Press Release: ABC ELECTS NEW-LOOK COMMITTEE AT 80TH AGM

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The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) has elected six new members from the advertising, newspaper and magazine industries to the ABC General Committee at its annual general meeting in Sydney today.

Marking the 80th anniversary of the ABC, the meeting saw the election of Tom Gerstmyer, Director of Circulation & Newspaper Sales, Fairfax Metro Media; Catrin Thomas, Director of Retail Circulation, News Limited and Mark Cowie, Circulation Director, News Limited.

The new-look General Committee also includes magazine industry representative, Brett Willis, General Manager of Retail Sales & Circulation at NewsLifeMedia.

New members representing the advertising industry include Alina Bain, Acting CEO of the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) and Samantha Carleton, Research Analyst, Credit Suisse Australia.

Bain was also appointed to the ABC Executive Committee, replacing her predecessor Scott McClellan who recently stepped down as CEO of the AANA after nearly four years in the role.
The rest of the Executive Committee remained unchanged, with Dr Stephen Hollings, Director of Sales Strategy at News Limited, reappointed as ABC Chairman; alongside Vice Chairman, Simon Davies, Head of Print, OMD; Alan Pont, General Manager – Special Projects, Fairfax Media and Eugene Varricchio, General Manager – Retail & Distribution, ACP Magazines.

Hollings said while the media landscape had changed dramatically since the formation of the ABC in 1932, the need for trusted and verified circulation data was greater than ever.

“On its 80th anniversary, the ABC can be proud of its contribution to date, but must concentrate on ensuring it continues to play a vital role for media buyers, advertisers and publishers in bringing certainty and comparability to the market and in so doing preserving the level playing field,” he said.

“While metrics proliferate across digital media and much more data is available within the expanded media market, the need for comparable and trusted data has been constantly reinforced, not only in planning and buying but more and more in analysing the return on media investment.”

ABC CEO, Paul Dovas thanked the outgoing committee members for their valuable contribution and welcomed the new members.

“The members continue the long-standing tradition of the ABC General Committee with diverse experience and knowledge, which is vital in today’s rapidly evolving media landscape,” said Dovas.

“They also join the ABC in a momentous year, marked not only by our 80th anniversary but also by the introduction of historic changes to the rules for the reporting of sales of digital versions of newspapers and magazines and stand-alone digital publications.”

Held at the Aerial UTS Function Centre, today’s AGM also included a panel session discussing the past and present challenges and achievements of the ABC.

ABOUT ABC
The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) is a not-for-profit industry organisation, which provides advertisers, marketers and media buyers with verified circulation data across a range of media formats. Further information: www.auditbureau.org.au

Media Contact:
Avviso PR
: 02 9368 7277
Paul Fahy
paulf@avviso.com.au
0413 162 724

 

Date: 15 Oct 2012