The Towers Perrin proposals for the structure of Ofcom have been broadly welcomed by broadcasters, but have come in for criticism from the advertising sector.

Ian Twinn, the head of public affairs at the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers, raised concerns that the Towers Perrin report did not provide evidence that the government planned to follow through with its promise of "light-touch" regulation.

"There have been many calls for Ofcom to be a light touch regulator but this report has a very heavy feel to it," Mr Twinn added.

"It's as though they're suggesting we take all the existing regulatory functions and transfer them into a management centre.

"There are some good points, but with the industry changing so quickly I would have wanted to see a different approach to the kind-but-firm regulator we already have.

"They have also stepped completely away from the idea of regulating the BBC, which doesn't make sense in terms of regulating broadcasting in the 21st century."

But broadcasters were more satisfied with the Ofcom proposals, because a separate division, audience interests, would be set up to look after issues such as TV licensing and programming regulation.

"The worry for broadcasters was that content and traditional broadcasting issues were going to be marginalised," one broadcasting public affairs executive said.

"But the audience interests division is where our interests are going to be concentrated."

Another senior broadcasting public affairs executive also welcomed the Towers Perrin report.

"There's obviously a lot of detailed work still to do, but it looks quite a common sense structure," said the source.