British television given green light to switch on to product placement

PRODUCT placement will be allowed on British TV programmes under new legislation announced by the government yesterday.

It said continuing to ban product placement would damage the finances of the British TV industry.

However, alcohol, tobacco and food and drinks that are high in fat, salt or sugar are among products that will not be allowed.

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Product placement will also be banned from TV news, current affairs, consumer and religious programming.

In a written statement, Ben Bradshaw, the Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, said: "We have… decided to legislate to allow UK television companies to include product placement in programmes which they make or commission to appear in their schedules.

"Adherence to our current position, in which UK TV programme-making cannot benefit at all from the income potentially to be generated by product placement would lead to continuing damage to its finances."

He added: "Every other EU member state, with the sole exception of Denmark, has either allowed television product placement already or has expressed a firm intention to do so."

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