Barb appoints new Chairman 9 October 2013 The Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board (Barb) today announces the appointment of Nigel Sharrocks as Non-Executive Chairman. Sharrocks takes over in October 2013, succeeding Nigel Walmsley who has been Chairman for the past 11 years. Sharrocks recently left his role as Chief Executive of Aegis Media Global Brands where he led the Carat, Vizeum and Posterscope networks. He joined Aegis in 2004 from Warner Bros. Pictures UK, where he had been Managing Director since 1999. He brings previous experience from Grey Advertising and MediaCom. Paul Bainsfair, Director General of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) and Barb Board Director, said: “Nigel Walmsley has been an excellent chair of Barb since 2002. His experience and wisdom have successfully kept Barb on track – initially through a challenging period for the organisation and, in recent years, through a time of extraordinary change in television. He hands over a strong and confident Barb to Nigel Sharrocks, whom we are delighted to welcome on board after interviewing a strong field of applicants. Nigel Sharrocks brings a rich heritage of business leadership, is a highly-respected figure in the agency and marketing community and has real insight into the challenges and opportunities ahead.” Nigel Sharrockssaid: “The brief for Barb under new Chief Executive Justin Sampson is an exciting and challenging one. Its services deliver data that underpin investment decisions made by the broadcasting and advertising industry of £7bn per year. It’s a very exciting time to be getting involved.” Ends. For more information, call Caroline Marshall on 07768 068810 or email press.office@barb.co.uk About BARB. The Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board (Barb) provides official viewing figures for UK television audiences. Its principal funders are BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising), ITV and Sky. On behalf of these organisations and other subscribers, Barb commissions specialist research companies Ipsos MORI, Kantar Media and RSMB to collect data that represent the television viewing behaviour of the UK’s 26 million TV households. Barb viewing data give broadcasters, advertisers and other interested parties a minute-by-minute breakdown of viewing at regional and national levels. This information is vital in assessing how programmes, channels or advertising campaigns have performed and provides the basis for airtime advertising trading.