s marriage broke down after they moved to the UK and Uma married Madan Bakaya. Madan is Shah’s stepfather and worked as a production manager in Bollywood. Shah’s sister, Monisha Shah, was BBC Worldwide’s director of emerging markets.
Monisha Shah, sister of Samir Shah
He had a stepbrother named Mohit Bakaya, the son of Shah’s mother and Madan. Mohit is a broadcast producer and controller for BBC Radio 4.
Mohit Bakaya, Samir Shah’s stepbrother
wife and children
Samir marries Belkis. She is a majority shareholder of Juniper Networks Television. The couple has a son.
religion
Samir Shah embraced Jainism while in India. Later, in England, he converted to Islam and married his wife, Belkes.
Profession
British Broadcasting Corporation
Shah joined London Weekend Television in 1979 as a researcher. Here he worked alongside such influential figures as John Britt and Michael Wells. In 1987, he was appointed Head of Television Current Affairs at the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). From 1994 to 1998, he was appointed Head of BBC Political News. In 1998, he left the BBC and said the reasons behind this had to do with the executive residential course at London Business School, University of London. Shah returned to the BBC. From 2007 to 2010, he served as a non-executive director on the BBC Board of Directors.
Chairman of the British Broadcasting Corporation
Although the BBC is politically independent, the British government is responsible for appointing the BBC Chairman. In December 2023, the Minister of Culture at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announced Shah as the government’s choice to chair the BBC.
cultural secretary @LucyFraserMP Dr Samir Shah CBE announced as Government’s preferred candidate for BBC Chairmanship
The Culture Secretary also thanked Dame Elan Cross Stephens for her work as Acting Chair
Learn more: https://t.co/48VVxfVo0Q pic.twitter.com/nsU5xXjeKq
— Department of Culture, Media and Sport (@DCMS) December 6, 2023
In response to his nomination, Shah issued an announcement in which he said:
It would be a privilege if I could apply the skills, experience and understanding of public service broadcasting I have gained over my career to help this fantastic organization meet the complex and diverse challenges it faces in the coming years. ”
Prior to his appointment, Shah attended a “pre-appointment review” (hearing) with MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee. During the pre-appointment review, some MPs issued statements criticizing Shah’s ability to serve as BBC chairman. The House of Commons media committee issued a statement saying Shah had “been appointed chairman”. As chairman, Shah had to work 3-4 days a week.
Samir Shah attends 2023 Lok Sabha pre-appointment review
One of Samir Shah’s responsibilities as BBC chairman is to deal with the renewal of the BBC charter in 2027.
juniper tv
Samir Shah acquires commercial production company Juniper TV Ltd. from Micheal Wills, who he worked with at London Weekend Television. He did so after leaving the BBC in 1998 and Micheal Wills being appointed MP. Shah is the CEO and Creative Director of Juniper TV, an independent television and radio production company. Juniper Networks Television launches documentaries and current affairs programming. Juniper Networks programs are broadcast on a variety of media platforms including the BBC, Channel 4, National Geographic, Discovery, TLC and Netflix.
The logo of Juniper TV, Samir Shah’s production company
television
Samir Shah has worked as a writer, producer and executive producer of documentaries and television series. He wrote the dramatic documentary titled Theresa vs. Boris: How to Become Prime Minister (2017).
Poster for the documentary Theresa vs. Boris: How to Become Prime Minister by Samir Shah
He was the producer of the five-episode TV series Eastern Eye (1982-1985). He has served as an executive producer on programs such as “Mrs. Thatcher: The Downing Street Years” (1993), “Fire, Plague, War and Treason” (2001), “The Great British Invasion” (2006), and “Sir Alex Ferguson” people. : The Secret to Success” (2015) and “This Week” (2019).
writing
Samir Shah is a co-author of the UK government’s 2021 Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report. The UK government ordered the report to be compiled in light of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. Report says there is no institutional racism in the UK.
