ITC INVITES COMMENTS ON CROSS-PROMOTION

CROSS-PROMOTION guidelines which seek to give viewers greater access to more information about the choice of services available while protecting the quality of the viewing experience, are the primary concern of an ITC consultation document published this week.
The ITC are seeking comments on all aspects of a possible new policy, in particular whether the right balance has been achieved between the clear benefits of cross-promotion and the potential risks.
Cross-promotion provides viewers with information about programmes and services which are of significant value, particularly in an increasingly multi-channel environment. Appropriate changes to the current code could benefit viewers and be an important step in encouraging take-up of digital services. Used sensibly, cross-promotion can help expand the range and types of service used by viewers.
The ITC has recognised there are also potential disadvantages to cross-promotion, such as excessive cross-promotion leading to increased clutter on already commercially crowded programme services, broadcasters tempted to introduce hidden advertising into programming under the guise of editorial information and cross-promotion being, in some circumstances, used anti-competitively by broadcasters with more market power.
In seeking to strike the right balance, the ITC is consulting on several proposals. To address viewer concerns about promotional and advertising clutter, the ITC proposes a limit of one and a half minutes per hour in peaktime for promotions and cross-promotions on ITV and Channels 4 and 5, the commercial public service networks.
It is proposed to tighten cross-promotion guidelines on undue prominence to protect viewers from excessive promotional mentions within programmes, underpinning the important distinction between editorial and advertising.
The ITC’s Director of Strategy, Economics and Finance, Robin Foster said: “This consultation proposes brings all rules together into one set of guidelines, whilst taking the opportunity to propose revisions and updates in the light of experience of the new television landscape. The ITC believes the result is a forward-looking proposal for the digital age. We are keen to seek views from interested parties on whether the right balance has been struck on what is genuinely a difficult issue.”
Copies of the consultation paper are available from the ITC website (www.itc.org.uk) or from the ITC Information Office.
(GB)