Michael Grade

The Lord Grade of Yarmouth
Official portrait, 2023
Chairman of Ofcom
Assumed office
1 May 2022
Preceded byMaggie Carver (acting)
Chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC
In office
17 May 2004 – 28 November 2006
Preceded byThe Lord Ryder of Wensum (acting)
Succeeded byAnthony Salz (acting)
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Assumed office
27 January 2011
Life peerage
Personal details
Born
Michael Ian Grade

(1943-03-08) 8 March 1943 (age 81)
London, England
Political partyCrossbench
Other political
affiliations
Conservative (until 2022)
Spouses
  • Penelope Levinson
    (m. 1967; div. 1981)
  • (m. 1982; div. 1991)
  • Francesca Leahy
    (m. 1998)
Children3
Parent
Relatives
EducationStowe School
St Dunstan's College
OccupationTelevision executive, businessman

Michael Ian Grade, Baron Grade of Yarmouth, CBE (born 8 March 1943) is an English television executive and businessman. He has held a number of senior roles in television, including controller of BBC1 (1984–1986), chief executive of Channel 4 (1988–1997), chairman of the board of governors of the BBC (2004–2006), and executive chairman of ITV plc (2007–2009).[1] He sat as a Conservative Party life peer in the House of Lords from 2011 until after his appointment as Chair of Ofcom.

In April 2022, it was announced by the Government that Grade would take up his four year appointment as chairman of Ofcom from May 2022 and would move to the crossbenches in the House of Lords at the earliest practical opportunity.[2]

  1. ^ "Grade to step down as ITV chief". BBC News. 23 April 2009. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
  2. ^ "Lord Grade is confirmed as the new Ofcom Chair". GOV.UK. Retrieved 3 April 2022.