ABC to increase focus on digital media industry

Media industry measurement body ABC is implementing a new governance structure which replaces the ABC Council with a board that gives more focus to digital.

Sun online

The new system follows formal ratification by the council at ABC’s annual general meeting in December.

The new ABC Board has been streamlined to include a total of 16 industry representatives, compared to the previous council’s 32 members and sees the addition of a digital media, sector.

For the first time, 25% of the ABC board will specifically represent the digital media industry, including nominees from JICWEBS; the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) and the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA). The previous election system for council representatives is now replaced with nominations from trade associations.

The new board will be comprised of former council members, trade association representatives and industry heavyweights such as Tim Brooks, managing director of Guardian News and Media and Jeremy Found, head of media at the COI, as well as key players from digital such as Lee Baker, director of AOP and Nigel Gwilliam, digital consultant of IPA .

ABCe has just moved to providing a daily measurement of unique browsers rather than a monthly figure.

Jerry Wright, chief executive at ABC, says: “The new governance structure has been introduced to reflect and support the changing needs of the media industry, the growth of digital media and to set a clear direction for ABC into the future.”

The Board’s role will be to oversee the effective running of ABC and ABCe and it will meet five times a year, supported by finance and remuneration sub committees.

As part of the new governance structure, the reporting standards groups will have more autonomy by including the ability to ratify rule changes, providing a unanimous decision has been reached.
The new governance structure will incorporate a newly formed ABC Irish (ROI) Council, which is delegated responsibility for decisions relating to the Irish market, resulting in the autonomous development of rule sets directly relating to Irish media.