Ofcom To Phase In HFSS Restrictions
Communications regulator Ofcom has said that it is appropriate and necessary to adopt restrictions intended to significantly reduce the exposure of children under 16 to HFSS advertising.
The watchdog has now completed its review of the long-running debate on the television advertising of junk food to kids, and will now begin to phase in the scheduling restrictions for all channels.
From 1 April 2007, HFSS advertisements will not be permitted in or around programmes made for children (including pre-school children), or in or around programmes that are likely to be of particular appeal to children aged 4-9.
From 1 January 2008, HFSS advertisements will not be permitted in or around programmes made for children (including pre-school children), or in or around programmes that are likely to be of particular appeal to children aged 4-15.
As set out in the November statement (see Ofcom Bans Junk Food Ads In Children’s Programming), children’s channels will be allowed a graduated phase-in period, with full implementation required by the end of December 2008.
New content rules have come into effect immediately for new advertising campaigns, whilst existing advertising campaigns or those in the final stages of creative execution can be broadcast until the end of June 2007. However, from 1 July 2007 all advertising campaigns must comply with the new content rules.
Ofcom’s co-regulatory partners, the Broadcast Committee on Advertising Practice (BCAP) and the Advertising Standards Authority, are now responsible for implementing the new scheduling and content rules and securing compliance respectively. The new rules will form part of the BCAP Television Advertising Standards Code.
The Children’s Food Campaign has already reacted to the announcement, with its coordinator Richard Watts saying: “Ofcom has slightly watered down already weak new rules. They have failed to protect children from junk food adverts or help solve the childhood obesity crisis.
“This is hardly surprising given their insistence on trying to balance the physical health of kids against the economic health of broadcasters.”
He continued: “The responsibility to protect children from junk food adverts now rests with the Government. The campaign for a 9pm watershed will continue with the ‘Advertising on Television of Food Bill’ Baroness Thornton has introduced into Parliament , which is supported by over 150 MPs. Given Gordon Brown’s support for a voluntary 9pm watershed, we remain confident that children will soon receive the protection from junk food adverts they deserve.”
Other groups, such as the IPA, have expressed disappointment at the proposed parliamentary bill that would ban all advertising of high fat, salt and sugar food and drink, regardless of the viewing audience, saying it would be “disproportionate and contrary” (see New Junk Food Ad Ban Bill “Unnecessary”, Says IPA).
The issue has been at the forefront of broadcasters’ concerns for some months, with all sides adding their opinion (see Ofcom’s Junk Ads Dilemma). Regardless of the apparent finiteness of today’s announcement, this is unlikely to be the end of the matter.
Ofcom: 020 7981 3040 www.ofcom.org.uk IPA: 020 7235 7020 www.ipa.co.uk