Richard Tait

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Richard Graham Tait CBE (born 22 May 1947) is a British journalist and Professor of Journalism at Cardiff University. He had been a member of the BBC Trust, the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation, and was replaced by Richard Ayre.

Tait was a former editor of BBC's Newsnight, Channel 4 News (1987–1995) and was Editor-in-Chief of ITN (1995–2002). He is a fellow of the Royal Television Society and the Society of Editors.

Education

Tait was educated at Bradfield College, a boarding independent school for boys in the village of Bradfield in Berkshire, followed by the University of Oxford.{{cite web|url=http://www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/Journalists-backgrounds-final-report.pdf|title=The Educational Backgrounds of Leading Journalists - Page 20: NEWS EDITORS/PRODUCERS (18)|work=The Sutton Trust|date=15 June 2006|accessdate=25 January 2017}}

BBC career

Following his involvement in a post-Hutton review, Tait joined the former BBC Board of Governors on 1 August 2004. He replaced Baroness (Sarah) Hogg who left the Board at the end of her four-year term of office.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/07_july/29/governors.shtml BBC Press Release], New BBC Governors Appointed During his time on the board, he was the chairman of the Governors' Programme Complaints Committee, which heard appeals against complaints regarding BBC programmes.

Upon the formation of the BBC Trust, Tait was one of four Governors (including then Chairman Michael Grade, Dermot Gleeson and Jeremy Peat) who transitioned to the new governing body of the BBC.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/10_october/12/trustees.shtml BBC Press Release] New BBC Trust to represent the public interest In April 2008 his term as a Trustee was extended until 31 July 2010.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/news/press_releases/2008/april/richard_tait.shtml BBC Trust Press Release] Richard Tait reappointed BBC Trustee

Tait chairs the Trust's Editorial Standards Committee, which sets the BBC's editorial and content standards and hears appeals against editorial complaints.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/about/how_we_operate/committees/index.shtml BBC Trust Editorial Standards Committee]