Ofcom rules for TV food advertising to children are a missed opportunity says National Heart Forum

22 February 2007

Responding to the long overdue announcement from Ofcom today (Thursday 22 February) of new regulations on TV food and drink advertising to children, the National Heart Forum said the new rules were a missed opportunity to give proper protection to children from relentless advertising for unhealthy foods. The heart charity described the new rules as betraying sound principles with disappointingly weak practice.

Jane Landon, deputy chief executive of the National Heart Forum said:

"The decision to restrict advertising for unhealthy foods to all children under 16, goes much further than Ofcom was originally minded to go, and represents a significant shift in favour of the public interest over the protection of advertising revenues following the huge public response to the consultation. We are dismayed that having accepted the principle to protect all children up to 16, Ofcom refuses to adopt a straightforward 9pm watershed, opting instead for inadequate means to implement its rules."

The National Heart Forum raised concerns in the public consultation that using the BARB 120 audience index to implement protections to older children means that the reduction in advertising impacts for under 16s in Ofcom's package of proposals remained low (41%), offering only half the benefit of a 9pm watershed restriction (82%). This is because some of the programmes most popular with children such as early evening soaps will escape the food advertising restrictions because of the relatively large adult audiences also watching.

"What Ofcom has accepted in principle, the government must enact in practice," said Landon. "Parents and children should not be sold short by the limitations of an economic regulator. We urge ministers to take the necessary public policy decision and introduce a 9pm watershed for foods high in fat, sugar and salt without any further delay."

Press Contacts

For comment or to arrange interviews, please call Jane Landon or Tim Marsh on 0207 383 7638 during office hours or Jane Landon on 07929 785196.

Notes to editors

In May 2006, the NHF announced that it was seeking judicial review against Ofcom, arguing that it was conspicuously unfair of the regulator to exclude from full and fair consideration a 9pm watershed for junk food advertising in its consultation. The NHF's claim was supported by its members and collaborating bodies including the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Physicians, the British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK, the National Children's Bureau, The Royal Society for Public Health, the Faculty of Public Health, the National Union of Teachers, the Northern Ireland Chest, Heart & Stroke Association, Sustain, the International Obesity Task Force, the Health Education Trust, and Which? (formerly the Consumers' Association).
The Ofcom announcement can be viewed at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2007/02/nr_20070222