ITC Warns Living Channel About Promotional References

The Independent Television Commission (ITC) has warned Living to take more stringent checks regarding references to commerical products, after it found the pay-TV channel to be in breach of the Programme Code on a number of occasions. During three editions of Fashion Emergency, promotional references to products and magazines were broadcast.

Living explained that the programme was US-based and that as the products were unavailable to a UK audience they did not believe them to be subject to the same Programme Code. However, it was later discovered that the promotional references had been filmed in London. References to the US edition of Men’s Health magazine were also in breach of the code as the masthead and content are so similar to the UK edition.

The ITC also upheld a complaint about Flextech channel Bravo. An edition of US programme Real TV showed footage of a parachute accident which resulted in the death of a boy. The broadcaster said that the family of the child had given consent for the footage to be used to help prevent a similar tragedy occurring but the ITC considered that this message could have been achieved in a less direct way.

Independent Television Commission: 020 7255 3000