Freeview Escapes Censure In ASA Turnaround
The ASA has dismissed complaints against a series of national press ads for the BBC’s new digital service, Freeview, which claimed that consumers could receive eight BBC channels for free.
The decision not to uphold the complaints follows a preliminary ruling by the ASA earlier this year, which found the ad campaign in breech of its code of practice (see BBC’s Freeview Ad Breeches ASA Codes).
The ads, which were part of the BBC’s ‘Changing Face Of TV’ campaign, included information on how to acquire a Freeview adapter in order to access the new channels. However, the ASA received a number of complaints from viewers claiming that the ads, which featured a range of well known BBC celebrities, failed to make it clear that viewers have to pay £99 for the set-top receiver.
The complainants also argued the ads were misleading on the grounds that they already contributed to the cost of the product by buying a TV licence and therefore the channels were not free.
In response, the BBC argued that the ads made it perfectly clear that viewers who did not already have satellite or cable TV would need to buy an adapter for a one-off payment of £99 in order to receive the Freeview service. The Corporation also noted that the £99 was paid to the equipment supplier and not to them.
The BBC pointed out that it is a requirement to hold a television licence to receive any television services in the UK and not just the BBC. It also argued that potential customers were likely to hold a television licence already.
The Authority concluded that the description of the channels as “free” was not misleading because the eight new BBC channels are available free to satellite and cable subscribers. It also noted the ads explained the cost of the adapter needed for the Freeview service and felt that the cost of the adapter did not negate the claim that the eight new BBC channels were free.
The ASA also concluded that as television viewers are required to have a television licence, irrespective of whether or not they accessed the BBC’s new digital channels, the cost of a TV licence did not have a bearing on the advertised product.
ASA: 020 7580 5555 www.asa.org.uk
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