The re-appointment will be for a period of 2 years, commencing after the end of his current term. The appointment will end on 31 July 2009, after the completion of two terms.

In announcing the re-appointment, Tessa Jowell said:

"David Currie has been instrumental in the successful establishment of Ofcom as the UK's regulator for the communications industries and I congratulate him on that achievement.

"The complexity of forming and developing such an organisation, taking on the different roles of all the five predecessor organisations, should not be under-estimated.

"The challenges facing Ofcom in carrying out its role over the next few years are of course considerable, and I am very pleased that as a result of his reappointment, David will be able to continue leading Ofcom's Board in tackling those challenges effectively."

Alan Johnson also welcomed the re-appointment, saying:

"We are pleased that David Currie has accepted the invitation to remain as Chairman of Ofcom for a second, final, term in communications regulation. Since Ofcom was established it has developed an excellent reputation among stakeholders for its firm yet flexible approach to regulation.

"David's role in providing a strategic direction to Ofcom, has been invaluable, and his reappointment will help ensure that Ofcom continues to build effectively on the substantial foundations which David and his colleagues have laid."

Background

Ofcom is an independent statutory corporation accountable to Parliament. The Ofcom Board provides strategic direction for the organisation, with a Non-Executive Chairman and Deputy Chairman, four Non-Executive Directors and four Executive Directors including the Chief Executive Officer.

Non-Executive Directors of the Ofcom Board (including the Chair and Deputy Chair) are appointed jointly by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, under the provisions of the Office of Communications Act 2002.

The Chief Executive is appointed by the Nominations Committee of the Board, which includes the Chair and an Independent Assessor. The other Executive Directors of the Board are appointed on the recommendation of the Chief Executive and approved by the Non-Executive Directors.

The time commitment for the Chair appointment is up to four days per week, for which a remuneration of £178k a year was made in 2004/5.

The re-appointment has been made in accordance with the Code of Practice set out by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA).