YouView (Project Canvas), a subscription free broadband ISP based video-on-demand and catch-up television (IPTV) service, has appointed none other than Lord Alan Sugar ('The Apprentice') to the role of Non-Executive Chairman on its board.

Sugar, whom is perhaps best known for his popular TV show and having founded Amstrad (they once made some good computers and an over priced / flop emailer phone), replaces "You're fired!" Kip Meek in the role.


Meek has certainly had a colourful career in the British media and telecoms industry. He's held a variety of positions in the market, from chairing Ofcom's European Regulators Group to his much criticised role on the board of Phorm UK.

By contrast his replacement, Lord Sugar, needs little introduction and no doubt some people will already be questioning the logic in his appointment. However, there may be method in YouView's madness.


It'll certainly be interesting to see whether or not the appointment of Sugar to such a role will be of any benefit beyond the obvious publicity spike. YouView's commercial launch has already been delayed until "early 2012" next year because of internal squabbles and technical problems. Sugar certainly has some experience with that sort of problem.

He also successfully established Amstrad as the main manufacturer of Sky Digital interactive Set-Top-Boxes (STB) in the UK, which ultimately accounted for 75% of sales when it was sold to BSkyB in 2007. Still, that was a long time ago now.