ITC Draws Up Sponsorship Code

Programme sponsorship has dominated arguments between broadcasters and the Independent Television Commission (ITC) over the past year, with bodies such as the ITV sponsorship committee stressing the need for amendments to definitions within the code.

The Commission issues a draft document today which aims to clarify any ambiguities in the present code , reinforcing the distinction between advertising and sponsorship, and clarifying what elements of the broadcast service are eligible for sponsorship.

Criticism of the ITC’s stranglehold on programme sponsors was highlighted at the ISBA media conference this month when David McNair of Hiram Walker claimed that the ITC’s stringent ruling over broadcast sponsorship was preventing the business from expanding. He predicts that the sponsorship market will never reach its estimated £100m target by the end of the decade unless the rules are relaxed.

The draft code may be the first step by the governing body to show greater lenience towards sponsorship rules, asking for comments on the amendments by September 24. Sponsorship areas touched on in the draft include:

• Credit integration
• Limitations on the content of sponsor credits
• The allowance for a final sponsor reference at the end of the opening credit sequence
• In terms of trailers, an amendment has been made to stress that the sponsor’s reference should be secondary to that of alerting viewers to the forthcoming programme.

ITC: 071 305 7743