UK government to begin search for new Ofcom chair

The government is to begin recruiting a replacement for Ofcom chair Lord Grade who is preparing to leave the job in April next year, according to a Sky News report.

The veteran broadcast executive will leave as chair of the communications regulator after a single four-year term in charge.

Sky News said that the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) – which oversees Ofcom - is drawing up proposals to launch a recruitment process in the coming months.

Lord Grade, who has held senior posts at the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, has served as Ofcom chair since May 2022.

Sky said there was no suggestion that Grade would leave the role ahead of his official departure date next year. However, it quoted insiders as saying that there was little prospect of him seeking to be reappointed for a second term in the job.

Ofcom regulates the UK media, telecoms and digital industries, making it one of the largest economic regulators in Britain.

The search for a new Ofcom chair will come after a significant extension of its remit to encompass areas such as online harms.

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