Jim Moir CBE LVO KSG

Trustee

James Moir took up his post as Controller, BBC Radio 2, in January 1996.  He was previously Deputy Director of Corporate Affairs and prior to that had spent 30 years in BBC Television’s Light Entertainment Group in a number of roles, ranging from Producer and Director, to Head of Variety and, for six years, Head of Light Entertainment Group.  From 1991 he had been the BBC’s Royal Liaison – dealing with the BBC’s relationship with the Royal Household, an appointment he held for 12 years, relinquishing the responsibility in November 2003.

In his eight years at BBC Radio 2, he successfully implemented a strategy to attract a new audience, while still providing programmes that appealed to the existing audience.  Radio 2 is the country’s largest and most-listened to radio station, with an audience of 13.23 millions and a market share of 15.7%.  Radio 2 was named Station of the Year at the Sony Radio Academy Awards in 1999, 2001 and 2002.  A unique achievement.

James Moir was educated at Gunnersbury Catholic Grammar School in West London and the University of Nottingham, where he read History.  His early formation in entertainment and drama took place at the University, where he became President of ENSOC and appeared in numerous University drama productions.  He joined BBC Television’s Light Entertainment department in December 1963 as a production trainee and was appointed a Production Manager in 1964.  Having worked on a variety of programmes, which included Juke Box Jury, International Cabaret, Billy Cotton Band Show, Val Doonican, Christmas Night with the Stars, A Degree of Frost, Top of the Pops, and Dee Time, he was appointed producer in 1970.

From 1971 to 1975 he produced Bruce Forsyth and The Generation Game as well as series with Mike Yarwood, Ken Dodd, Cilla Black, Rolf Harris and Victor Borge.  In 1977 he introduced Des O’Connor to BBC 2, in 1979 he brought Kelly Monteith to the attention of the British public in a long-running series of programmes on BBC 2.  In 1980 he was appointed Executive Producer and went on to produce series with Dave Allen and Kenny Everett.

In January 1982 he was appointed Head of Variety, Light Entertainment Group, where he brought Noel Edmonds Late Late Breakfast Show, Wogan, Carrott’s Lib and Victoria Wood as Seen on TV to the screens.  He became Head of Light Entertainment Group in 1987 and commissioned Absolutely Fabulous and major writing talent for the BBC.  He was appointed Deputy Director of Corporate Affairs in 1993.

On retirement from the BBC he became a Non-Executive Director of Celador Radio and a consultant to both Channel 4 and The Guardian Media Group.

He was appointed LVO in 2002 and CBE in 2003.  He was created a Papal Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great (KSG) in the same year.

He was awarded the Degree of Doctor of Letters by the University of Nottingham and in that same year the Sanford St. Martin Trust personal award for Services to Religious Broadcasting.

He has been a Director and Trustee of Performances Birmingham Ltd (Symphony Hall and Town Hall Birmingham) since 1996.  Since 1995 he has been a member of the Higher Education Advisory Panel for “The Queen’s Prizes for Higher and Further Education”.  He is a Fellow of the Royal Television Society (1990), Fellow of the Radio Academy (1998) and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (2004).