ASA appoints Lord Smith as chairman

Lord Smith of Finsbury, the former Cabinet minister and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, will be the next chairman of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Lord Smith – formerly the Labour MP Chris Smith – will succeed current chairman Lord Borrie QC on 1 July 2007.

The appointment was made by the Advertising Standards Board of Finance (ASBOF) and its broadcast equivalent BASBOF, following consultation with the Advertising Association, Ofcom and the Departments of Trade and Industry and Culture, Media and Sport.

The chairman must be someone who has never worked in the advertising business. Lord Smith has been appointed for an initial four-year term.

Winston Fletcher, chairman of ASBOF and BASBOF, says: “We are absolutely delighted to have someone of the stature and experience of Chris Smith to follow Gordon Borrie. We have no doubt that he will make as outstanding a contribution to the future of the ASA as Gordon Borrie himself has made during his six years in office.”