“Too Old And Lazy”: BBC historian slams choice to head British regulator Ofcom

Michael Grady may be one of Britain’s TV industry’s foremost statesmen, but that doesn’t necessarily make him the right person to head up the country’s Ofcom TV agency, it seems.

Professor Jean Seaton, an official BBC historian, called the 79-year-old former producer and television executive a panel member: “Too old to be president of Ofcom, too lazy to be president of Ofcom, too many conflicts of interest.” The BBC Future, which aired Saturday at Hay Festival.

The professor blamed the government that named Grady for the “great bullying attack”, saying that “there was obviously an agenda” and that the government was not interested in hearing alternative points of view.

The nomination process for a new Ofcom boss was particularly challenging, with Daily Mail chief Paul Dakre previously announcing that he had applied for the job, then told him he wasn’t eligible, then urged him to resubmit. the question.

Grady has decades of experience in the UK television industry, including managing BBC One’s flagship channel, managing Channel 4 and most recently chairing the BBC’s board of directors, but has little knowledge of social media and needs. Online security. He is a conservative peer in the UK House of Lords, but has said he will give up the party whip and work as a party peer.

Seaton added that Grade is now a job that requires a lot of legal disclosure. He told the jury: “He was an irrelevant candidate.”

During the panel, he also called for more funding for the BBC rather than the abolition of the fee announced by Culture Secretary Nadine Doris. Seaton said the BBC was the only institution with polarized media challenges and waning confidence in unbiased news.

Guard No response was received from the BBC or Ofcom when they requested further comment on Seaton’s comments.