Ofcom has appointed Jonathan Oxley as its interim chief executive who will take up the post after incumbent Sharon White leaves the broadcast regulator at the end of this month.
Oxley did not apply for the role of chief executive, Ofcom has confirmed. It has said it expects to announce White’s permanent replacement after next month’s general election next month.
The Guardian has reported that Melanie Dawes, one of the UK’s most senior civil servants, has been chosen for the role.
However Ofcom will not confirm the appointment while election campaigning is under way, a period known as purdah, because the role is ultimately subject to approval by the Culture Secretary.
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Oxley (pictured) is currently group director for competition and board member for Ofcom.
Lord Terry Burns, Ofcom chairman, said: “Jonathan is extremely well equipped to step up to provide important continuity for Ofcom and the sectors it regulates.”
White announced in summer that she was leaving Ofcom, which regulates all broadcast news output, to become chairman of the John Lewis retail group. She is tipped as a future BBC director general.
White was paid a salary of £341,700, according to figures published by Ofcom in November last year.
Picture: Ofcom
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