Board of Governors of the BBC

The Board of Governors of the BBC was the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). At the outset, there were five Governors, later twelve. Together they regulated the BBC and represented the interests of the listeners and viewers. It existed from 1927 (when the BBC was broadcasting only by radio) until it was replaced by the BBC Trust on 1 January 2007.

The governors were independent of the Director-General and the rest of the BBC's executive team. Their role included appointing the Director-General, and in the early years other key BBC employees. They approved strategy and policy, set objectives, oversaw complaints, and produced Annual Reports which each year documented the BBC's performance and compliance with its aims.

The Governors had no direct say in programme-making, but they were nevertheless accountable to Parliament and to licence fee payers for the BBC's actions. Although a 'state broadcaster', the BBC was theoretically protected from government interference due to the statutory independence of its governing body.

The role of chairman of the Board of Governors, though a non-executive post, was one of the most important positions in British media.