The BBFC is very pleased to announce that the Advisory Panel on Children’s Viewing, which was set up in 1999 and provides the Board with access to a wide range of skills and expertise connected with children, is to have eight new members.  Starting in November the following people will join existing panel member Joe Godwin, who is head of Childrens’ Programmes at the BBC.

• Margo Boye-Anawomah, a barrister and Family Division Judge
• John Carr, one of the UK’s leading experts on child protection in relation to new media
• Naomi Eisenstadt, until recently Director of the Social Exclusion Taskforce and Government Chief Adviser on Childrens’ Services
• Charlie Lewis, Professor of Developmental Psychology at Lancaster University
• Martyn Percy, Canon of the Church of England, a theology Professor, and a recent Council Member of The Advertising Standards Authority
• Ann Phoenix, Co-Director of The Thomas Coram Research Unit, London University
• Honor Rhodes, a Director at The Tavistock Centre
• Andrew Timpson, until recently Head of a large secondary school in Wales

As the much of what the BBFC classifies is available, to varying degrees, to children under 18 years of age, having access to a Panel whose members bring a range of expertise in children’s issues is extremely valuable to the Board. Many of the retiring members have been on the Panel since it was set up by the then President of the BBFC, Andreas Whittam Smith.  The Panel meets three times a year and considers a wide range of issues thrown up during the classification process of films for young people.  This Panel, along with the BBFC’s regular public consultations, ensure that the Guidelines protect children and young people and empower parents to make informed decisions about what their children watch using the BBFC’s well recognised and understood classifications.