Ofcom appoints a new member to the Advisory Committee for Wales

03 September 2015

Ofcom today announced the appointment of Karen Lewis as a new member to the Advisory Committee for Wales. Karen Lewis now works as a freelance independent researcher and consultant after retiring from the University of South Wales where she became Director of a research centre in the faculty of creative industries.

Ofcom’s National Advisory Committees provide advice to Ofcom about the interests and opinions of people living in the Nations and Regions of the UK on all communications matters. The Committees were established under the terms of the Communications Act 2003.

Karen has lived and worked in Wales for most of her adult life, working predominantly in the fields of education, community development and broadcasting. She was educated at Aberystwyth University, Cardiff University and the University of South Wales.

Karen was the founder senior producer of the BBC's award-winning Digital Storytelling project, BBC Capture Wales, which received a BAFTA Cymru, a WDA award for Innovation and Cardiff University's Innovation Prize. Karen was also the recipient of Technology Wales' "Women in Technology" award for her work in this field.

John Davies, Chair of the Advisory Committee for Wales said “Karen Lewis will be a welcome addition to Ofcom’s Advisory Committee for Wales and brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience. She joins the committee at an exciting time for Ofcom and the businesses that it regulates. We look forward to welcoming Karen to her first meeting at the end of September.”

Whilst at BBC Wales Karen was responsible for Charities Broadcasts, Learning Campaigns and the corporation’s partnerships with organisations across Wales. She represented the BBC on several external boards and committees including Communities@One (Welsh Government's digital inclusion programme), Beacon for Wales, (a public engagement initiative for universities) Zoom Cymru (Wales' children and young people's film festival) and DS Cymru (Wales’ International Digital Storytelling Festival).

In 2008 Karen left the BBC to join the University of South Wales, where she became Director of a research centre in the faculty of creative industries. She also led the University's six-year contribution to Welsh Government's second digital inclusion programme, Communities 2.0, and established ** Storyworks ** a successful consultancy unit at the University. She has been a governor of a Cardiff primary school, founder chair of an out of school club and is currently a Director of Beyond the Border (Wales' International Storytelling Festival.)

The new appointment to the Advisory Committee for Wales is for a three year term commencing with immediate effect. The terms of two existing members, Nerys Evans and Huw Roberts, will also be extended by two years.