Italian government green lights product placement

The Italian government has approved a decree that will allow product placement in local television. A move that will benefit Mediaset, a broadcaster associated with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

The government also outlined some rules about product placement.

?Common rules are introduced for all services that broadcast images on any platform,? explained Claudio Scajola, Industry Minister. ?European rules foreseeing more flexibility for advertising (are introduced), including product placement in TV programmes; (as well as) rules that strengthen safeguards for under-aged (viewers).?

Analysts say that product placement would be able to benefit Mediaset, because it is a top advertiser on television.