As the year gets underway, the on-going work to create the new regulator continues to gather pace. Several key announcements have been made over the previous few months which highlight the further steps that have been taken towards the creation of Ofcom.

As Lord Currie reports in ‘Outside Oftel’, Stephen Carter has been appointed Chief Executive, a post he took up in February.

Born in Scotland, Stephen Carter graduated with a law degree from the University of Aberdeen. He joined J Walter Thompson, the global advertising and communications agency, in the 1980s and went on to become its Chief Executive in 1997. He later joined the cable company ntl: as Managing Director.

One of his first tasks in his new position will be to draw on the skills of the current teams in creating the new organisation. He will also, along with the Board, formulate strategy and policy for Ofcom and – once it is up and running – be responsible for its day to day operations.

Lord Currie welcomed his appointment: "I am very pleased that Stephen is to join us. He has exactly the right qualities to deliver these requirements as well as considerable experience of working in the advertising, broadcasting and telecommunications sectors."

Another key development for Ofcom, its location, has also been recently announced.

Subject to an agreement on contracts, all London-based Ofcom staff will be located in Riverside House, a recently refurbished building offering 160,000 square feet of space. Riverside House is situated right next to Southwark Bridge on the south bank of the River Thames.

To help to communicate these and other key messages, Ofcom's website, www.ofcom.org.uk, went 'live' on 27 January.

Whilst only a transitional site at this stage, it contains information about Ofcom and its responsibilities, and provides details of the Board, senior staff, transitional staff and the current regulators.

There is a newsroom which will publish all the latest Ofcom news and include details of events and publications. The site will give details of Ofcom's consultations when these processes begin and give the public and other stakeholders the opportunity to respond online.

The site will also be used as a testing ground for the long-term website.

Finally, a significant decision regarding the future status of Ofcom was made in early January by the Office for National Statistics Public Sector Classification Committee. It decided that Ofcom can be classified as a public corporation, giving it independence from Government on broadly the same lines as the Radio Authority and the Independent Television Commission.