His appointment is likely to spark allegations of cronyism because of his close links with former BBC director-general Lord Birt and Prime Minister Tony Blair.
According to reports Burns was reluctant go for the job but it is understood that Lord Birt, who is now a Downing Street adviser, has persuaded him and has been pressing Lord Burn's case at private and public levels.
Lord Burns is one of Lord Birt's oldest friends. The pair go on walking holidays together and are good friends with the Blairs. Last year Tessa Jowell appointed Burns as independent adviser on the renewal of the BBC's Royal Charter.
At a conference at the weekend in Venice Lord Birt, who was director-general between 1992 and 2000, said the BBC "had not been immune" to commercial pressures and had "slipped off the public service rails".
Lord Burns has declined to enter any discussion on interest in the job since the departure of Gavyn Davies after the Hutton Report.
His appointment would lay the government open to allegations of cronyism, threatening the independence of the BBC. Whoever wins the race for the chairman's job will have an influential role in deciding who gets the director-general's job.
Yesterday it emerged that David Dimbleby is on the shortlist for the chairman's role. Michael Grade, former chief executive of Channel 4, is also said to be a strong candidate as is Patricia Hodgson, former chief executive of the Independent Television Commission.
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