The UK government has reportedly abandoned plans to impose a 9pm watershed on junk food TV advertising.
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The Government unveils its new anti-obesity strategy tomorrow and the decision to not impose a watershed will safeguard over GBP200m (US$392m) a year in TV advertising revenue for food manufacturers, according to UK newspaper The Guardian.
In a victory for the advertising industry, it is thought that the UK Department of Health has lost the battle to introduce a pre-watershed ban following talks with other government departments.
Industry watchers had expected that the new obesity strategy, to be launched tomorrow, would extend the TV restrictions Ofcom brought in last year. In January, ads promoting products high in fat, sugar and salt were banned from airing in and around programmes aimed at under-16s.
Ofcom has previously stated that a watershed would have a “disproportionate” effect on the industry, costing as much as GBP211m in TV advertising revenue.
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By GlobalDataCampaign groups are now convinced that they have lost the battle on the pre-watershed ban.
“We will be very disappointed indeed if they don’t go ahead with the ban tomorrow,” Richard Watts, coordinator for the Children’s Food Campaign told just-food. “No-one argues this is a complete solution to the child obesity problem but it is certainly a crucial part of any wider package.
“The key thing is, the government has recognised there is a problem and that what we are saying is right. We have had a lot of support. It’s just that the Department of Health were beaten by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Our next step really is to push control of the policy back into the hands of the people who are really interested and that will be the Department of Health.”
It is understood the Government intends to earmark significant funds to create new social awareness campaigns, including TV advertising about obesity.
Officials at Department of Health declined to comment when contacted by just-food.
