Sir Ian Cheshire has been appointed as the next Chair of Channel 4, the regulator Ofcom has announced.
The three-year term has been approved by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Rt. Hon. Nadine Dorries MP and confirmed by Ofcom on Sunday, the story having featured in the Sunday papers.
“I am delighted to approve Sir Ian Cheshire to be the new chair of Channel 4. Sir Ian has an impressive record at the helm of some of Britain’s biggest businesses and I am confident his proven leadership will help Channel 4 go from strength to strength and ensure it thrives long into the future amid a time of rapid change for the sector,” said Dorries.
Sir Ian will join the broadcaster’s Board on 11 April 2022, succeeding the interim Chair Dawn Airey. The veteran businessman was Group Chief Executive of Kingfisher from January 2008 to early 2015. He is currently Chair of Spire Healthcare plc a non-executive director of BT.
Having chaired an Ecosystem Markets Task Force for former prime minister David Cameron and the Economy Honours Committee there will be concerns that this is very much the political appointment that paves the way for the much-touted selloff of the broadcaster.
It follows last week’s announcement that former Channel 4 chief executive Michael Grade had been appointed to chair Ofcom.
