Government appoints Ofcom board

The government has appointed the board of the new Office of Communications (Ofcom).

The new watchdog will unite the five current regulatory bodies - the Independent Television Commission, the Broadcasting Standards Commission, Oftel, the Radio Authority and the Radiocommunications Agency - under one roof to address issues in radio, TV and telecoms.

The new board will serve under chairman David Currie, who is responsible for appointing a chief executive to start work in early 2003. Ofcom is expected to be up and running by the end of 2003.

The five board members who have been announced include Urmila Banerjee, who will give up her non-executive directorship at Channel Four and Sara Nathan, who currently serves as non-executive director on several boards, including that of the Radio Authority.

Also joining the new organisation is David Edmonds - head of telecoms regulator Oftel for the past four years - and Richard Hooper, who has been running the Radio Authority.

The fifth member is Ian Hargreaves, a professor of journalism at Cardiff University, who has a background in newspapers and the BBC.

Patricia Hewitt, the trade and industry secretary, said. "These appointments bring a wealth of experience to the top of Ofcom in all areas from broadcasting and newspapers to telecommunications.

"This insight will be invaluable both in establishing Ofcom and beyond, once it starts the crucial job of regulating."

The non-executive members will be appointed for between three and five years. They will work two days a week for a salary of £30,000 pounds per year.