Saturday, February 4th, 2012
It has been confirmed. Product placement is now allowed on British television after an announced legislation yesterday.
The ministers said that product placement will be able to revive the finances of recession-struck commercial broadcasters, making it important for media companies.
On the other hand, critics say that the audiences will be the victims of this new legislation. Viewers will now be forced to see advertisements on their favorite shows.
But British audiences are already familiar with product placements to a small degree. Of course, they are aware that product placements are a common practice in the United States (US). Selected British films also used this advertising method, most notably James Bond.
Culture secretary Ben Bradshaw was quick in assuring critics that placements of alcohol, tobacco, and poor nutrition foods will not be allowed.
Bradshaw also mentioned that BBC-licensed programmes will not be allowed to have product placements.
Bradshaw says that the new legislation is primarily aimed at benefiting commercial broadcasters, who need government support after a dry financial season due to the recession.
?’Adherence to our current position in which UK TV programmemaking cannot benefit at all from the income potentially to be generated by product placement would lead to continuing damage to its finances,? explained Bradshaw.
Source: DailyMail
