Broadcasters face £250m loss to food and drink ad watershed

Broadcasters expect to lose out on over £250m in annual revenues in the event the government brings in a 9pm watershed on all alcohol and junk food advertising.

According to a report in the Sunday Telegraph, broadcasters have worked out that such a watershed applied to alcohol ads, currently shown around afternoon and early evening sports events such as football matches, would cost them £50m.


Last year, broadcast regulator Ofcom calculated at £211m the amount of ad revenue that would be lost to a 9pm watershed on junk food ads.

It chose not to impose a watershed, preferring to introduce restrictions on advertising junk food around programmes aimed at four to nine years old on April 1, and at children up to the age of 15 from January 2008.

However, since the ascension of Gordon Brown to Prime Minister, noises emanating from government have indicated it is keen to introduce a 9pm watershed.

Last month, health secretary Alan Johnson said that the restrictions on junk food ads needed to be extended because they do not currently affect programmes that are aimed at adults but have a large audience of children, such as 'The X-Factor'.

In addition, Brown said in Prime Minister's Questions that he wanted to meet with drinks companies "to look at what they are doing in relation to advertising".

David Poley, chief executive of the alcohol manufacturers' self-regulatory body the Portman Group, has been invited to a meeting at 10 Downing Street this Wednesday to discuss the retailing and marketing of alcohol, according to the Sunday Telegraph.

Source: Brand Republic