Church opposes product placement

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Allowing US-style product placement on UK television is not in the best interests of the public, the Church of England has warned.

It said lifting the long-standing ban would blur the line between editorial content and commercial messages.

Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw has launched a consultation on how product placement could work on UK television.

He said partially lifting the ban might help broadcasters suffering from a downturn in advertising revenue.

There are currently strict rules against product placement and this ban would remain in place on BBC shows and on all children's programmes across all networks.

The Church of England said it shared the concerns of a range of organisations including consumer groups and health bodies about the proposals to lift the ban for independent broadcasters.

Obscured logos

In a submission to the consultation, the church said: "Retaining trust in broadcasters' integrity and editorial balance is key to maintaining strong relationships between audience and broadcaster, which in turn has both civic, societal and economic benefits.

"For this reason, the Church of England is opposed to changes to the current regulatory regime, even outside public service content and news and current affairs."

The proposal could mean that products will be much more visible in popular series such as Coronation Street and Britain's Got Talent. At present, the shows are forced to cover up labels to comply with the strict guidelines - or face fines.

On Channel 4's Big Brother, food and drink products consumed in the house come in packaging where any logos have been carefully obscured.

Critics of product placement say viewers may come to have trouble distinguishing between what is artistic or editorial content, and what has been paid for as a promotional device.