The Independent Television Commission (ITC) has clarified its position on slimming advertising – all ads for slimming aids must be backed by medical evidence of their efficacy and safety. The new rule also incorporates Foods Intended for Use in Energy Restricted Diets for Weight Reduction Regulation which comes into effect from 31 March 1999.
BSkyB today announced financial results for the year ending 30 June 1998 at a packed Queen Elizabeth Centre, London. It revealed that there was a turnover of £1.434 billion and an operating profit of £340.6 million. Pre-tax profits for the quarter fell to £52 million, while earnings per share dropped 14% to 14.5p.The media giant… Continue reading Fall In Profits For BSkyB
The Sunday Telegraph is launching a new children’s supplement in partnership with Disney.The full colour comic will be called The Sunday Telegraph Disney’s Planet, and be edited by Kate Graham. The launch is to be accompanied by advertising on Children’s ITV, Channel 4 and Sky.Huge Drayton, Telegraph marketing director, commented: “The Sunday Telegraph under the… Continue reading Sunday Telegraph Launches Kids Supplement
The EP will this week vote on a proposal to extend a 1985 directive on producer liability for defective products to include “primary agricultural products and game”. Speaking following the adoption of her report in the Environment Committee, Dagmar Roth-Berendt MEP (D, PES) welcomed the proposal as an important contribution to enhanced consumer protection against… Continue reading EU: Extension of Producer Liability
Amid growing concerns over software piracy on the Internet, the EC has put forward proposals for new EU laws to protect copyright regulations. This follows the discovery that there are over 50,000 Internet and World Wide Web sites where pirate software can be downloaded very cheaply and sometimes for free. The EC is now conducting… Continue reading EU: EC to study US anti-piracy framework
The Council working group on consumer affairs has been unable to reach a conclusion on the draft Council resolution on the consumer in the information society, and discussions will continue this week in COREPER. Most MS still appear to favour a text that includes a clear statement that “consumers should be able to rely, in… Continue reading EU: Council Resolution discussions continue
The European Commission has now published its draft directive on e-commerce. The proposal aims to eliminate legal obstacles to the on-line provision of services, and builds upon the Commission’s 1997 Communication on electronic commerce (“A European initiative on electronic commerce” COM(97)157 final, 16.4.97). However, Consumer Affairs Commissioner Emma Bonino and her single market counterpart Mario… Continue reading EU: E-commerce proposals circulated
The latest NRS figures for national newspapers show that, similar to results for August of this year, The Mirror was the only title to see an increase in its readership, which rose 2%.The Guardian suffered the biggest loss in terms of proportion of readership, with its figure falling a huge 20.8%, an actual loss of… Continue reading National Newspaper NRS – September 1998
Express Newspapers has had to pay libel damages to the actors Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, after printing an article in The Express On Sunday in October 1997 which the High Court in London yesterday ruled was ‘highly offensive’.In the article in question, the paper made the following allegations: that the marriage of Cruise and… Continue reading Express Newspapers Pay Damages To Cruise And Kidman
The WHO European Region’s draft second European Alcohol Action Plan, containing recommendations for media bans on alcohol advertising, is due to be discussed by WHO member state representatives (Health Ministers) at the WHO Conference in Madrid on 15-17 October 1998. The draft Action Plan states that “restrictions on advertisements lead to reduced alcohol consumption and… Continue reading EU: WHO Action Plan
