Industry Welcomes Move Towards Broadcast Self-Regulation
Advertisers and media owners have welcomed Ofcom’s proposal to introduce a new self-regulatory system for broadcast advertising.
The plan would see the new super regulator contract out the rules governing television and radio advertising to the Advertising Standards Authority, which would widen its existing remit from press and outdoor to cover consumer advertising complaints across all media (see Ofcom Launches Consultation On Advertising Regulation).
ISBA, the IPA and ITV believe the new system, which would work in co-regulatory partnership with Ofcom, would simplify the existing regulatory framework by bringing complaints about any paid-for advertising under one umbrella organisation.
Commenting on the initiative, ISBA’s director general, Malcolm Earnshaw, said: “The evidence shows that under the current patchwork of systems, consumers are often confused about which regulator they should contact to address complaints about advertising. With the proposed system, the ASA would give consumers a single letterbox to which they could address concerns about all paid-for advertising across all media.”
The IPA’s director general, Hamish Pringle, added: “We believe this is absolutely the right way forward for the industry and for consumers. We already have a robust and successful self-regulatory framework for the non-broadcast media and what is being proposed is that this approach be developed to cover television and radio.”
Mick Desmond, ITV managing director and chief executive designate of broadcast at the merged ITV, claims the self regulation of broadcast advertising was the logical place to start for Ofcom, which has a responsibility to look at self regulation.
He said: “Advertising is core to ITV’s business as it funds our investment in programmes. We need a regulatory framework that is effective, transparent, and, above all, has the full trust of viewers. Like Ofcom, we believe that the proposal will deliver real benefits for the industry and viewers alike.”
The proposal is the result of extensive discussions and planning about the structure of the suggested new regulatory system by the Advertising Association’s Task Force, which was set up earlier this year to examine the feasibility of the system (see AA Launches Task Force To Drive Self-Regulation).
For more information on Ofcom’s proposal please visit the Advertising Association’s dedicated online resource at www.adconsult.info.
Ofcom: 020 7981 3000 www.ofcom.gov.uk
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