Andy Burnham

Andy Burnham 38 is number 22 on the Media top 100 2008, He was a special adviser at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport during Tony Blair's first term in power, and is now the Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media & Sport since 25 Jan 2008.

He was an MP for 6 years working for labour, and he is a british politician.

In Burnham's in-tray is how to fund the future of public service broadcasting, including Channel 4, and how that will impact on the BBC's revenue from the licence fee. He has hailed the corporation as a "cornerstone" of UK broadcasting but refused to rule out part of the licence fee for other TV and radio outlets. There is the possibility of a new communications act, already hinted out by his predecessor(person who precedes another), that would frame media policy for the next decade.

Burnham has hinted at tougher controls of online content, and said the government would reject European Union moves to allow product placement on UK television.

Andy's speech to the Phonographic Performance Ltd. AGM, 4 June 2008

"I consider myself lucky to have the privilege to champion your cause, to champion the cause of the British music industry within Government for the time that I hold this job and can I say to you at the very beginning that it is something that I intend to do with urgency"

"It is possible today to try a whole range of music, to learn and find out more and that is a really positive thing."

"Firstly that the British music industry is precious and it needs protecting. Secondly that it plays a vital part in the promotion of our country overseas and that it is for me a personal priority to help us collectively, and I stress the word collectively, because it’s not just the Government in this equation."