Government picks Tory peer Michael Grade to chair Ofcom
Michael Gradehas been chosen as the government’s preferred candidate to oversee the media regulator, Ofcom, ending one of the more controversial and drawn-out government recruitment processes in recent British political history.
The Conservative peer – who has held senior executive positions at the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 – will have to face a pre-appointment hearing in front of MPs but is likely to be approved to take the job, finally drawing the process to a close.
The 79-year-old has made a series of public interventions on media policy since applying for the job, including calling the BBC licence fee a “regressive tax” and criticising the tone of the broadcaster’s political coverage.
While chief executive of Channel 4, he campaigned against its privatisation, but has changed his mind in recent years and spoken out in favour of the proposal.
The three-day-a-week role as chair of the communications regulator – which oversees everything from television content to postal services – comes with a £142,500 salary. Ofcom is also taking on responsibility for regulating social media platforms, such as Facebook and TikTok, a major expansion of its powers.
The culture secretary, Nadine Dorries, made the final decision on the appointment in consultation with Downing Street, with Grade edging out his fellow Tory peer and former deputy chairman of the party Stephen Gilbert in the final round of interviews.
On Thursday night, Labour’s culture spokesman, Chris Elmore, described Grade as “a Conservative peer who is completely out of touch with the British public and referred to the BBC’s coverage of the Downing Street parties as ‘gleeful and disrespectful’”.
He added: “With Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine showing the importance of
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