Project Runway and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition advertisers will be peeved!
According to reports, last week the the FCC announced it’s considering new rules that will make it more clear to viewers when a paid product placement is happening in a TV show.
Yeah, cuz most of us can’t suss out a product placement a mile away!
Spending on paid product placement has grown in recent years because advertisers need a way to reach all of us who fast forward through commercials when watching shows on TiVo/DVRs.
PQ Media, an alternative media research firm, estimates that paid product placement spending grew 33.7 percent to $2.9 billion in 2007.
In an order released Thursday, the FCC said it’s considering whether sponsorship identification notices should be in larger type, appear for a lengthier period of time on the screen and whether they should appear at both the beginning and the end of programs.
The commission will also consider whether to extend disclosure requirements to cable make a determination as to whether its existing policies regarding children’s programming already ban the practice.
Yeah, gotta help the moms!
Would make telling junior no to sugary cereal that much harder if he sees Dora eating it in a cartoon!
But, it looks like big business has the gov in their pockets.
We wouldn’t bet on anything serious happening.
The report goes on to say that the FCC scheduled a vote on rules for embedded advertising at a commission meeting more than six months ago, but the item was pulled from the agenda following pressure by the advertising industry.
The item was pulled from the agenda the day of the meeting, despite having the support of the Republican chairman, Adelstein and the commission’s other Democrat, Michael Copps.
The commission’s other two Republicans, Robert McDowell and Deborah Taylor Tate, did not vote on the item at the time. A spokeswoman for McDowell declined to comment. Tate’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
The probe announced last week, may lead to new rules, but is not as tough as a previous proposal.
In America, big business wins!
[Image via WENN.]