Coalition of advocates tells FCC to take action on embedded TV advertising
Monday, September 28th, 2009Parents for Ethical Marketing is among fifty health, media and child advocacy organizations and professionals (including the American Academy of Pediatrics, Common Sense Media, Benton Foundation, Consumer’s Union, Center for Media and Democracy and Free Press) sending a message to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski: Take action on TV product placement.
The coalition letter follows industry reports of increasing proliferation of product placement (branded props) and product integration (scripted ads woven into the plotline) since the FCC conducted a proceeding on the matter last fall.
“People notice products and brands in TV shows, but they may not realize that advertisers are scripting dialogue, story plot points and even whole episodes to influence consumer attitudes and behavior,” says Josh Golin, Associate Director of Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood (CCFC), a coalition group. Networks and producers are slyly selling off program minutes – in other words, letting sponsors write the script.
“Children who are trying to find their place in the world and have not yet developed the cognitive ability to discern persuasive intent, are particularly vulnerable to these influences and need the protection afforded by FCC disclosure and child protection rules,” says Dr. Michael Rich, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Boston Children’s Hospital, a coalition signatory, and associate professor at Harvard Medical School.
The FCC’s proposed rule changes reflect a longstanding legal and ethical principle: People have a right to know when they are being advertised to, and by whom. Urging Chairman Genachowski to take action, the coalition is calling for:
– Clear and effective disclosures.
– Extension of the rules to cable and satellite networks.
– A ban on product placement in shows for children under 12.
– Rigorous enforcement to curb stealth, embedded ads.
Coalition Calls on FCC To Crack Down on Product Placement (Broadcasting and Cable)
Consumer Groups to FCC: Fix Product Placement (The Wrap)



