ITC Clears Five Over Heinz Programme Sponsorship
The ITC has refused to censure Channel Five despite concerns over links between sponsorship and the content of its recent Dinner Doctors series.
The programme was funded by Heinz and was created to show busy families how to make meal times more appetising using everyday ingredients. It included advice from a relationship expert and a chef who recommended a range of simple but healthy recipes (see ITC To Monitor Heinz Food Show On Five).
Reports in the press suggested that Heinz had influenced the editorial content of the programmes in the series to promote its products. The ITC also noted some generic references to the type of products manufactured by Heinz.
The ITC’s code relating to sponsorship states that programmes should not be distorted for commercial purposes and that a sponsor must not influence the content or scheduling of a show in such a way as to affect the editorial independence and responsibility of the broadcaster.
Five provided evidence that the commissioning and editorial process for Dinner Doctors had been kept wholly separate from Heinz, which had no involvement with the selection of the families that appeared in it, the recipes that were featured, or any part of the production process.
The broadcaster argued that the premise of the programme was to show families and viewers how to better use the food already in their kitchen and was therefore bound to feature some tinned products.
Five insisted that of the two hundred ingredients used across the series, only five were of a type made by Heinz. It claimed these were products that would typically be found in households across the country and were staples of many recipes. The broadcaster insisted these products were not included to satisfy any desire of Heinz and were featured because of the needs of the family and the recipes itself.
The ITC concluded that Five’s editorial process was, in fact, kept separate from Heinz and ruled the Dinner Doctors series did not breach its code of programme sponsorship. The watchdog said it did not wish to discourage other broadcasters from seeking alternative sources of programme funding, but emphasised it would be concerned if the relationship between Heinz and Dinner Doctors had been taken any further.
Last month the ITC refused to censure an ad for Fosters larger, despite receiving complaints from 184 viewers. The ad featured camcorder footage of a man doing a bungee jump over a river and getting his head bitten off by a crocodile (see ITC Refuses To Censure Controversial Bungee Jump Ad).
ITC: 0207 306 7743 www.itc.org.uk
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