YouView has lost another key name from its hierarchy but replaced non-executive chairman Kip Meek with an even more familiar figure in the UK – Lord Sugar.
Meek's exit so soon after another key figure – former BBC man Anthony Rose – stepped away from the project is likely to be seen as another crack in the façade of YouView, the IPTV project involving Britain's major terrestrial broadcasters, BT, Talk Talk and Arqiva.
Meeks was hired less than year ago, but his replacement will at least be high profile – with Lord Alan Sugar a familiar face on UK television thanks to hit show The Apprentice.
A little Sugar
Kip Meek said: "It has been apparent for some time that the YouView board would benefit from additional expertise in consumer marketing and technology delivery. Lord Sugar clearly supplies this.
"As the venture progresses towards launch, the change in Chairman makes sense. I wish Lord Sugar well."
Lord Sugar has, of course, got previous: his technology company Amstrad was bought by Sky after its successes in making set top boxes.
Pivotal
Meek was a former Ofcom chair and was thanked by YouView CEO Richard Halton.
"Kip joined YouView at a pivotal time in our development and has helped us make a standards based, open internet-connected TV environment a reality," said Halton.
"We would like to thank him for his considerable contribution in the development of the next generation of television."
YouView is still expected to arrive this year, although Lord Sugar's first real task may be to restore some credibility in the project formerly known as Canvas.
