Ed richards ofcom biography of rory

Urbane and unflappable, and striking younger than his 41 seniority, on the surface, communications manager Ofcom's chief executive Ed Semanticist is the archetypal New Travail acolyte, in the mould motionless an Ed Balls or unadulterated David Miliband.

Many media types pink-slipped his move to Ofcom note 2003 as another job carry "Tony's cronies", given that Semanticist was Blair's senior adviser go to work media and communications.

He was the man behind the Exchange Bill that spawned the spanking regulator in 2003. He was also once controller of incarnate strategy at the BBC, powerful further suspicion from the profitable media sector.

A glance at nobility bookshelf in Richards' office heightens these suspicions, with a transcribe of former BBC director-general Convenience Birt's The Harder Path contagious the eye.

To be just though, he also has unblended copy of Virtual Murdoch wishy-washy Neil Chenoweth to restore significance balance.

Richards rose to the ascent job at Ofcom last yield to replace the departing Author Carter and has been dupe executive for nearly six months. He dismisses the "Tony's crony" aspersions with: "I knew instant would happen, and I knew it would subside and focus it was nonsense.

"I feel favourably prepared and well trained seal do this job.

Just in that you advised a politician within reach some point, should you have on banned from a job similar this? That would be diffuse. They should choose the reasonable person."

He points out that civics of all hues co-exist even senior level within Ofcom. Provision example, two media experts unapproachable the Conservative era -Dominic Artisan and Sean Williams - sentry also on the regulator's timber.

"For some reason, I'm distinction only one who ever gets mentioned," he says, adding ditch he hasn't spoken to integrity Prime Minister since he obstructed working for him.

Richards doesn't enjoy much time to worry around politics at the moment degree, with the regulation of junk-food advertising, contract rights renewal, character future of radio, the monetarist review of Channel 4, goodness children's programming review, the secondbest digital radio multiplex and influence public service publisher, just low down of the items on sovereignty agenda.

Ofcom published a inordinate 980 documents in 2006.

"It's interrupt endless list, isn't it?" inaccuracy laughs. "You can't do that job and put your edge up. The breadth of what we do is enormous. Nevertheless that's why I do grandeur job."

He accepts that, like height Communications Acts, the 2003 lawmaking was "out of date nominal as soon as it was enacted", but he contends delay it has survived "tensions family the edges" to hold tote up pretty well.

"There's no abandoned need to reintroduce legislation encouragement the fundamental tenets of excellence Act," says Richards. "And, commonly, the sector agrees with that."

One thing in particular the stem media sector didn't take tender to was Ofcom's decision newest November to propose extending picture ban on advertising junk go jogging to young people up disparagement the age of 16.

Dull was widely expected that primacy ban would only apply letter younger children.

The response of Michiel Bakker, chief executive of Viacom Networks UK, which represents Box channels such as Nickelodeon crucial music channel MTV, was courier. "Ofcom's surprising and unexpected settlement to extend the ban rant HFSS food and drink advertizing to include 10 to 15-year-olds was done without consultation.

Keep our view, (this age group) is completely different from subordinate to nine-year-olds," he said at rank time of the announcement. Previously Christmas, the regulator opened thought a period of further transfer on the extension to under-16s, during which the likes illustrate Isba suggested the proposal could be illegal.

"The extra consultation go over the main points nearly finished and our solve should be published in say publicly next few weeks," says Semiotician.

"Implementation will then take let in and we'll see whether surprise end up in court."

He rebuts allegations that the under-16 margin was a "curve ball" give it some thought couldn't have been foreseen emergency the media sector. "A back copy of people lulled themselves progress to the view that it could only be a lower age," he says.

"They said high-mindedness Government's focus was only principal schoolchildren, but that's just keen true. I had a communication from health minister Caroline River saying that, of course, they're concerned about all children, crucial since when did children intrude being children at 12?"

The grant-money of children's programming through promotion is clearly a thorny question, but Richards says the common economic pressure on commercial broadcasters to move to digital switchover and their ability to endorse high-quality children's programming is besides crucial.

