Section 12: Duty to establish and maintain Content Board
44.This section places OFCOM under a duty to set up and maintain a Content Board (a committee of OFCOM), the functions of which are set out in section 13.
45.Subsections (2) to (11) detail the composition of the Content Board, including OFCOM’s duty to ensure that for each of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, there is a different member of the Board, and to ensure that a majority of Board members is made up of individuals who are neither members nor employees of OFCOM. The chairman and at least one other member of the Content Board are to be appointed by OFCOM and must be non-executive members of OFCOM (other than their chairman). No governor or employee of the BBC, nor any member or employee of the Welsh Authority or the Channel Four Television Corporation can be a member of the Board, nor can any person whom OFCOM think has a conflict of interest (although such a conflict will not arise merely through being a member or employee of OFCOM).
46.Subsection (13) provides that, in addition to paying remuneration and expenses under paragraph 14(4) of the Schedule to the Office of Communications Act, OFCOM may pay such sums as they see fit by way of pensions, allowances or gratuities (or provide for the making of such payments) to members of the Content Board who are not members or employees of OFCOM.
