Australian television becomes strict on junk food ads

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has finished a two-year review of standards and tightened rules designed to protect children from inappropriate TV advertising. In a more strict approach, the National Preventative Health Taskforce on Monday called for a ban on junk food advertising on television before 9:00pm and for the use of toys, cartoon characters and celebrities that appeal to children to be phased out.

ACMA believes that the recommendation, seen in the report by the Preventative Health Taskforce, lacks the research to support it.

Almost a quarter of Australian children are overweight or obese, compared with five per cent in the1960s. ACMA already prohibits advertising during preschoolers' programming but resisted calls from consumers and public health experts to take a harder line on junk food promotion during other programming popular with youngsters in its release of draft children's TV viewing standards last year.

ACMA chairman Chris Chapman said the contribution of advertising to childhood obesity was "difficult to quantify" and there was no consensus that anything other than a modest association existed. "Without greater confidence that such bans would have a direct and real benefit, the ACMA considers that a general ban would be a blunt regulatory intervention with uncertain results and significant costs to the sector," he said.

The ACMA instead plans to monitor an Australian Food and Grocery Council "responsible children's marketing initiative", launched earlier this year, which commits 16 major food manufacturers to promoting only healthy food and beverages to children under 12.

A ban on ads during pre-school children's programs will remain in place, while restrictions on advertising during children's (C) programs have been strengthened.

The new standards, which come into force on 1 January 2010, were released as a Federal Government-appointed taskforce recommended changes to junk food advertising rules.

The taskforce, commissioned by the Rudd government last year to recommend ways of tackling the obesity epidemic, proposes ending free-to-air and pay television advertising of energy-dense, nutrient-poor food before 9pm within four years.