For the first time, 25 per cent of the ABC board will specifically represent the digital media industry, including nominees from the Joint Industry Committee for Web Standards, the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) and the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA).

The media industry measurement body's earlier council representatives' election system has now been replaced with nominations from trade associations.

The new board will comprise former council members, trade association representatives and industry leaders such as Tim Brooks, managing director of Guardian News & Media, and Jeremy Found, head of media at the COI. It will also include key digital players such as Lee Baker, director of AOP and Nigel Gwilliam, digital consultant of IPA.

ABCe, the online arm of ABC, has recently started providing a daily measurement of unique browsers rather than a monthly figure.

Jerry Wright, chief executive at ABC, says: "The new governance structure has been introduced to reflect and support the changing needs of the media industry, the growth of digital media and to set a clear direction for ABC into the future."

The Board will oversee the operations of ABC and ABCe, and will meet five times a year, supported by finance and remuneration sub-committees. The reporting standards groups will have the power to ratify rule changes on reaching a unanimous decision.

The new governance structure will also feature a newly formed ABC Irish (ROI) Council, which can formulate rules and take decisions on the Irish media.