Samir Shah (right) is interviewed on LBC Studio News on the UK Government Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparity report
Responsible position
Samir Shah served as Chairman of Runnymede Trust from 1999 to 2009. He served as a Trustee (2005-2014) and Deputy Chairman (2012-14) of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. From 2006 to 2017, Shah served as Distinguished Professor in the Department of Post-Conflict Studies at the University of Nottingham, UK. From 2014 to 2022, he served as Chairman of the London Household Museum. In 2019, Shah served as Visiting Professor of Creative Media (Department of English) at the University of Oxford. He is a board member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and a committee member of HMG’s Racial and Ethnic Disparity Committee. In 2014, Shah served for a year as a member of the Prime Minister’s Commission on the Holocaust. He served on the Cultural Restoration Committee in 2020-21 and on the Heritage Advisory Committee in 2020. In 2020, he also became Chairman of One World Media’s Board of Trustees. In 2021, he became a Future Member of Public Service Broadcasting.
dispute
Criticism of election as BBC chairman
When Samir Shah was announced as the government’s preferred candidate for BBC chairmanship, MPs (House of Commons) expressed reservations about his appointment. In a pre-appointment review of Shah, lawmakers submitted a report saying they doubted the Shah’s ability to “pose a forceful challenge to his leadership.” Leadership here refers to the executive leaders of the BBC. They said the Shah had failed to show the strength and character required to question the BBC’s executive leadership. In the report submitted by the MPs, they stated that,
It is disappointing that Dr Shah is unwilling to speak out on basic principles such as board interference in the BBC and other institutions and political impartiality. ”
MPs demanded that the Shah address pressing issues at the BBC and provide better answers on how he would deal with them. they said.
The government now needs to consider whether to proceed with the appointment. If they decide to proceed, we expect Dr. Shah to appear before us in the new year to demonstrate that he has addressed our concerns. ”
Shah also received negative comments from internet users who criticized him for allegedly working for and having ties to the ruling Conservative Party. The Department of Culture, Media and Sport backed Shah and said he was suitable for the role due to his extensive experience in television production and journalism.
Documentary “What British Muslims Really Think”
In 2016, Shah served as executive producer of the documentary What British Muslims Really Think, produced by Juniper TV. Trevor Phillips hosted the documentary, which received more than 200 complaints. The documentary claims to be a thorough investigation of the views of British Muslims. It has faced controversy for commissioning a poll that showed more than half of British Muslims believe homosexuality should be illegal. Ofcom received 89 complaints and Channel 4 reported receiving around 130 complaints and 20 messages supporting the scheme. Concerns have been raised about misinformation and the potential for exacerbating Islamophobia.
Trevor Phillips stars in documentary What Muslims Really Think, executive produced by Samir Shah
People have also criticized the documentary’s method of measurement and the areas of Britain it was measured from. The British Muslim Guardian panel criticized the program as “boring, inaccurate and sensational” and said their approach was “problematic”. Ofcom is responsible for assessing complaints and then deciding to conduct a full investigation. Channel 4 released a statement defending the integrity of the program and saying they were committed to the responsible representation of minority views. Shah declined to make any statement on the controversy.
Commission on Racial and Ethnic Difference
In 2021, Samir Shah, a member of the Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparity, co-authored a report with the UK government. Some activists, organizations and people on the Internet strongly criticized the report’s findings. The U.N. Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent said the report denied the existence of institutional racism, ignored sophisticated racial analysis and was not credible with data on racism. The report also gives an inaccurate history of slavery and ignores racial inequality in Britain. The report has also been criticized for normalizing white supremacy. Shah defended the report in an interview with the BBC.
Samir Shah defends UK government race report he co-wrote on BBC
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- Samir Shah was appointed OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 1999 for “services to equal opportunities in broadcasting”.
- In 2002, Samir Shah became a Fellow of the Royal Television Society.
- In recognition of Samir Shah’s contribution to television and legacy, Queen Elizabeth II awarded him a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2019.
Samir Shah interviewed after being awarded the CBE (Commander Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 2019
- Samir Shah received the Royal Television Society’s Outstanding Contribution Award in 2022 for his more than 40 years of service and commitment to diversity in the television industry.
salary
Samir Shah’s annual salary as BBC chairman is 1,60,000 pounds.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education