Roles and responsibilities
- James has strategic, editorial and budgetary responsibility across the BBC's arts, children's, education, music and network radio output
- He also leads the BBC's partnership activity and the development of BBC Ideas
- James represents the Radio & Education division on the BBC Executive Committee
Biography
Last updated October 2016
James first worked at the BBC in the 1990s, as Head of Corporate Planning. He had previously been a research fellow on IPPR's media project, and before that was a strategy consultant in media and telecommunications at Hydra Associates.
He left the BBC to be Special Adviser on the Knowledge Economy, including Internet and broadcasting policy, to Tony Blair after he became Prime Minister.
He was elected Member of Parliament for Stalybridge and Hyde, before becoming Secretary of State for Culture and then for Work and Pensions. He resigned from the government in June 2009, and stood down from Parliament at the 2010 Election.
James then held roles as a Senior Producer at Rare Day, an independent production company and an adviser to the Boston Consulting Group.
James returned to the BBC in 2013 as Director of Strategy and Digital, where he was responsible for developing the BBC’s strategy in the run up to Charter Review.
He took up the role of Director, Radio & Education in October 2016.
Annual remuneration (as at July 2021)
- £131,000
Expenses and central bookings
Expenses are costs incurred by BBC staff on behalf of the BBC and claimed through the BBC's expenses system.
Central bookings are costs incurred on behalf of the BBC and booked through the BBC's central bookings system. Both expenses and central bookings are published every three months.
Downloads
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q4 2019-20
- James Purnell’s central bookings Q4 2019-20
- James Purnell’s expenses Q3 2019-20
- James Purnell’s central bookings Q3 2019-20
- James Purnell’s expenses Q2 2019-20
- James Purnell’s central bookings Q2 2019-20
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q1 2019-20
- James Purnell’s central bookings Q1 2019-20
- James Purnell's expenses Q4 2018-19
- James Purnell's central bookings Q4 2018-19
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q3 2018-19
- James Purnell's central bookings Q3 2018-19
- James Purnell's expenses Q2 2018-19
- James Purnell's central bookings Q2 2018-19
- James Purnell's expenses Q1 2018-19
- James Purnell's central bookings Q1 2018-19
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q4 2017-18
- James Purnell's central bookings Q4 2017-18
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q3 2017-18
- James Purnell's central bookings Q3 2017-18
- James Purnell's expenses Q2 2017-18
- James Purnell's central bookings Q2 2017-18
- James Purnell's expenses Q1 2017-18
- James Purnell's central bookings Q1 2017-18
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q4 2016-17
- James Purnell's central bookings Q4 2016-17
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q3 2016-17
- James Purnell's central bookings Q3 2016-17
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q2 2016-17
- James Purnell's central bookings Q2 2016-17
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q1 2016-17
- James Purnell's central bookings Q1 2016-17
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q4 2015-16
- James Purnell's central bookings Q4 2015-16
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q3 2015-16
- James Purnell's central bookings Q3 2015-16
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q2 2015-16
- James Purnell's central bookings Q2 2015-16
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q1 2015-16
- James Purnell's central bookings Q1 2015-16
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q4 2014-15
- James Purnell's central bookings Q4 2014-15
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q3 2014-15
- James Purnell's central bookings Q3 2014-15
- James Purnell's expenses Q2 2014-15
- James Purnell's central bookings Q2 2014-15
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q1 2014-15
- James Purnell's central bookings Q1 2014-15
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q4 2013-14
- James Purnell's central bookings Q4 2013-14
- James Purnell's expenses Q3 2013-14
- James Purnell's central bookings Q3 2013-14
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q2 2013-14
- James Purnell's central bookings Q2 2013-14
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q1 2013-14
- James Purnell's central bookings Q1 2013-14
- James Purnell had no expenses paid in Q4 2012-13
- James Purnell had no central bookings in Q4 2012-13
Gifts and Hospitality Register
Gifts and hospitality may only be accepted in line with BBC policy. Information about gifts and hospitality is published every three months.
Downloads
- James Purnell had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q4 2019-20
- James Purnell’s Gifts and Hospitality Register Q3 2019-20
- James Purnell’s Gifts and Hospitality Register Q2 2019-20
- James Purnell had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q1 2019-20
- James Purnell had no gifts or hospitality to declare in 2018-19
- James Purnell had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q4 2017-18
- James Purnell had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q3 2017-18
- James Purnell had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q2 2017-18
- James Purnell had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q1 2017-18
- James Purnell had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q4 2016-17
- James Purnell had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q3 2016-17
- James Purnell had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q2 2016-17
- James Purnell had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q1 2016-17
- James Purnell had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q4 2015-16
- James Purnell had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q3 2015-16
- James Purnell had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q2 2015-16
- James Purnell had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q1 2015-16
- James Purnell had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q4 2014-15
- James Purnell's Gifts and Hospitality Register Q3 2014-15
- James Purnell had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q2 2014-15
- James Purnell had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q1 2014-15
- James Purnell's Gifts and Hospitality Register Q4 2013-14
- James Purnell's Gifts and Hospitality Register Q3 2013-14
- James Purnell's Gifts and Hospitality Register Q2 2013-14
- James Purnell's Gifts and Hospitality Register Q1 2013-14
- James Purnell had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q4 2012-13
Declaration of personal interests
Staff must make a declaration of their personal and business interests, including any memberships or directorships of public or industry bodies, and any shareholdings, as well as any interests that their immediate families may also have.
A summary is published where there is something to declare and where there is nothing to declare. Occasionally an individual will have something to declare but due to the personal nature of the declaration we do not publish details as to do so would breach the General Data Protection Regulation.
This information is published annually, although if any amendments are made during the year an updated summary will be published if necessary as soon as it is available.
