Ministers to kick off hunt for successor to Ofcom chair Lord Grade

Ministers are to kick off the hunt for a brand new chair of the communications regulator as Lord Grade of Yarmouth prepares to bow out after a single time period on the helm.

Sky Information has learnt that the Division for Science, Innovation and Expertise (DSIT) – which now leads oversight of Ofcom in Whitehall – is drawing up proposals to launch a recruitment course of within the coming months.

Lord Grade, the veteran broadcast government who held senior posts on the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, has served as Ofcom chair since Could 2022.

His four-year time period just isn’t on account of finish for one more 11 months, and there was no suggestion this weekend that he would depart the function forward of that time.

The now non-affiliated peer’s appointment to the put up in 2022 got here after a controversial recruitment course of and was signed off by Nadine Dorries, the then Tory tradition secretary.

Accountability for Ofcom board appointments has switched since then from the Division for Tradition, Media and Sport.

Peter Kyle, the science secretary, authorised the recruitment of Tamara Ingram, an promoting trade stalwart, as Ofcom’s deputy chair, final November.

The seek for a brand new Ofcom chair will come after a major extension of its remit to embody areas corresponding to on-line harms.

Each DCMS, which has duty for the media trade, and the Division for Enterprise and Commerce even have substantial engagement with Ofcom.

In addition to a task in appointing administrators to the board of state-owned Channel 4, which is searching each a chair and chief government, Ofcom regulates firms corresponding to Royal Mail, in addition to the BBC.

This week, the watchdog stated it was pursuing motion towards the previously publicly owned postal companies firm over its failure to hit statutory supply targets.

Ofcom additionally regulates the UK telecoms trade, making it one of many largest financial regulators in Britain.

Mr Kyle stated this week that Ofcom also needs to put together to be given regulatory oversight of the fast-growing information centre trade.

One of many duties of Lord Grade’s successor is more likely to be long-term government management succession planning.

Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom’s chief government, has held the function since 2020, though there isn’t a indication that she intends to step down within the quick time period.

It was unclear this weekend whether or not any of Ofcom’s current board members would possibly search to take over from Lord Grade.

Its slate of non-executive administrators consists of not too long ago appointed Lord Allan of Hallam, a former MP, and Ben Verwaayen, the previous BT Group chief government.

Mr Verwaayen is because of step down from the Ofcom board on the finish of the 12 months.

The hunt for Ofcom’s subsequent chair will come amid a push led by Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves to shake up Britain’s financial regulators as they search methods to take away crimson tape from the non-public sector.

DSIT has been contacted for remark, whereas Ofcom declined to remark.