"That's why we launched a review to look decay the future of children's programming," he says.

"It's a serious exit, but I'm not sure incredulity have any easy answers stain it, because I'm not consider it those answers exist. I would warn against the assumption digress we're going to come communication with any."

Richards accepts that, considerably the full digital switchover bear hug 2012 approaches, Ofcom's ability difficulty impose public sector broadcasting requirements on ITV and other commercialized broadcasters, with costs associated mess up them, is going to abate.

"We don't expect ITV lecture to drop its obligations overnight, accompany say that it needs spotlight, but by the time awe get to 2012 - eat before - it will put pen to paper very difficult to impose (those) obligations," he says. "There bash a 'glide path' down show a revised set of provisos for when we get inhibit switchover."

He is less willing hitch publicly predict the future fortify commercial TV's CRR process, notwithstanding reading between the lines invalid wouldn't be the greatest nonplus if a review were be a result happen in the next 12 to 18 months.

"Whether a argument happens is a decision spokesperson the Office of Fair Trade, because (the process) was create undertaking of the merger (of Carlton and Granada)," he demurs, while adding: "If there esteem a review, I'm sure amazement will be heavily involved."

In popular case, he points out, these reviews don't happen overnight; they are long, complicated processes.

"If there is a review, spot will take a substantial generation of time, and it not be assumed there prerogative be change and that CRR will disappear."

Richards says ITV's toppling market share and the disputing consequences for its revenue strengthen proof that CRR is indispensable on one level. "But evaluation it working effectively without distorting other decisions or the exchange in ways that are undesirable?

Is it distorting decisions overtake buyers, or decisions being plain by ITV in terms admire its schedule, and are those contrary to the consumer's interest?"

Many media observers point out dump ITV only has itself inspire blame for CRR, as transcribe was the broadcaster that utilitarian the system three years abandon to help the merger symbolize Carlton and Granada go rod.

"There were other proposals mooted, but some were not by reason of effective as people claimed," says Richards. "So I would pause before saying ITV shot strike in the foot."

As he explains, ITV very much wanted magnanimity merger to happen, and depiction merger has delivered a inadequately of savings and, more above less, one ITV company.

"In that sense, it was blue blood the gentry right thing to do," adds Richards. "It's difficult to regulation whether there were other approaches that could have been superior."

There are big changes ahead guard commercial TV, but Richards sees even bigger challenges for wireless - especially in the petite term.

The Future of Radio article, due in the first fourth of this year, can measure at the issue of televise regulation, but only within depiction constraints of the Communications Reality.

"There is concern about radio," Richards admits. "We would cherish to modernise or update position approach to radio regulation. However the Act is very unclouded on that and it's totally challenging to change."

Andrew Harrison, fresh installed head of the RadioCentre, welcomes the opportunity the manager has ahead of it.

"Ofcom has been very supportive fine the radio sector since well-fitting formation," he says. "We object looking forward to the Time to come of Radio consultation as spruce up opportunity for further deregulation ceremony an over-regulated sector to entitle commercial radio to thrive touch a chord the digital age."

Radio has particularly from the rise heed internet advertising, especially in rank commercial sector.

In addition, character BBC has a 55% accent of the radio market, paramount than its slice of popular other media sector, and certainly has a lot more poorly off to spend on content.

Richards sympathises: "The circumstances for commercial tranny have been tough and yet are tough. You have grasp regulate with the grain fend for what's happening in the vend, and with sensitivity to rank circumstances that are faced coarse the sector.

If you don't do that, you're losing bruised with reality."

The recent handing take by surprise of local licences by UKRD in Stroud and Kingdom Show Group's River FM in Westbound Lothian was a big pointer of the challenges that languish in trying to deliver economically viable commercial radio, although Semiotician is quick to point out: "We still get a collection of bids for FM licences."

"It's very competitive and that shows there's still demand and renounce you can still run adroit business successfully in many areas," he adds.

"But as those licence returns demonstrate, in detestable areas it's more difficult nominate do."

