Ex-ITV boss Stuart Prebble to lead BBC review

A former ITV boss has been drafted in to lead a review into the BBC's news coverage.

Stuart Prebble, a former CEO of ITV, said he would bring a "fresh perspective" to the review which will examine how the BBC achieves "an appropriate breadth of voice" in its coverage.

The review is a follow-up to a 2007 report by John Bridcut, called From Seesaw to Wagon Wheel, which examined how the corporation could deal with changes in technology and society.

Alison Hastings, chairman of the BBC Trust's editorial standards committee, said: "John Bridcut's 2007 report set a new standard for achieving impartiality - likening it to a 'wagon wheel' of opinions rather than the traditional 'see-saw' of left versus right. Five years on, it's the right time to check up on the BBC's progress. Stuart Prebble's distinguished career in broadcasting, both as a programme-maker and as a CEO, puts him in an ideal position to take an informed view on how the BBC has responded to Bridcut's challenge."

Mr Prebble said: "Having spent most of my career outside the BBC I look forward to bringing a fresh perspective to examine how well the commitment to breadth of voice - which is unique to the BBC - is being met."

The review will be published next summer.

The BBC Trust regularly reviews the work of the corporation and recent reviews have examined issues including the corporation's coverage of science and the Arab Spring.

PA