The next chairman of Ofcom has been announced. Media executive and Conservative peer Michael Grade – who has held senior positions at the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 – has been named by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries as the Government’s preferred candidate for the role.
It marks the culmination of a process that began two years ago to find a suitable person to chair the watchdog, which oversees broadcasting and telecommunications in the UK. The hunt for a new incumbent sparked controversy as former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre was reportedly Boris Johnson’s preferred choice during the initial interviews - but he withdrew from the race, claiming the civil service had influenced the process because of his right-of-centre “convictions”.
In January, ministers announced they were reopening the recruitment process for the £142,500 three-day-a-week Ofcom job. They were extending the application deadline, it was said, after a “favourite” to fill the position walked away.
