NEWS: ban on junk food advertising during children's television programming (UK)

Two articles on junk food and advertising to children:

 

http://www.brandrepublic.com/mediabulletin/news_story.cfm?articleID=228053&Origin=MB15112004

 

Government to ban junk food ads despite Ofcom stance

Jennifer Whitehead, Brand Republic 08:45 15-11-2004 LONDON - The government looks set to propose a ban on junk food advertising during children's television programming, despite media watchdog Ofcom's finding that it will be ineffective in fighting obesity, which is the ban's main target. Leaked reports of the health White Paper over the weekend suggest that the government will introduce a new code for television broadcasters to decide what foods can be advertised during children's programming. Ofcom, as the broadcast watchdog, will be in charge of regulating the system, despite the fact that earlier this year it published a report saying that it did not support a ban because it would be "ineffective and disproportionate". Its research was based on interviews with 2,000 parents, teachers and nutritionists. The government's White Paper will please pressure groups, parents and doctors, who have been campaigning for a ban, and long been critical of companies such as Walkers Crisps for using celebrities like Gary Lineker in their advertising. According to reports, the new junk food ad ban will prevent ads for unhealthy foods from being shown until after 9pm. The Sunday Times said that companies will be given until 2007 to agree to voluntary restrictions, but that health secretary Dr John Reid will introduce legislation if this does not work. The White Paper is reportedly going to propose a traffic-light system to denote what foods are healthy and what foods should only be seldom eaten or consumed in moderate quantities. However, the scheme could end up being a voluntary one, although major supermarket chains Tesco, Sainsbury's and the Co-op are expected to adopt it. The health White Paper is due to be published on Tuesday.   -------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.brandrepublic.com/mediabulletin/news_story.cfm?articleID=228068&Origin=MB15112004   Ad body attacks government plans to ban junk food ads Sam Matthews, Brand Republic 13:30 15-11-2004 LONDON Â? The Advertising Association has hit back at the government's proposed plans to ban pre-watershed junk food advertising to children by calling it 'short-term, populist and disproportionate'. Jeremy Preston, the director of AA's food advertising unit, said of the leaked reports of the government's White Paper that it would fail in its main aim of tackling obesity. "A ban on pre-watershed television advertising for certain foods would be a short-term, populist and disproportionate response, which is unlikely to have much impact on the problem of obesity," Preston said. He suggested that, with the ban, the government was tackling the problem in the wrong way. "What people want in today's world is as much support and assistance from the government as possible to help them make the healthy choices, which will give them a better quality and prolong their life," he said. Preston's claims back up culture secretary Tessa Jowell's and Ofcom chief executive Stephen Carter's view on the subject after research done in July concluded that food advertising had little impact on children's behaviour. Jowell has openly said she would prefer to work with the food industry to promote healthier lifestyles rather than install an outright ban. Carter, chief executive at Ofcom the media watchdog in charge of regulating the system, published a report saying that it did not support a ban because it would be "ineffective and disproportionate". The government's White Paper to be published on Tuesday will please pressure groups, parents and doctors who have been campaigning for a ban, and long been critical of companies such as Walkers Crisps for using celebrities like Gary Lineker in their advertising. According to reports, the new junk food ad ban will prevent ads for unhealthy foods being shown before 9pm. The Sunday Times said that companies will be given until 2007 to agree to voluntary restrictions, but that health secretary Dr John Reid will introduce legislation if this does not work. ITV, which receives 70% of the cost of children's programming from advertising and 40% from food ads, is believed to be holding crisis talks about the future of funding its children's strand, CITV, if the government's plans are put in place.

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