The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has appointed newsreader, presenter and journalist Natasha Kaplinsky as its new president.
Kaplinsky will replace current president Patrick Swaffer, who steps down after a decade in the role, from October.
Through her president role, she will be a member of the BBFC Board of Directors, and will chair the Board of Classification, which meets monthly.
She will also chair the Advisory Council on Children’s Viewing, which meets three times a year to advise the BBFC on issues concerning children and young people.
Alongside BBFC chief executive David Austin, Kaplinsky will work with external stakeholders across government, parliament and media; and will champion the organisation’s year-round education and outreach activity, including meeting the BBFC Youth Panel in the coming months.
Kaplinsky has worked in public, private and non-profit sectors for over 20 years. She co-hosted the BBC’s flagship morning programme Breakfast from 2001 to 2005; before hosting the Six O’Clock News for two years.
Subsequent roles included hosting Five News on Channel 5, and working as a presenter on ITV News.
“It’s crucial that children’s welfare is at the forefront of policy decision-making and this is central to the BBFC’s efforts in the Online Safety space,” said Kaplinksy. “The challenges that young people face now in the UK are greater than ever before - and I am committed to giving voice to their needs.”
An independent, non-profit organisation, the BBFC is responsible for the national classification of films shown at cinemas across the UK; as well as works released on home entertainment and digital media formats.
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