BBC Forced To Restrict Magazine Ads

The BBC is to be forced to restrict the advertisment of its own magazines on television and promote rival magazines. The Government is to enforce the restrictions covering the monopolies and Mergers Commision’s ruling that the current promotional tactics were unfair.

The MMC investigation, which was set up as a result of the Sadler report into cross-media promotion, found that competition was being distorted by the BBC’s glossy television commercials. The Government has now ruled that the BBC can only give basic information over a still slide at the end of programmes and that the availability of competing magazines should also be mentioned.

In reality this will mean that if the the Radio Times is given any on-air promotion, then, as well as mentioning TV Times, TV Quick and What’s on TV, the BBC will have to name all television listings supplements in newspapers. If the BBC’s Gardeners World magazine is mentioned there are at least another 20 rival titles to be credited.

In response to the Government’s ruling a BBC spokesperson said; “we hope to preserve the important principle of being able to provide our viewers with information about magazines and other materials which extend their enjoyment of BBC programmes. We will be explaining our concern with the suggestion, though, that the BBC should promote non-BBC magazines on its channels.”

The restrictions may be viewed as contradictory to other demands being placed on the BBC, by the Government, to increase its revenue from sources other than the licence fee. It is estimated that £97m of BBC Enterprises’ turnover comes from magazines.

Rival publishers have welcomed the decision, which they believe paves the way for fair competition.