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Broadcaster's long search for a replacement for Michael Grade begins again
Sir Michael Bishop
Gay businessman Sir Michael Bishop rejects ITV chairmanship
Sir Michael Bishop, the gay businessman who last week was the frontrunner to become the new chairman of ITV has pulled out of the negotiations for the position.
Sir Michael's spokesman said that he had "decided not to proceed" after a "thorough review of the position and its responsibilities". He reportedly came to the conclusion that ITV was shackled by an unimpressive board of directors and tensions between its competing shareholders.
ITV's search for a replacement for Michael Grade has now been going on for five months. Bishop was understood to have had preliminary discussions with ITV's nominations committee last week and was thought to be leading the field of candidates, which also included Sir Christopher Bland, the former chairman of the BBC and BT, and ex-Unilever chief executive Niall Fitzgerald.
Bishop, one of Britain's first openly gay senior executives, was the chairman of Channel 4 from 1993 to 1997, and ran BMI for 37 years, building it into the UK's second biggest airline before selling his 50% shareholding to Lufthansa in July for £223m.
