ITV

Tag: clean chit

  • BBC probe gives clean chit on product placement allegations

    MUMBAI: The BBC has completed an investigation into allegations of product placement and product prominence made in the Sunday Times in the UK.

    The investigation, which was conducted by BBC’s chief adviser for editorial policy Claire Powell, began after a report in the Sunday Times last month claimed that businesses paid thousands of pounds to get their products shown on BBC TV programmes.
     
     

    The investigation found that a number of people in independent production companies working for the BBC were offered an unspecified payment by an undercover Sunday Times reporter in exchange for featuring products on air and the BBC “is deeply reassured” that in every case this offer was refused. In none of the programmes investigated did anyone give guarantees that a product would be featured if it was supplied for free or at a reduced cost.

    In many cases where the Sunday Times alleged that products seen in programmes had been supplied for free by companies, the investigation found that they had either in fact been paid for by the programme, or in one case was personal property lent to the programme by a member of the production team.

    The investigation found that in every case where products had been sourced for free, this was done in accordance with the BBC’s guidelines. However, the investigation found that in some of the programmes reviewed there were instances of product prominence which were not fully editorially justified.

    Whilst inclusion of the products was justified, the way that they were shot went beyond the minimum visibility recommended in the BBC’s guidelines. In no instance was there an inducement to feature them on air.

    In addition, the investigation noted that an independent programme maker had acknowledged he had been unwise to entertain a hypothetical conversation with an undercover reporter about featuring a product in a programme in production.

     
     

    However, it found evidence that the programme maker had rightly pointed out the BBC’s guidelines to the reporter and in addition in a meeting immediately following the discussion had made clear to his programme team that the offer was not to be pursued.

    In any event, no product appeared on air as a result of the approach and no guarantees were ever given. The BBC will issue more comprehensive guidance to programme makers on product placement and product prominence and to heighten the awareness of programme makers in this area in the light of this investigation.

    BBC Television director Jana Bennett, said, “Viewers expect realism in modern drama and entertainment and the BBC’s guidelines set out how products may appear in programmes to achieve this.

    “I am satisfied that this thorough investigation has confirmed to us that production teams working for the BBC acted with integrity in dealing with offers of payment in exchange for featuring products.
     
     

    “However, I expect all BBC television programmes to maintain the highest standards of compliance in relation to the BBC’s guidelines. To ensure this, constant vigilance is necessary.

    “I accept the recommendation of the investigation that a programme to ensure increased awareness of the BBC’s rules on product placement and product prominence should begin immediately.

    “We will also work on ensuring that where necessary programme makers are given additional support in ensuring that programmes fully comply with our rules before transmission.”

     

  • Coca Cola claims clean chit from MP government

    MUMBAI: There’s some good news for Coca Cola vis-?-vis the ongoing pesticide controversy.

    A press release issued by the cola company claims that the Madhya Pradesh Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared all the soft drinks samples of Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited.

    The FDA, says the release, collected the samples at random, all of which conformed to the requirements under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act rules.
     
     
     

    The release says that the FDA collected more than three dozen samples of brands like Coke, Fanta, Limca, Sprite, Thums Up and Kinley Soda from different parts of the state, for various tests. The public analysts at the State Food Laboratory, FDA, Bhopal, who conducted these tests, declared them to be in conformity with the PFA rules.

    The beverage conglomerate also issued a statement saying that Madhya Pradesh has joined other states which had already confirmed the safety and quality of its products.

    “Coca-Cola is committed to standards that are in the best interests of our customers in India. We will work closely with government in both, the development of appropriate standards as well as the national sampling and testing protocols, to ensure they are being followed,” the statement says.

  • Coca Cola claims to get clean chit from Gujarat government

    MUMBAI: Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages company has claimed that the Gujarat government has given a clean chit to all the 17 samples of soft drinks drawn from various places in the state.

    This is part of attempt by Indian cola companies to prove the allegations of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) wrong by obtaining ‘No objection’ certificates from state government health labs and other independent testing units.

    A statement issued by the company claims that the Gujarat government has given a clean chit to all the samples of soft drinks drawn from various places in the state after they were tested negative for the presence of certain pesticides falling under the category of organo-chlorine such as lindane, DDT and chloropyrifos.

    A release says that the samples, which included Coke, Thums Up, Fanta and Limca, were sent to the Food and Drugs Laboratory, Vadodara, for analysis. It also claims that the samples were tested with the help of highly sophisticated equipment like gas chromatographer with electron capture detector; capable enough to detect pesticides in concentration of one part per billion. None of the samples were found to have traces of any of these pesticides – says the release.

    The state commissioner of the Food and Drugs Control Administration said no pesticides falling under the organo-chlorine category were found in any of these samples.

    “We have always maintained that our products are absolutely safe. The latest test reports from the Gujarat Government further reconfirms this fact. A series of similar test reports from various other state governments and independent laboratories of the national and international fame, including the Central Science Laboratory of the UK, one of the world’s top scientific labs, has supported our contention. These results will further
    strengthen our relationship with our millions of consumers across the country who trust our quality and with whom we share a special bond”, Coca-Cola India spokesperson said in a press statement.