Michael Grade
 Michael Grade    (media executive) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 8 March 1943 |
| Nationality | UK |
| Ethnicity | Jewish |
| Alma mater | Stowe School, St Dunstan's College |
| Parents | Leslie Grade |
| Interest of | "Philip Cross" |
| Relatives | • Lew Grade • Bernard Delfont |
Michael Ian Grade, Baron Grade of Yarmouth is a British 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] Since 2011, he has been a Conservative Party life peer in the House of Lords.
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]
Activities
Grade is a member of Falsely Accused Individuals for Reform (FAIR), a "group of individual supporters, some of whom have been falsely accused of sexual offences, who campaign for justice and law reform."[3]
In a 2012 interview, the former BBC executive said he was "absolutely certain" that rumours of a BBC cover-up over Jimmy Savile were"ludicrous". Grade told he had "fleetingly" heard rumours about Jimmy Saville, saying: "There were question marks, certainly." Asked why he had not acted, he said: "People would cast aspersions in a general conversation – no-one said ‘I know someone who has been attacked by an artist’. You’d immediately take action… the particular case that’s topical at the moment, I think there have been quite a few attempts to get behind the allegations – so you can’t say anyone ignored it.".."I never heard anything that gave me cause to think we should investigate or do anything about it."[4]
