ATN Bangla in breach of two Ofcom rules

Bengali entertainment channel, ATN Bangla, has had a telling off by media regulator, Ofcom, over two rule breaks.

Both incidents, which took place in August last year revolve around advertising/sponsorship during programming airtime and prominence of certain brands in two programmes.

In the programmes, ‘Asar Azan’ and ‘Magrib Asan’ Ofcom noted that each
programme was preceded by material that appeared to be a sponsorship credit. The credit informed viewers that the programme was sponsored.

ATN Bangla informed us that none of the broadcast references to the sponsor before or during the broadcasts were paid for and it did not therefore consider them advertising or sponsorship.

‘Iftar Clock’ – this 30 second programme was a countdown to the breaking of the fast during Ramadan. A commercial break preceded ‘Iftar Clock’, with the final advertisement in the break being for a college brand. Throughout the programme, a spatially separated sponsor credit appeared on screen.

Once again, ATN Bangla informed Ofcom that the broadcast reference to the college brand in the broadcast was not paid for and was not therefore sponsorship.

Ofcom concluded that while ATN Bangla confirmed that the programmes were not sponsored, each was preceded by what appeared to Ofcom to be a sponsorship credit, informing viewers that it was sponsored. The broadcast terminology – “brought to you by,” were also the commonly words used for sponsor credits.

Whatever the validity of this, Ofcom considers that viewers would also recognise these as sponsorship messages broadcast before and during each programme as an indication that the programmes were sponsored.

The channel was in breach of three rule breaks: –

�ۢ?10.2 ��� Broadcasters must ensure that the advertising and programme elements
of a service are kept separate;
�ۢ?10.3 ��� Products and services must not be promoted in programmes…;
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�ۢ?10.4 ��� No undue prominence may be given in any programme to a product or service