United Kingdom

[GB] Formal Warning for Satellite Channel VT4

IRIS 1999-2:1/26

Stefaan Verhulst

PCMLP University of Oxford

Satellite broadcaster VT4 was issued in December with a formal warning by the Independent Television Commission (ITC) for failing to comply with its advertising scheduling rules. VT4 is a satellite channel based in the UK (and therefore licensed by the ITC in the UK) but directing its service at the Belgian market. VT4 breached the advertising requirement that no more than 12 minutes of advertising or teleshopping spots should be scheduled in any one clock hour. A formal complaint received from the Flemish Ministry of Economic and Media Affairs drew attention to two specific periods. Further evidence was found that the broadcaster had failed on a number of occasions to comply with this rule. Therefore, despite improvements to compliance procedures that have been introduced since May, the ITC found VT4's continuing breaches of the rules on advertising scheduling unsatisfactory and that a formal warning was warranted.