By Chris Jones - 24th January 2006
Brussels is prepared to reconsider its plans to allow product placement in European TV programmes but will not scrap them altogether, MEPs heard on Tuesday.
EU information society and media commissioner Viviane Reding told members of the European parliament’s culture committee that there was a “legislative void” that needed to be properly filled.
But she acknowledged concerns voiced by several German MEPs that the proposals may not go far enough to protect viewers, and in particular children, from “advertising via the back door”.
The European commission unveiled its proposed overhaul of the 1989 Television without Frontiers (TWF) directive back in December, including plans to allow limited product placement in order to help finance further programming.
The plans also include scrapping restrictions on the number of adverts per day – previously set at three hours – and giving broadcasters greater freedom over when to show adverts.
Reding said that the commission was not allowing unrestricted product placement but wanted to put a framework in place so as to create “order from the chaos of 25 different national regimes”.
“Some countries allow it for European but not national programmes, while some do not allow it at all,” she said.
She explained that product placement for products such as tobacco, prescription drugs or - under certain conditions - alcohol would not be permitted, and that it would not be allowed in children’s programmes, news, documentaries and current affairs.
MEPs were particularly concerned by the commission’s proposal that any programme featuring product placement should be preceded by an announcement to that effect.
The committee members argued that anyone missing the start of the programme would not necessarily be aware that it contained product placement.
Reding pledged to consider an alternative method of informing viewers of product placment.
The German media has been the most vociferous in its condemnation of the commission’s plans, with commercial TV channels and print media warning of a loss of revenue if product placement is allowed on state-controlled TV stations.
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