The organisation is funded by national newspaper publishers, with the exception of the Financial Times, to make the medium more attractive and easier to deal with for advertisers.

NMA chairman Richard Webb, who is also general manager of News Internationals News Group, said: "I wont be prescriptive, but the gateway repro companies could be regarded as an entry barrier to agencies."

Webb added that it could also consider the possibility of introducing an Adfast-like system, if it made dealings with agencies easier without reducing standards.