MEDIA STUDIES: PRODUCT PLACEMENT

Ofcom's timetable for product placement


The media regulator has laid out its proposals for product placement on British TV and radio by 2011

The media regulator, Ofcom, today set out a timetable for the introduction of product placement on British commercial TV and radio by the end of 2010.
Inviting submissions for a final consultation, Ofcom said it planned to publish final proposals on revising the broadcasting code to allow TV and radio product placement by the end of the year. The consultation closes on 17 September.

Legislation clearing the way for Ofcom to revise the broadcasting code was approved by parliament in the final days of the Labour government and came into force in April, after the regulator conducted an earlier consultation. The coalition government is backing the relaxation of product placement regulation.

Ofcom is proposing to allow TV product placement in films, and drama, sports and light entertainment programming.
Product placement will still be banned from children's, religious, current and consumer affairs programmes made in the UK.
The regulator is seeking views in its latest consultation about whether product placement should be allowed in specialist factual output – including education, science, medical, arts and investigative documentaries.
Placement of cigarettes and other tobacco products, prescription-only medicines and other medicinal product; infant and follow-on formulae; alcoholic drinks; food and drinks high in fat, salt or sugar; and gambling services will still be banned from all UK-produced programming.
For radio product placement, Ofcom is offering four options:
• A: '"Do nothing" and maintain principle of separation between all commercial promotion and programming, other than sponsorship credits
• B: Maintains principle of separation but provide a defined set of exemptions
• C: Allows the integration of product promotion and programming, except in relation to spot ads. This would give radio stations wide discretion to integrate, for example, paid-for, promotional commercial references into programming, provided they were transparent to listeners. This option would retain spot ads as a distinct type of content and a distinct revenue source
• D: Allows the integration of commercial communications and programming, including in relation to spot ads. This would give radio stations complete discretion to integrate seamlessly commercial elements into programming and would no longer distinguish between traditional spot ads and other product promotion
Ofcom is also asking for views on whether, regardless of which option is adopted, product placement should still be banned from children's, consumer affairs, news, political and religious programming on commercial radio.

The regulator is also seeking views on whether restrictions should remain for the placement of potentially harmful products or services in radio programming.

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