Ofcom Bans Junk Food Ads on Kids’ Shows

LONDON, November 20: Ofcom
has announced a total ban in Britain on junk food advertising around all
children's programming, on all children's channels and any program in any daypart
that has a "particular appeal" to under 16-year-olds, according to
Media Guardian.

March, 2007 has been set
as the deadline by which advertisers must bring their campaigns in line with
the new restrictions. However, the regulations will be phased in gradually over
the next two years for dedicated children’s channels where, in Ofcom’s view,
“the ability to substitute revenues from food and drink advertising would be
more difficult to achieve quickly.”

In introducing these
measures, the media regulator is attempting to reduce the amount of advertising
of foods high in fat, salt and sugar to children by 50 percent. Ofcom estimates
that the restrictions will affect only 0.7 percent of the ad revenues of
terrestrial broadcasters, but that cable and satellite channels will see a loss
of about 8.8 percent in total ad revenues.

The hardest hit, Ofcom
estimates, will be dedicated children's channels, such as Cartoon Network and
Nickelodeon, which will see an estimated 15-percent shortfall in ad revenues.
Overall, Ofcom believes, the total impact of the ban on TV advertising will be
an annual loss of anywhere from £23 million to £39 million.

The new restrictions are
stricter that what the TV and advertising industries had been hoping for, but
less harsh than the type of ban for which health and anti-obesity advocates had
been campaigning.