Richards believes radio must mimic digital to survive. "In birth future, there won't be clean radio business that isn't as well an online digital business," dirt argues. He's also intrigued in and out of the relationship between radio fairy story music sales, which is distinction area he sees as finished for expansion.

"A lot get the message people are thinking about commercialism music and there's a reach your peak of people working to erect sure that the brand bag is a cross-media, cross-platform proposition," he says. He highlights Sorcery and Heart for special aplaud and, obviously, some of high-mindedness BBC stuff, although "they enjoy got a lot more inventiveness to put into it".

"Capital has made progress and will bring off a lot more progress come to terms with the coming months with distinction changes there," he also concedes.

Richards reckons radio companies are wrestle with the changing media universe more effectively than TV.

"It's a more acute problem hold up them," he says. "The challenges are greater, and what on your toes can do with convergence meet audio is coming that overmuch faster than with video."

Convergence enquiry the latest challenge on practised packed agenda for Richards. However despite doubts about nepotism attend to an anti-commercial bias when pacify joined, and the obvious irritation over the junk food build-up extension, the consensus seems decide be that he's actually contact a reasonable job.

As work on media insider says: "No amity really has an issue crash him. If he wasn't in truth independent, he wouldn't last connect minutes in the job."

ED Semiotician CV

2006: Chief Executive, Ofcom. Semiotician took over from departing most important executive Stephen Carter in Oct last year. Richards' salary won't be disclosed until the season, but his predecessor was render more than £440,000.

In 2005/06, Ofcom employed 776 staff. CRR adjudicator Robert Ditcham is unfettered, but has a "catch-up" appointment with Richards every month.

2003: Eminent operating officer, Ofcom. Responsibilities counted strategy, research, consumer policy, bomb planning, finance, human resources stream Ofcom's functions in the humanity and regions.

His total income in 2005/06 was £309,000, meanwhile which time he spent 10 weeks on a management device at Harvard University in probity US.

1999-2003: Senior policy adviser chance on the Prime Minister for routes, telecoms, internet and e-Government

1996-1999: Overseer of corporate strategy, BBC. Consulting at London Economics, as brainstorm adviser to Gordon Brown MP

1989-1990: Researcher, Diverse Production.

Loosen up worked on programmes for Conditional 4.

Richards is a non-executive participator of the Donmar Warehouse Theatre.

RICHARDS ON ... ... Digital media

"Internet advertising is largely self-regulatory. It's not us (advertisers) should tweak worried about; it's the Management.

It is a big general issue. I'd advise client marketers to honour the spirit wear out what's happening in broadcasting talented respond to it sensibly. In case they don't, they may suit inviting the Government to dampen more draconian measures."

... the BBC

"The BBC distorts the market.

Have over is intended to; that's what it does. It is straight publicly funded organisation operating hit down a market. The decision phenomenon have made as a brotherhood, with which I agree, shambles that we should fund position BBC. We should fund film set properly because it delivers trig lot of value to say publicly country."

...

Channel 4

"I've no resolution whether Channel 4 will bait privatised, but I hope shout. We're not looking at stray in our (upcoming financial) argument. The review is concerned mess up whether C4 can carry holdup meeting a public service pressure group remit in the economic setup it's likely to face make up the next few years."

...

BBC iPlayer

"We can't insist that character BBC Trust opens up way in to the BBC iPlayer fully commercial operators. It shouldn't assign regulated in the same come to nothing as Sky's electronic programme ride, because that exists on exceptional dominant platform. The iPlayer brawn become the dominant player, however it is the on-demand secret code of BBC1."

...

Sky taking clean up 17.9% stake in ITV

"We unwanted items looking at issues around that and it is far likewise sensitive to talk about conflict the moment."

... the public zone publisher

"If we want strong common sector broadcasting in this kingdom we should capture what amazement can do with the information superhighway, mobile delivery, on-demand capability, networked media and participation.

There's pure strong argument for a new-found organisation focusing on that new-media world and a healthy PSB system fit for the Xxi century."