Treasury of war. Former general manager of Channel 4, it was baptized the "pornographe as a head" by the press tabloïd because of his too judged programming "trash" . But, during its mandate, the private chain joined again with the profits and increased its share of audience thanks to emissions like The Word , Eurotrash or Girlie Show . It has also coproduit films with success like Four marriages and a burial or Trainspotting . Michael Grave also up to that point directed the large studios of cinema Pinewood Shepperton located in the suburbs of London, like Camelot, the operator of the national lottery. For this reason, it took care on an immense treasure of war which, in Great Britain, is used to finance very many cultural activities and sporting.

While reaching the supreme station of British public radio-télévision, Grade carries out a dream. At the time of the preceding solo circuit, there is more than two years, its candidature had been rejected. Questioned a little later it had stated to have two certainty in the life: "the first: I want to become president of the BBC. The second: one will never call upon me, because I think of not being of the taste of everyone. I am too independent."

Famous for its large cigars and its red straps, Grade is a child of the ball, resulting from a famous family of the show biz. It makes its beginnings in the Sixties in Daily Mirror as sports correspondent. Connect with a career of theatrical agent. It takes today the head of a house which it knows well. In the Eighties, it indeed exerted the functions of controller, then of director of the programs of the BBC. It is then criticized by its pars to have too much privileged the audience with the detriment of the values of public utility. It returns there in full storm. The "Beeb" was decapitated following its iron arm with the government on the Iraqi weapons of massive destruction. Blamed in the report/ratio of investigation of Lord Hutton on the suicide of Doctor David Kelly, his president, Gavyn Davies, and its general manager, Greg Dyke, resigned at the end of January. Since, its drafting is in a state of shock and fears a handing-over with the step.

Royal charter. As of its nomination confirmed by the queen, Michael Grade wanted to be reassuring: "the leading independence of the BBC is of central importance to preserve the support of the televiewers and of the listeners" , it declared. In load of a mammoth of 24 000 people and of an annual budget of 2 billion books (2,8 billion euros), it will have to find a substitute in very popular Greg Dyke which, with the daily newspaper, is the true owner of the house. But its most delicate task will consist in negotiating the royal Charter, the schedule of conditions renewed every ten years. A handing-over flat which is announced very difficult and could give place to significant reforms.