Jowell starts new BBC boss search

Grade arrived at ITV headquarters on Tuesday to begin his new job

The process of finding a successor to former BBC chairman Michael Grade has already begun, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has said.

A job specification is being drawn up at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Grade resigned from his BBC post on Tuesday to join ITV, which is the broadcaster's main terrestrial rival.

Ms Jowell told industry paper Broadcast that his departure would not affect licence fee negotiations.

CONTENDERS FOR CHAIRMAN Lord Birt - 4/1 Lord Burns - 4/1 Lord Puttnam - 5/1 David Dimbleby - 5/1 Baroness Jay - 8/1 Melvyn Bragg - 8/1 Source: William Hill

One of Grade's key roles as chairman was to negotiate an increase in the licence fee, and he had been pushing hard to win a rise of 2.3% above the rate of inflation.

But Ms Jowell said the corporation had not been left stranded by his departure.

"It is a large and resilient organisation and is bigger than the loss of any one person in it," she said.

Speculation on successor

Current BBC vice-chairman Anthony Salz will succeed Mr Grade until the end of the year, while Chitra Bharucha, vice-chairman of the new BBC Trust, will take up the position on a temporary basis until a new chairman is appointed.

But speculation about the identity of Grade's successor has already begun.

Contenders are thought to include veteran presenter David Dimbleby and film producer Lord Puttnam.

Others tipped to throw their hat into the ring include former Labour peer Baroness Jay, who has applied for the job before, and South Bank Show presenter Melvyn Bragg.

Bookmaker William Hill has named former BBC director general Lord Birt, and Lord Burns - who recently led a review into the BBC's Royal charter - as the front-runners, with odds of 4/1.