2nd July 2009 Broadcasting 0 Comment

Chat show hosts Alan Titchmarsh and Paul O’Grady as well as Five News gave undue promotion to products in recent shows, Ofcom has ruled.

ITV1’s The Alan Titchmarsh Show was upheld over two live interviews broadcast in one week, with actresses Jane Seymour and Stephanie Beacham both referring to product ranges they endorsed.

The regulator rebuked Titchmarsh for initiating discussions of Seymour’s clothing range and Beacham’s skin care products by complementing each of them on the respective aspects of their appearance.

In Beacham’s case, Ofcom judged that the show had gone too far in preparing for the actress to discuss the products by laying out the products in the studio. Titchmarsh also read out an official website address for the products.

Channel 4’s The Paul O’Grady Show was found in breach for mentioning the brand name of an anti-ageing cream six times in two minutes. O’Grady referred to using the product, showed it up close for around 50 seconds and quipped “I feel like I’m on QVC here” as he described its effects.

Ofcom was satisfied that C4 had struck no commercial deal with the cream’s manufacturer, but said the item effectively endorsed the product. It also noted that O’Grady had gone off-script during the live transmission, omitting the word “apparently” when saying that the cream “reduces fine lines and wrinkles in five minutes.”

Meanwhile, Five News was upheld over a “particularly egregious” pre-recorded item and a live studio discussion about the launch of a sports watch that, in Ofcom’s words, “had some features in common with a teleshopping promotion.”

Ofcom said it took a stern line on the item because it appeared within the context of an impartial news bulletin.

pheld over two live interviews broadcast in one week, with actresses Jane Seymour and Stephanie Beacham both referring to product ranges they endorsed.

The regulator rebuked Titchmarsh for initiating discussions of Seymour’s clothing range and Beacham’s skin care products by complementing each of them on the respective aspects of their appearance.

In Beacham’s case, Ofcom judged that the show had gone too far in preparing for the actress to discuss the products by laying out the products in the studio. Titchmarsh also read out an official website address for the products.

Channel 4’s The Paul O’Grady Show was found in breach for mentioning the brand name of an anti-ageing cream six times in two minutes. O’Grady referred to using the product, showed it up close for around 50 seconds and quipped “I feel like I’m on QVC here” as he described its effects.

Ofcom was satisfied that C4 had struck no commercial deal with the cream’s manufacturer, but said the item effectively endorsed the product. It also noted that O’Grady had gone off-script during the live transmission, omitting the word “apparently” when saying that the cream “reduces fine lines and wrinkles in five minutes.”

Meanwhile, Five News was upheld over a “particularly egregious” pre-recorded item and a live studio discussion about the launch of a sports watch that, in Ofcom’s words, “had some features in common with a teleshopping promotion.”

Ofcom said it took a stern line on the item because it appeared within the context of an impartial news bulletin

ITV1’s The Alan Titchmarsh Show was upheld over two live interviews broadcast in one week, with actresses Jane Seymour and Stephanie Beacham both referring to product ranges they endorsed.

The regulator rebuked Titchmarsh for initiating discussions of Seymour’s clothing range and Beacham’s skin care products by complementing each of them on the respective aspects of their appearance.

In Beacham’s case, Ofcom judged that the show had gone too far in preparing for the actress to discuss the products by laying out the products in the studio. Titchmarsh also read out an official website address for the products.

Channel 4’s The Paul O’Grady Show was found in breach for mentioning the brand name of an anti-ageing cream six times in two minutes. O’Grady referred to using the product, showed it up close for around 50 seconds and quipped “I feel like I’m on QVC here” as he described its effects.

Ofcom was satisfied that C4 had struck no commercial deal with the cream’s manufacturer, but said the item effectively endorsed the product. It also noted that O’Grady had gone off-script during the live transmission, omitting the word “apparently” when saying that the cream “reduces fine lines and wrinkles in five minutes.”

Meanwhile, Five News was upheld over a “particularly egregious” pre-recorded item and a live studio discussion about the launch of a sports watch that, in Ofcom’s words, “had some features in common with a teleshopping promotion.”

Ofcom said it took a stern line on the item because it appeared within the context of an impartial news bulletin.