The final interview for the position of @Ofcom chair is due to take place week beginning 26.4.21. @Ofcom regulates all UK broadcasting including @BBC. The Govt’s rumoured favoured choice is Paul Dacre, Daily Mail editor in chief+fierce @BBC critic.

The Cabinet Office announced that the ‘panel sift’ in the process to choose the new chair of @Ofcom was to take place in the week of 12th April. I understand that is the point at which anyone who is considered by the panel to be unsuitable or unappointable is removed.

"Candidates [for chair] must demonstrate personal integrity of a high order,+must have stature+authority. They must have demonstrable understanding of Ofcom’s need to make independent judgements under pressure and no conflicts arising from any commercial or political interests."

Paul Potts, Govt’s ‘senior independent panel member’ helping to pick new chair of Ofcom which regulates BBC, is an exec of Rupert Murdoch’s Times. Mr Murdoch is a BBC critic+rival. Mr Potts has known Mr Dacre well for decades. Mr Dacre, fierce BBC critic, is ex Daily Mail editor.

@Ofcom Group Director @kevinbakhurst has previously affirmed its role in ensuring the independence of the @BBC: "We know from our audience research that the independence of the BBC remains one of the most important principles for UK audiences and licence fee payers..."

@kevinbakhurst @Ofcom Group Director added: "My experience is that having an independent, evidence-based regulator is a critical way of ensuring that [BBC] independence...We breathe the air of independence and nothing else."

He said the BBC was "globally renowned" and that in a multi-channel, multi-platform media world, Ofcom operated "supporting the organisation, ensuring fairness, competition and crucially, independence.”

@kevinbakhurst @Ofcom Group Director quoted from the @BBC's Agreement and Charter: "In the Agreement, Parliament set out very clearly that 'All parties affirm their commitment to the independence of the BBC'".

The government has recently vetoed the reappointment of two women to Channel 4’s board of directors, including one of only two women of colour, in a sign ministers are continuing to assert their authority over senior media appointments. Story From @janemartinson and @jimwaterson

The Govt’s recent decision not to renew the Channel 4 boardroom positions of Uzma Hasan and Fru Hazlitt at the state-owned but privately funded broadcaster was made against the advice of both the Channel 4 board and the media regulator, @Ofcom.

So next week is the final interview for the new @Ofcom chair. Ofcom regulates Channel 4+ @BBC. The Govt has recently ignored @Ofcom’s advice+vetoed 2 Channel 4 board members. Its apparently favoured candidate for @Ofcom chair is Paul Dacre, a long term fierce critic of the BBC.

If Mr Dacre is chosen as @Ofcom chair, will the Govt begin listening to @Ofcom’s advice once more? If he is not chosen, how powerful+independent will Ofcom be in its official role as the regulator of UK broadcasting? And how independent can our broadcasters be if Ofcom is not?