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ATN Bangla in trouble for product placement breach

ATN Bangla
ATN Bangla

ATN Bangla has been rapped by Ofcom for prominence of placed products and branding in a cookery show, which aired in January this year.

Ofcom viewed the edition of Walton Golden Recipe broadcast on 13th January 2014, noting a number of commercial references throughout the programme. As the programme was predominantly in Bengali with some English, the regulator got the script translated into English. Ofcom was concerned by the prominence given to commercial references for Walton, a manufacturer of kitchen appliances, during the programme.

ATN Bangla stated that ���product placement was apparent as [the] name of ��Walton�۪ was embedded in the programme�۝, but also highlighted that ���Walton is a company in Bangladesh and it has no product, service or branch in the UK or any European county�۝. Accordingly, the Licensee considered that the ���product placement thus had no promotional value�۝. ATN Bangla also noted that, while it ���did not receive any financial benefit�۝ from the product placement in the programme, its ���mother station in Bangladesh�۝ commissioned and ���fully benefitted from the product placement [in] Golden Recipe�۝.

Ofcom noted that despite product placement featuring in the programme, the universal neutral logo (a ��P�۪ symbol) was not shown at any stage as a signal to the viewer.