LONDON — Lord (Stephen) Carter, the man brought in some eight months ago to beef up the U.K.'s communications and media industry policy and who is due to present his long awaited and much anticipated Digital Britain report next week, is set to leave the government soon after the document is published.
The report covers a wide range of technology, media and communications issues, including internet and media regulation, broadband access for all, how to control copyright theft, the future of public service broadcasting, and building on the UK's early success in digital radio implementation.
An interim report identified a pot of around £250 million that may be available after the digital TV switchover for projects such as building a digital radio infrastructure and meeting the Universal Service Commitment.
If he does leave in July — and the speculation suggests he could become CEO of the country's commercial broadcaster, ITV — it will raise huge question marks over the implementation of these and many other aspects of the topics expected to be covered in the report.
Lord Carter had previously run Ofcom , the UK comms and media sector regulator, before joining 18 months ago as a senior strategy advisor in Prime Minister Gordon Brown's office and then being named Communications Minister.
The ITV job has been up for grabs since the ITV executive chairman, Michael Grade, announced his intention to step back from day-to-day management in April.
Lord Carter was listed as one of ten ministers below Lord Mandelson in the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills after the major reshuffle earlier this week.
But he is believed to have told the Prime Minister that he was willing to serve only until July and hoped to return to business after a low-key exit over the summer recess.
Sources suggest he may feel that having laid out a strategy plan with the Digital Britain document his task is completed.
