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Management shakeup at ATR08/July/2002 |
 Adam Phillips | ||||
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Adam Phillips, the first Managing Director of ATR (Advanced Television Research), the British TV ratings contractor, is leaving the company this month after two years. His replacement, Peter Wilcox, formerly Managing Director of Nielsen//NetRatings Europe, is already in place.
Phillips explains that his departure results from a joint decision by himself and Alberto Colussi, head of the AGB Group, of which ATR is the UK branch. "Alberto is happy I'm going, and I'm happy to be going." He explains that, while he enjoyed setting up the company after Colussi won two of the four contracts put out to tender by BARB (Broadcasters' Audience Research Board), he has little taste for the nitty-gritty of TV viewing data collection. He looks forward to "getting back to doing some real research" after a sailing holiday - his first break for 18 months. It is thought that Phillips, an outgoing character accustomed to playing a front-of-stage role, suffered some frustration in a job where he was obliged to stay silent while all pronouncements about the progress - or lack of it - of the new TV ratings system were made by BARB Director Caroline McDevitt. There has been considerable controversy about the system, notleast regarding the time taken by ATR to get a full panel up and running, but it is now, says Phillips, "producing good data." His previous career included spells as Managing Director of Mass Observation, head of the Euroquest network and Strategy Director of the now defunct Online Research Agency. He has also worked as a consultant. Colussi says he is confident that ATR's change of management "will bring about further consolidation and continuous improvement to our UK operation." © Market Research News
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