Children’s Show Criticised For Over-Exposure Of Lego Products

The ITC has called into question product exposure in television programmes in its recent complaints report. A Tyne Tees children’s show contained a studio interview with ‘a Lego bloke from Legoland’ who proceeded to talk about Lego products. The interview was followed by a competition offering the prize of a trip to Legoland or Lego kits. The ITC decided that a single mention of a prize’s brand could be editorially justified but any more was a breach of ITC Code of Programme Sponsorship. The Commission also objected to the announcement of the prize brands of the previous weeks prizes. Tyne Tees apologised and has since stopped announcing the winners of previous competitions with brand mentions of their prizes and undertook to conduct a compliance refresher course for all programme staff.

…Chris Evans’ TFI Friday was the subject of four viewer complaints which objected to the lewd, sexual innuendo of one of the show’s guests. Controversial American DJ Howard Stern, made number of ‘borderline’ remarks, one of them a reference to masturbation. Although the interview was quite strictly structured beforehand Stern still managed, as far as the ITC is concerned, to usurp standards of taste and decency with his remarks. Channel 4’s chief executive has reminded the TFI team of the importance of considering the cumulative, as well as the individual, effect of borderline remarks.

…The children’s computer animation series Reboot received 19 complaints about the violent nature of some of the programme’s characters and storyline. Meridian argues that Reboot‘s moral stories drew on humour and fantasy and that nothing is ever shown from the villain’s point of view. In this respect Meridian believes that the scenes were not disturbing to children. However, some of the characters were drawn from 15 and 18 rated films and were therefore deemed by the ITC as potentially unsuitable for those children who may not have prior knowledge of the characters or whose parents did not wish them to view such material. The complaints were upheld.

…A Channel 5 news bulletin featured an item showing amateur footage of Baltimore police shooting dead a man in the street at point blank range. The footage was taken from approximately 20 yards away and was not particularly clear or graphic. However, a viewer complained that such material was unsuitable for the time of day (7.50pm). Channel 5 maintained that there was a public interest in seeing the footage but this was overruled by the channel’s senior staff at ITN which provides the news. The ITC upheld the complaint and Channel 5 has instigated new editorial referral measures.

ITV received over 50% of complaints in all categories across both News/Factual and Fictional/Entertainment areas. The ITC does not regulate the BBC.

Independent Television Commission: 0171 306 7743