These reports are case summaries of complaints which appeared to raise issues of substance in relation to the interpretation of the ITC Advertising Standards Code. Summary statistics of non-substantive complaints can be found in the full reports which are obtainable from the ITC.
Friendly TV
Complaint from: Staff monitoring
Background
Routine monitoring of Friendly TV showed up compliance failures, which led to breaches of the Advertising Standards Code.
Issue
The ITC published an adjudication against a version of an advertisement for the AB Force Belt in Complaints Bulletin 20 on 19th August 2003. Later that week, Friendly TV broadcast the same version of the advertisement.
It also broadcast advertisements for one to one chat lines, Worldwide Vacations and www.4urmobile.com (a provider of ringtones for mobile telephones) during which the terms and condition were set out in super- imposed text which was too small.
Assessment
Friendly TV accepted that the Ab Force Belt advertising had been played out in error after the bulletin had been posted on the ITC website and undertook to ensure that sufficient checks were in place to prevent the situation arising again.
Regarding the size of the super-imposed text, Friendly TV said that it would ensure that in future advertisements containing super imposed text were BACC cleared.
Friendly TV apologised for the mistakes that had occurred. It undertook to put in place steps to ensure that its compliance procedures were satisfactory to ensure that the channel's output complied with the Advertising Standards Code, including ensuring that all of its advertising material was complied by the BACC. The ITC accepted the assurances but warned Friendly TV that it would continue to monitor its output and that any similar future failure to comply with ITC findings would be treated as a serious matter.
Conclusion
Breach of ITC Code Rules 5.1 and 5.4.2 in association with ITC Guidance on Text and subtitling in Television Advertisements.
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