UK newspapers are reporting that the Government could choose the current editor in chief of the Daily Mail for the role.
Dacre has been linked to the role for some time: The Government is reportedly considering the appointment of Paul Dacre as the new chair of Ofcom. Dacre is currently editor in chief of the Daily Mail Group. The role has been vacant since December 2020, when Lord Burns, an economist, stepped down. Dacre has been linked to the role throughout most of 2020.
A likely focus on the BBC and Big Tech: Dacre is expected to push an agenda of reform for the BBC, for which he believes a licence fee-based model is obsolete in a market increasingly dominated by streaming platforms like Netflix. However Ofcom’s other priorities would keep him busy. Since Ofcom will also take charge for tackling online harms, Dacre could also find himself having to take action against online platforms, of which he has been very critical in the past – even having advocated for their break-up.
A role of high strategic importance: The chair of Ofcom is a non-executive role, though a highly representative one. The chair provides strategic direction and oversees the work of the Chief Executive – a role currently held by Melanie Dawes, who was appointed in March 2020 and has set the current tone of Ofcom’s programme of work.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jan/31/johnson-poised-to-appoint-paul-dacre-chair-of-ofcom
