Stephen Locke has been appointed the new Chairman of BCAP’s Advertising Advisory Committee (the AAC). The AAC represents the interests of citizens and consumers and gives informed, independent advice to BCAP on matters related to the regulation of broadcast advertisements, including proposed changes to The BCAP Code: the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising.

Stephen brings to the role extensive experience of consumer and regulatory issues, having worked as Director of Research and Policy at Which? in the 1990s. He currently serves as a non-executive Director on a range of Boards including the Money Advice Service, the Payments Council and Consumer Focus, where he is Vice Chair. He has long been fascinated by advertising, and was Director of Advertising and Sponsorship at the Independent Television Commission before the organisation became part of Ofcom in 2003; in this role he was also responsible for the planning and preparation work for the establishment of Ofcom.

Stephen served on the AAC as a member from 2005 to 2011. About his appointment, Stephen said, “I am delighted to be given the opportunity to Chair the AAC, which I regard as a key ingredient in the successful regulation of TV and radio advertising in the UK.”

Stephen is joined by two new Members of the AAC: Claire Whyley and Alison Goodman. Claire is a respected consumer advocate and has held senior management positions within a number of consumer research and policy organisations. She has been the Deputy Director of Policy at the National Consumer Council and is presently a member of the Financial Services Consumer Panel. Alison holds a senior fundraising position at Ambitious About Autism, a role she previously held at the Terrence Higgins Trust and Alison has recently completed six years as a member of the ASA’s Broadcast Council.

About the new appointments, the Chairman of the ASA, Lord Smith of Finsbury, said “I’m delighted that the AAC will continue to have strong leadership, following on from Elizabeth Filkin, and I have every confidence that the new team, boosted by its two new members, will continue to provide the highest quality of independent advice to BCAP”.


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