ITC Cautious Over Peak Practice Sponsors

The Independent Television Commission is unhappy about the sponsorship of Peak Practice by the private health insurer, PPP. Despite clearing the deal initially, the ITC has “reservations” about the suitability of the sponsor and is “unlikely” to allow any future association between programme and sponsor.

The ITC, which has received 4 complaints so far, is to use research to see how the situation is perceived before completely ruling the association out. The sponsor was accepted in the first place because the ITC was assured that the timescale was such that all scripts and plots were completed before the deal. For any future series, no such guarantee against sponsor’s influence would exist.

GOLF SPONSOR DUBIOUS

United Distillers, sponsor of the Scottish Open golf championship and the Ryder Cup, is threatening to withdraw its sponsorship of the Scottish Open. It is unhappy that BSkyB has acquired the television rights from the BBC, because of the smaller audience that will see the event.