2004 marked a significant milestone in the history of advertising regulation in the UK. For more than 40 years the Advertising Standards Authority has regulated non-broadcast advertisements against the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing. In 2004, those responsibilities were extended to include television and radio advertising, under contract from the communications regulator Ofcom.

During the year, the ASA and CAP entered into a co-regulatory partnership with Ofcom for the regulation of broadcast advertising content. Two new legal entities were established: the Advertising Standards Authority (Broadcast) and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice. A new funding body – the Broadcast Advertising Standards Board of Finance (Basbof) – was created to fund the new bodies via a levy on broadcast advertising expenditure.

The ASA and CAP’s non-broadcast work remains independent of any relationship with Ofcom. New brand identities for the ASA and CAP (Broadcast) and CAP (Non-broadcast) illustrate the structure of the new system: while the public sees the one-stop shop front, behind the scenes separate systems operate for broadcast and non-broadcast media.

This Annual Report, for the Advertising Standards Authority and both Committees of Advertising Practice, tells the story of the creation of the one-stop shop and the benefits it brings to consumers, advertisers and broadcasters. The Report details 12 months of activity to promote the highest standards in non-broadcast advertising during a complex period of change. It also includes contributions from the Advertising Advisory Committee (AAC) and the Independent Reviewer of ASA Adjudications – two of the safeguards in place to ensure that the regulatory system listens and responds to the needs of stakeholders.

The one-stop shop makes sense – for consumers, advertisers, publishers and broadcasters. Consumers will no longer have to leap regulatory hurdles to get action on misleading, offensive or harmful advertising across all media. And as digital media converge and advertisers use both broadcast and non-broadcast platforms, there will be greater consistency of decision-making.