Ex-BBC chairman Lord Hussey dies

Lord Hussey, former BBC chairman

Former BBC chairman Marmaduke Hussey has died at the age of 83.

Lord Hussey was appointed chairman in 1986 and steered the corporation through a period when it was criticised for its perceived left-wing bias.

The crisis of his chairmanship came in January 1987 when he dismissed BBC Director-General Alasdair Milne.

Lord Hussey lost a leg in World War II, causing him lifelong pain. Prior to his time at the BBC he was managing director at Times Newspapers.

In 1996 he was given a life peerage in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

He chaired the corporation for 10 years but following his appointment - after the death of Stuart Young - there was talk that he was installed by Mrs Thatcher to "sort out" the BBC.

Lord Hussey married Lady Susan Waldegrave, a lady-in-waiting to the Queen and godmother to Prince William. The couple had a son and a daughter.

He will be remembered for his great vision, his integrity and his forthrightness, but also for his great personal kindness Mark Thompson BBC Director General

Lord Rees-Mogg, former editor of the Times and former BBC governor, said Lord Hussey was a very close friend who had been "a truly wonderful man".

The peer, who worked with Lord Hussey at the Times, also described his former colleague as a "man of great courage" who was a "great chairman of the BBC and a great chief executive of Times newspapers".

And BBC Director General Mark Thompson said: "Lord Hussey made an immense contribution to public life, including his time as chairman of the BBC.

"He will be remembered for his great vision, his integrity and his forthrightness, but also for his great personal kindness."

Newspaper career

Lord Hussey attended Rugby school and was later commissioned into the Grenadier Guards.

He was severely wounded at Anzio in 1943, and taken prisoner by the Germans, but was later repatriated because of his wounds.

From 1971 to 1980 he was chief executive and managing director of Times Newspapers.

He tried to secure a national agreement with the unions for new technology in Fleet Street, but instead industrial strife meant that in 1978 the Times and Sunday Times ceased publication for nearly a year. After that the newspapers were sold to Rupert Murdoch.