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Curbs on junk food TV ads revealed
New restrictions on the advertising of unhealthy food and drinks are due to be announced.
Ofcom's curbs will affect TV commercials for products high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS). The communications regulator will limit the timing and content of the commercials.
Its aim is to reduce children's exposure to the adverts in a bid to stem the rise of childhood obesity.
Ofcom's announcement will provoke heated responses from advertisers and the food industry on the one hand - and from health campaigners on the other.
The regulator put its proposed advertising restrictions out to a consultation in November.
Its proposed curbs included a total ban on adverts for HFSS food and drink in and around TV programmes of "particular appeal" to under-16s. Programmes broadcast at any time of day or night on any channel would be affected.
And all HFSS commercials on dedicated children's channels and during all children's programming on other channels would be banned, according to Ofcom's consultation.
Ofcom's proposals drew a furious response from health campaigners and consumer groups who wanted a 9pm watershed for HFSS adverts.
They complained that adult shows popular with children - such as Coronation Street - would not be subject to the restrictions.
But TV stations reacted with dismay at the potential loss of revenue, with terrestrial channel Five predicting a "bleak" future for non-BBC children's shows made in the UK.
New restrictions on the advertising of unhealthy food and drinks are due to be announced.
Ofcom's curbs will affect TV commercials for products high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS). The communications regulator will limit the timing and content of the commercials.
Its aim is to reduce children's exposure to the adverts in a bid to stem the rise of childhood obesity.
Ofcom's announcement will provoke heated responses from advertisers and the food industry on the one hand - and from health campaigners on the other.
The regulator put its proposed advertising restrictions out to a consultation in November.
Its proposed curbs included a total ban on adverts for HFSS food and drink in and around TV programmes of "particular appeal" to under-16s. Programmes broadcast at any time of day or night on any channel would be affected.
And all HFSS commercials on dedicated children's channels and during all children's programming on other channels would be banned, according to Ofcom's consultation.
Ofcom's proposals drew a furious response from health campaigners and consumer groups who wanted a 9pm watershed for HFSS adverts.
They complained that adult shows popular with children - such as Coronation Street - would not be subject to the restrictions.
But TV stations reacted with dismay at the potential loss of revenue, with terrestrial channel Five predicting a "bleak" future for non-BBC children's shows made in the UK.
so do you want this or not?
has it gone far enough?
my thought, i can see the benifits, and what they are trying to do. but feel this action will not do much to help, yes it willl hopefully stop the younger children asking for unhealthy food when the parents are giving them a health diet. but will do nothing to persuede the parents who wish to feed their children on a high fat, high salt, high sugar diet, (mothers outside school gate passing out chips ect) . i feel the answers lay in the work being done inside school, the teaching of a health diet, health food being offered in the school dinners, working on personal growth ect. i just wish they was more time within the school day to teach the practical side of cooking for those whose parents do not have the time to teach them, (yes, i do know how little time the school has for these sorts of things). i will stop here to see if anyone else has a view