Ofcom Bans Junk Food Ads For Kids

Broadcast regulator Ofcom has placed a wide-reaching ban on junk food brands
advertising around children’s TV programming meaning that the likes of Coca-Cola
and McDonald’s will be unable to promote their sport sponsorship tie-ups to such
a TV audience.

The long-awaited ruling dictates that such brands are also now outlawed from
advertising on children’s channels as well as around any programming with a
higher than average proportion of viewers under the age of 16.

The age bracket concerned is defined as any programme that has a 20% higher
proportion of under 16-year-old viewers than the UK average.

Ofcom has estimated that the impact of the ban on total broadcast revenues
would be up to £39m per year, falling to around £23m as broadcasters mitigate
revenues lost over time.

Although the regulator’s hard-line ruling was widely expected, the end result
was far more wide-reaching than was predicted and has still prompted criticism
from sport agencies and brands affected by the ban.

Their argument is that the money put up to fund grass-roots sport sponsorship
programmes actually helps tackle the child obesity issue and that, by not
allowing them to promote such activity, participation rates in these initiatives
will drop.

The advertising ban, which affects all food and drink products high in fat,
salt and sugar (HFSS) content, will not pacify some lobbyists who had pushed for
a complete outlawing of such advertising before the 9pm watershed.