European Parliament Approves Plans For TV Product Placement

The European Parliament has approved plans to allow some product placement on TV and has also introduce rules on advertising in children’s programming.

The new rules will see product placement allowed in a limited range of programmes, and then only under strict rules. It would be prohibited in news and current affairs programmes, children’s programmes, documentaries and programmes providing advice.

Broadcasters must indicate when a programme containing product placement starts, when it ends and after commercial breaks.

EU member states can still choose to have a ban on product placement.

With regards to children’s programming, commercial breaks will not be allowed unless the programmes are more than 30 minutes long.

The maximum of amount of advertising permitted under the new rules would not exceed be 12 minutes an hour.

Ofcom is currently carrying out a review of the restrictions on the scheduling and volume of TV advertising and expects it to be concluded in time for any scheduling changes to be implemented by January 1 2009, with any changes in the overall volume of advertising airtime implemented by January 1 2010.

European Parliament: www.europarl.europa.eu