For Michael Grade, a distinguished and highly successful career in showbusiness appeared to be in the genes. Born in 1943 in London, England, his father was Leslie Grade and his uncles were Lew Grade and Bernard Delfont. Michael became a trainee journalist on the Daily Mirror in 1960, before becoming deputy controller of entertainment programmes at London Weekend Television in 1973. In 1984, he gained one of the most prestigious positions in British broadcasting when he became controller of BBC One and BBC TV's director of programmes two years later. In 1988, he was named chief executive at Channel 4, responsible for bringing ER and Friends to British TV. He left in 1997 and has since taken major roles at numerous companies, including Ocado, Camelot and the Millennium Dome project. He was appointed chairman of the BBC in 2004 and executive chairman of ITV in 2007. His remarkably successful career in broadcasting was recognised by a CBE in 1998, and a life peerage in 2011.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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