The
broadcasting
regulator drew
up its
controversial
proposals on
the
advertising of
junk food for
children after
being lobbied
on 29
occasions by
the food and
advertising
industry,
records show.
The meetings
took place
between May
2005 and last
month. In the
same period,
Ofcom saw
health and
consumer
groups on four
occasions.
Campaign
groups are now
considering
boycotting
Ofcom's
consultation
on the
proposed
restrictions
on
advertising,
saying they
are too weak
and put the
interests of
industry
before the
wellbeing of
children.
They had
wanted junk
food
advertising
banned before
the 9pm
watershed to
protect
children of
all ages.
Ofcom's
proposals rule
out that
possibility.
Ofcom
spokeswoman
Kate Stross
said: "The
cost to
broadcasters
of a ban on
such
advertising
pre-watershed
would be very
high indeed.
We came to the
view that it
would be
disproportionate."
It has been
estimated that
a ban on junk
food and drink
advertising
before 9pm
would cost
broadcasters
up to £240m a
year.
Instead, Ofcom
has suggested
three options,
including a
ban on junk
food ads
during
programmes
targeted at
children under
10, which
would cost
broadcasters
£28m a year in
lost revenue.
Ofcom was
asked by
culture
secretary
Tessa Jowell
two years ago
to produce
targeted plans
to curb
advertisements
of unhealthy
foods to
children. The
move followed
a pledge from
the Department
of Health in
its white
paper to
tackle the
marketing of
unhealthy
products to
children.
But, according
to campaign
groups,
industry
lobbying has
dominated
Ofcom's work
on the issue.
Ofcom defended
its suggested
curbs
yesterday,
saying they
were
"proportionate"
to the
"complex
problem of
obesity".
The records
were obtained
under a
freedom of
information
request by
Sustain, a
coalition of
160 health and
consumer
groups.
They show that
Ofcom met
representatives
from
broadcasters
of children's
programmes,
the food
industry and
advertising
industry 29
times between
May 2005 and
last month.
Turner
Broadcasting,
which owns CNN
and the
Cartoon
Network,
Nickelodeon,
ITV, Channels
4 and 5, and
the satellite
and cable
broadcasters
group all met
Ofcom, as did
the Food and
Drink
Federation,
Kraft,
Unilever and
Cadbury
Schweppes.
Twelve
meetings with
industry took
place before
the first with
health groups
was held.
Mary Creagh,
MP for
Wakefield and
sponsor of a
private
member's bill
on children's
food, said: "I
am
disappointed
by Ofcom's
lack of
consultation
with health
and consumer
campaigners.
They have
ruled out a
9pm watershed,
which is the
only way to
stop junk food
advertising to
children and
tackle the
timebomb of
childhood
obesity.
Advertisers
are now
planning their
autumn
campaigns, and
these delays
will mean that
they will
avoid any
changes to the
broadcast code
before 2007."
The consumer
watchdog
Which? said
the Ofcom
proposals
would not
address the
issue of
obesity. "Even
the toughest
of the weak
options
proposed by
Ofcom would
not cover the
programmes
children are
actually
watching,"
Which? policy
expert
Michelle Smyth
said.
Ms Stross
said: "There
are a lot of
players in
industry and
we say yes if
they want to
see us.
Consumer
groups tended
to come to see
us together."
