A couple of year’s ago Ofcom delegated the role of advert censor for Video on Demand to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
Now they are reviewing that assignment and are inviting input from interested parties.
The rules for advertising on VOD as defined in EU legislation are a bit more basic than for advertising in other media. Ofcom specified the advertising rules as follows:
(1) Advertising of the following products is prohibited in on-demand programme services:
(a) cigarettes or other tobacco products;
(b) any prescription-only medicine.
(2) Advertising of alcoholic drinks is prohibited in on-demand programme services unless:
(a) it is not aimed at persons under the age of eighteen, and
(b) it does not encourage excessive consumption of such drinks.
(3) Advertising included in an on-demand programme service:
(a) must be readily recognisable as such, and
(b) must not use techniques which exploit the possibility of conveying a message subliminally or surreptitiously.
(4) Advertising included in an on-demand programme service must not:
(a) prejudice respect for human dignity;
(b) include or promote discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, nationality, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation;
(c) encourage behaviour prejudicial to health or safety;
(d) encourage behaviour grossly prejudicial to the protection of the environment;
(e) cause physical or moral detriment to persons under the age of eighteen;
(f) directly exhort such persons to purchase or rent goods or services in a manner which exploits their inexperience or credulity;
(g) directly encourage such persons to persuade their parents or others to purchase or rent goods or services;
(h) exploit the trust of such persons in parents, teachers or others; or
(i) unreasonably show such persons in dangerous situations.
I can’t actually see where the rules allow ASA to claim its usual bollox about adverts causing widespread ‘offence’ of 1 person. I don’t know how ASA cope without this fall back.
