A JOURNALIST who began his career at the Keighley News has been appointed to the new BBC board.

Burnley-born Ian Hargreaves – an English graduate of Queen's College, Cambridge – worked with the KN as a trainee reporter in 1973-74.

After two years with sister paper the Telegraph & Argus, he joined the Financial Times, becoming its assistant editor (features).

He then had a spell with the BBC, as managing editor of news and current affairs, before returning to the Financial Times in 1991 as deputy editor.

Mr Hargreaves, 65, subsequently became editor of the Independent and New Statesman.

The CBE recipient is now Professor of Digital Economy at Cardiff University.

"I am delighted to join the BBC board at a time when the corporation's distinctive mission is of growing importance," he said.

Mr Hargreaves is joined on the new BBC board by Paralympic gold-medal winner Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson and Tate Modern director Nicholas Serota.

The board will replace the two-tier structure of the BBC Trust and BBC executive board as the corporation’s governing body from next week (April 3).