This is taken from the Daily Telegraph:

Lord Patten applies for BBC Trust chairman job
By Amanda Andrews 6:00AM GMT 07 Dec 2010

Lord Patten of Barnes, the former Conservative minister and an adviser to BP, is in the frame to become the next chairman of the BBC Trust.

The last British governor of Hong Kong has applied for the high-profile role at the BBC's governing body and is thought to be on a list of preferred candidates, sources close to the process told The Daily Telegraph.

The Department for Culture Media and Sport is tasked with finding a candidate to replace Sir Michael Lyons in May 2011. A corporate background, as well as public sector and international experience are all favoured qualities. Ministers are also likely to prefer someone with a Conservative background.

Lord Patten, who is the chancellor of Oxford University, holds a number of corporate positions. Alongside BP, he advises investment group BMB and transport and telecoms firm Hutchison Europe. He is also on the European advisory board of private equity firm Bridgepoint Capital.

The search for the BBC Trust chairman is being handled by Dom Loehnis at headhunter Egon Zehnder, who is a personal friend of David Cameron from their days at Eton. Those who have recently been tipped for the role include BBC trustees Dame Patricia Hodgson and Anthony Fry, YouGov chairman Roger Parry and Richard Hooper, a former regulator at Ofcom who narrowly missed out on the job last time.

Corporate bosses who have ruled themselves out of the process include Sir Stuart Rose, Helen Alexander and Dame Majorie Scardino. Sir Howard Stringer, the Sony boss, has also been approached, but is not thought to have applied.

Interviews with shortlisted candidates will take place on January 27 and 28, with an appointment due in the spring. The new BBC Trust chair will be appointed for a four-year term and receive an annual salary of £110,000 for working 12 to 16 days a month – £21,000 less than Sir Michael is paid.