APPOINTMENTS TO THE NEWSPAPER AND SPECIALIST PANELS

10 Apr 2002 11:12 AM

Competition and Consumer Minister, Melanie Johnson, today announced a number of reappointments to the newspaper and specialist panels of the Competition Commission, which were made during February and March.

Newspaper Panel

Sarwar Ahmed who is is the Managing Director of Smart Asian Media Limited, publishers of Asian Woman Magazine, Asian Bride Magazine and Asian Xpress Newspaper. He was formerly Publisher of Ethnic Media Group now a subsidiary of Trinity Mirror plc.

Linda Christmas who has been a Senior Lecturer in Journalism and the Director of the Post Graduate Course in Newspaper Journalism at City University, London, since 1989. She was an editor and reporter for The Guardian from 1971 to 1982 and a reporter for BBC Newsnight from 1987 to 1988.

William Gibson the Chairman and Chief Executive of Westminster Press Ltd from 1995 to 1996. He was Managing Director of Financial Times Business Information from 1990 to 1995 having previously held a number of other senior positions in Pearson plc. He is now Chairman of Dowell & Associates and a Director of MQ Publishing.

Gerald Holbrook MBE the Managing Director of Yorkshire Post Newspapers from 1983 to 1995 and Regional Director of United Provincial Newspapers (UPN) Ltd from 1985 to 1995, retiring in 1996 as Executive Director of UPN. He was President of the Newspaper Society from 1994 to 1995.

Joyce Hopkirk who began her career as a reporter on the Gateshead Post. She subsequently held a number of senior editorial positions on national newspapers and magazines including those of Launch Editor of Cosmopolitan (1971 to 1972), Assistant Editor of the Daily Mirror (1973 to 1978), Women's Editor of the Sunday Times (1982), Assistant Editor of the Sunday Mirror (1985) and Editor-in-Chief of She magazine (1986 to 1989). She now writes novels and is co-chair of the Periodical Publishers' Association's award committee.

Eve Pollard the Chairman of Parkhill Publishing which produces the magazines: Wedding Day and Aura. She is Honorary President and a founding member of Women in Journalism and was Editor of both the Sunday Express and Sunday Mirror. She is a regular TV and radio broadcaster.

Professor Donald Trelford who has been Head of the Department of Journalism Studies at the University of Sheffield since 1994. He is also Chairman of Baby Communications Limited. He was previously Editor and a Director of The Observer from 1975 to 1993 and Chief Executive from 1992 to 1993.

Charles Wilson who was Managing Director of Mirror Group plc from 1992 to 1998, having been Editorial Director of Mirror Group Newspapers from 1991 to 1992. He was Editor of The Times from 1985 to 1990 and Editor of the Glasgow Evening Times, The Glasgow Herald and the Scottish Sunday Standard from 1976 to 1982. He is a member of the Youth Justice Board.

Specialist Panels

Professor Cosmo Graham has been appointed to the Water, Electricity and Telecommunications panels of the Commission. He has been Professor of Law at the University of Leicester since 1993 and is Director of the University's Centre for Utility Consumer Law. He specialises in research on utility regulation and competition law. He is Co-Editor of Utilities Law Review and a Member of the Advisory Committee of the Centre for the Study of Regulated Industries.

Dr Elizabeth Monck has been reappointed to the Water and Electricity panels of the Commission. She was Chairman of the Ofwat Thames Regional Customer Services Committee (1993-1997), and subsequebntly a member of a Drinking Water Inspectorate Specialist committee. She is a senior research officer at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, London.

Notes for Editors.

None of the members reappointed were involved in any political activity during the last five years and none holds any other public appointments, except as noted below. Other appointments held by these members are as detailed below.

Charles Wilson is a Board Member of the Youth Justice Board for which he receives a remuneration of approximately £5000 per annum and a non-executive Director of Chelsea and Westminster NHS trust for the same remuneration. He is also an unpaid trustee of the royal Naval Museum.

All members of the Competition Commission are subject to the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975, which disqualifies holders of scheduled public offices from membership of the House of Commons.

The Competition Commission took over the functions of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on 1 April 1999. The water, electricity and telecommunications panels deal with regulatory inquiries into matters referred to them by the utility regulators under the various privatisation Acts. Members of the newspaper panel are appointed to report on proposed newspaper mergers.

The information in paragraphs 1 and 2 above is supplied in accordance with the guidance on public appointments to public bodies issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

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