Product Placement Proposals To Be Considered
The Government has published a new consultation document, which includes plans to regulate product placement and video-on-demand services on British television.
Current regulations state “that all EU members must prohibit product placement, but they may decide to allow certain exemptions”.
However, product placement is banned on any UK made programmes and the Government has already said its “initial view is not to change this”.
Andy Burnham, secretary of state, said: “My instincts remain that if we were to relax the ban on product placement we would put at risk the integrity of British programming that underpins its internation reputation.”
Burnham has previously voiced opposition to product placement, speaking to an audience of media industry figures during his first major speech on broadcasting (see Culture Secretary Not In Favour Of Product Placement).
Burnham now says that if it is a crucial step for broadcasters then it will be considered – the consultation document seeks to support this, setting out arguments for and against product placement and representing views from both sides.
The consultation will focus on three specific issues – product placement in television and video-on-demand services, introducing a system for regulating video-on-demand services and finally, controls over the content of non-EU satellite channels.
The proposals come as part of a comphrehensive consultation on how the UK should implement the EU Audio Visual Media Services (AVMS) Directive.
Common standards for video-on-demand services feature in the directive for the first time, as the UK “has an obligation to ensure its video-on-demand services meet new cross-EU standards”.
Although, the directive encourages memebers to seek a co-regulatory solution in which regulation is owned and run by the industry, the Government and Ofcom will have authority to step in if necessary.
The consultation will run for three months, closing on October 31 2008.
DCMS: 020 7211 6200 www.dcms.gov.uk