Ofcom press release here


Quote:

Ofcom appoints Julian Eccles as new Communications Director Ofcom today announced it has appointed Julian Eccles as its new Director of Communications. Julian Eccles was previously Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs at BSkyB. Prior to this he worked at British Interactive Broadcasting and at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. He will report to Ofcom Chief Executive Ed Richards and will lead a team of 24 people responsible for the regulator's media relations, corporate and internal communications and design and publications activities. He will take up the post on 23 April and replaces Matt Peacock who left Ofcom earlier this month to become Director of Communications and Marketing for international energy firm BG Group plc. Ofcom Chief Executive Ed Richards said: "Julian brings specialist knowledge and broad experience to this critically important role." Julian Eccles said: “This is one of the most fascinating and attractive jobs in the communications sector. I look forward to contributing to the many different challenges Ofcom faces in the coming months and years."

So Matt Peacock who agreed back in 2004 that 0870 numbers are "premium rate numbers, but by another name" and has left Ofcom. And Mr Eccles joins having worked for BSkyB....  ::)

Yes I saw the press release telling us that chief Ofcom hot air merchant Peacock was shuvving off from Ofcom only 3 years after getting there like the rest of his his overpaid and singularly careerist cronies.  It seems he wants to escape before the proverbial hits the fan in respect of his previous comments on You & Yours over 084/7.  No doubt he has now become PR director of some similarly vacuous and buzz speak oriented organisation on an even higher salary. ;) ::) >:( :'(

So now in short order the original architects of the Ofcom 084/7 outrage, namely Messrs Carter, Meek, Williams and Peacock have all pushed off and if we the campaigners go along to or ever manage to get another meeting with Ofcom their successors will attempt to absolve themselves of all responsibility for the actions of their predecessors.  The only who cannot pull this trick is Ed Richards.

What a sad and sorry lot the Ofcom staff are.

The whole bunch are simply in it for as much as they suck out of the swill trough with their snouts and not one of them gives a stuff for the best interest of the UK citizen consumer. :o >:( >:( >:(

Also note in the Ofcom announcement the extremely depressing news regarding Peacock's replacement as Communications Director. This person would appear to have come straight from Satan's Den with respect to their likely position on 0870 numbers given that they are a former employee of none other than BSkyB.

Meanwhile Peacock seems to be selling his soul even deeper to the devil and further away from his journalistic roots in order to manage to pay the public school fees and the large mortgage.  This time by taking even more tedious sounding but nominally higher powered executive work at energy group BG.  No doubt in this role he also finally makes the position of main board director he was consistently denied at Ofcom.

The fact that Ofcom can appoint a senior Sky person as its Communications Director simply beggars belief.  What chance the voice of the Uk Citizen Consumer ever prevailing at Ofcom? ;) :o ::) :'(

I'd love to see the skills requirement for Communication Director at the Office of Communication

1. strong lying skills
2. demonstrable experience mugging journalists by writing press releases appearing to solve a problem, but actually making it worse
3. expertise in avoiding answering a straight question
4. at least 10 years strong results gouging the consumer
5. ideally some experience of blatant fraud
6. thorough knowledge of ineffective regulation
7. desire to consult rather than act
8. accountability not desirable
9. name and surname must characterise strength of consumer protection inclinations (Kip Meek  ;D ;D ;D    ;) )

GrahamH wrote on Apr 24^th, 2007 at 12:07am:

9. name and surname must characterise strength of consumer protection inclinations (Kip Meek  ;D ;D ;D    ;) )

And let us not forget Peacock himself.   All fine show for the consumer on the surface but with altogether different motivations going on underneath it.

The fact that they take on the Communications Director of Sky only goes to show that lieing skills and blatant dishonesty do indeed seem to be the top requirement for the job.

And by changing all the staff apart from Richards they now conveniently pretend they have no knowledge as to how Ofcom got into its current 084/7 predicament. >:( >:(