Public affairs shop GPC has abolished its central monitoring
function in the wake of the departure of the department head.
Bradley Rogers left the company three weeks ago after more than four
years in the post. He has since joined ePolitix.com, a political portal,
as head of knowledge management.
Following Rogers' move, GPC London's managing director Peter Bingle will
dismantle the parliamentary and media monitoring unit he ran. Rogers
will not be replaced.
Under the new system being implemented by Bingle, the most junior staff
member in each of the agency's practice areas will be responsible for
monitoring the activities of parliament and government and passing on
relevant information to clients.
These practice areas include transport, the environment, healthcare,
utilities, corporate policy and defence.
'We have moved away from an old-fashioned central monitoring resource,'
said Bingle.
'From now on people who actually work on the accounts will have to know
what's going on as regards each client's industry.'
At ePolitix, Rogers reports to technical operating director Mark Birbeck
and is tasked with developing a free on-line monitoring service covering
national politics, the central office of information and the devolved
bodies in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
ePolitix is part of Parliamentary Communications, the publisher of the
House Magazine.
Rogers said: 'I am delighted to at last be working for a company that
has invested in new technology in order to provide an innovative service
to clients.'
Prior to joining GPC, Rogers worked at rival public affairs agency GJW
for four years.
Leader, p8.