PRODUCT PLACEMENTS GAIN U.K. APPROVAL

TV producers in the U.K. will at last be allowed to include product-placement advertising in their programs under strict rules outlined on Monday by British regulator OFCOM. The ads would not be permitted at all in children’s, news, or religious programs and would also not be permitted on any program if they tout medicines, tobacco, alcohol or foods or drinks high in fat, salt, or sugar. Advertisers would also not be allowed to pay to influence story lines. (The London Times cited as an example, an insurance company paying producers to develop a drama about a house burning down and the homeowner not being insured.) In a statement, OFCOM said that its product-placement proposals “are designed to enable commercial broadcasters to access new revenue streams where possible, whilst protecting audiences.”