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Simon will look at safeguards on product placement
Nicholas Jones
DATELINE: 8/10/09
Media standards groups which are opposed to product placement on British television programmes will get the chance to offer advice on possible safeguards. Sion Simon, a junior minister at the Department of Media, Culture and Sport, told a CPBF delegation on Tuesday 6 October, that the government was anxious to help the industry. Ministers supported product placement because they believed it would give "immediate cash benefits" to struggling television companies.
Although final decisions have not been made and consultations are still taking place, Simon said there would need to be some "convincing arguments" to change the mind of the Culture Secretary, Ben Bradshaw, who did not think concerns about product placement were the kind of "big deal" which the opponents were making out.
"There would be immediate cash benefits for the television companies which we are trying to help. Pumping extra money into the sector would help everyone whereas the disadvantages seem rather abstract".
Product placement would not be allowed on children's programmes and would exclude alcohol, gambling and certain other products. This was the "direction of travel" and if media standards campaigners thought they could help advise on further safeguards their input would be welcomed.
Simon also indicated that the government has no intention of imposing restraints or regulations on the development of newspaper websites. Currently the online television and radio output of the press does not have to follow the guidelines on invasion of privacy and political impartiality which apply to mainstream broadcasters.
When asked if there were any "red lines" within DCMS defining limits on the degree to which newspapers would have the freedom to innovate online, Simon said "No". It was not inconceivable that at some point in the future there might have to be government intervention to impose standards on the online output of the press, but there were such no concerns at present. "We are not saying we would never regulate…but the government is certainly in no rush to regulate".
The audio visual output of newspaper websites is currently self-regulated under the Press Complaints Commission and outside the reach of Ofcom.
The Labour MP Neil Gerrard, who arranged for the CPBF delegation to meet Sion Simon, said afterwards that despite the decision to allow product placement the government did seem aware that safeguards might be needed and ministers were anxious to allow for consultation.
Last modified: Thursday, October 8, 2009
Your comments:
The Children's Food Campaign does not believe that children will be protected from effects of product placement. Yes there may be no product placement during children's programmes but we know that 70% of children's viewing is outside of children's programming. Popular family shows such as The Bill or Britain's got talent get huge numbers of children watching. We are campaigning to say no to product placement. We are encouraging our supporters to click on the link below to send a clear message to the government
http://www.sustainweb.org/childrensfoodcampaign/action/
Posted by: Jackie Schneider: 24 Nov, 2009 23:01:49
» Click here to add your comment.
Comments will be subject to approval and should not be defamatory, obscene, racist, in breach of copyright, or contrary to law. The CPBF is not reponsible for any views expressed here.
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World Press Freedom Day
More reporters are currently imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Only a matter of weeks ago lawyers failed to persuade a Turkish court to release a 76-year-old journalist from a Turkish internet news station.
World Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3, 2013 is being marked in Britain by a rally to highlight the dangers facing journalists in Turkey and in this podcast, Nicholas Jones speaks to Barry White, Organiser at the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and Sam Bamford, the TUC's policy officer for Eastern Europe and Africa about the importance of a campaign to highlight international press freedom.
The World Press Freedom Day rally is being staged by the National Union of Journalists at the NUJ head office, Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1 on Thursday May 2, 6pm-8pm.
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The UK launch of a 'European Citizens' Initiative' calling for EU rules against concentration of media power will take place on Thursday March 21 from 11:00am – 12:30pm in Committee Room 4A at the House of Lords, London. Guest speakers will include actor and activist Hugh Grant (pictured), media consultant Claire Enders, Professor Steven Barnett, Barry McCall (President of the NUJ) and Marc Gruber (Director of the European Federation of Journalists).
A European Citizens' Initiative is an official petition, like a Downing Street petition. If it succeeds in gathering a million signatures across the EU, the Commission is obliged to respond.
This petition calls for the EU to act to protect media pluralism and press freedom.
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Make a note in your diary
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Previous stories
Government Policy
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