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Alan Sugar takes hot seat at YouView

Peer inherits from Meek

Lord Sugar is to become the new non-exec chairman of YouView, formerly Project Canvas. His predecessor, Kip Meek, had been in the job less than eight months.

Meek was formerly head of the Broadband Stakeholder Group and is best known as (effectively) Ofcom's No 2 from 2003 to 2007. Notable accomplishments, for sure, but it's hard to imagine anyone being compelled to outrage public decency by his autobiography, should he ever write one. A gentleman in Crawley Public Library was moved to onanism by the memoirs of the Amstrad founder.

But YouView had other accomplishments in mind.

"Lord Sugar's experience in delivering set-top box technology to the consumer is unrivalled and we are delighted that he will be with us as we introduce a new, enhanced television experience to homes across the UK," said the company in a statement. "As we move from the development to the delivery stage I can’t think of anyone better placed to help bring YouView to market than Lord Sugar."

YouView lost technical guiding light Anthony Rose before Christmas, and three weeks ago confirmed significant delays to the rollout, meaning the first set-top boxes aren't expected before 2012.

Amstrad brought consumer electronics to the masses in the 1970s and Sugar sold his set-top box business to BSkyB in 2007. ®

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