The National Communications Commission (NCC) said it would allow product placement and title sponsorship in TV programs, provided that both practices are banned in news and children’s programs.
The government will continue to be barred from embedding any marketing or title sponsorship, as stated in the Budget Act (預算法).
Product placement, also known as embedded marketing, is a type of advertisement in which branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as within a news program or the story line of television shows. Titled sponsorship of an event, on the other hand, provides funding and services in exchange for the exclusive right to have a firm’s name appear prominently before the title of the event.
NCC acting spokesperson Wei Shyue-win (魏學文) said the commission generally agreed with proposed rules regulating product placement and title sponsorship in television programs, adding that the commission would hold a public hearing with media experts and television station operators on the regulations.
Jason Ho (何吉森), director of the commission’s communication content department, said the amendment to the Satellite Broadcasting Act (衛星廣播電視法), which would regulate embedded marketing in TV programs, had yet to pass legislative review.
“Even though the rules were drafted before the amendment of the act is passed, we can start enforcing the relaxed government policy first as we have the administrative authority to do so,” Ho said.
Ho said the commission had several key principles in protecting viewers.
Sponsors must not interfere with the independence of the program production or its editing teams, while programs must not encourage viewers to purchase products made by the sponsors. Furthermore, the programs must not highlight the qualities of any specific product. The names of the sponsors must be fully disclosed before, during or after the broadcasts. There must be clear distinction between programs and advertisements, he said.
However, Ho said news and children’s programs are off-limits.
Ho said the purpose of permitting embedded marketing and title sponsorship is to increase funding for quality programs, particularly digital television content.
In related news, Cti-TV’s entertainment channel was fined NT$800,000 because its show The Largest Political Party violated Article 19 of the act, which states that programs shall maintain their completeness and be distinguishable from advertisements.
One episode talked about efforts by the Greater Kaohsiung Government to reduce its crime rate by giving prizes to people who help catch robbers.
The episode gave specific information about an event being run at a Greater Kaohsiung amusement park, including the dates and locations of how to purchase tickets.
“The episode was followed by a 20-second commercial on the same amusement park. It did not set a clear distinction between program and advertisement,” Ho said.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
A white king snake that frightened passengers and caused a stir on a Taipei MRT train on Friday evening has been claimed by its owner, who would be fined, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said yesterday. A person on Threads posted that he thought he was lucky to find an empty row of seats on Friday after boarding a train on the Bannan (Blue) Line, only to spot a white snake with black stripes after sitting down. Startled, he jumped up, he wrote, describing the encounter as “terrifying.” “Taipei’s rat control plan: Release snakes on the metro,” one person wrote in reply, referring
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
An inauguration ceremony was held yesterday for the Danjiang Bridge, the world’s longest single-mast asymmetric cable-stayed bridge, ahead of its official opening to traffic on Tuesday, marking a major milestone after nearly three decades of planning and construction. At the ceremony in New Taipei City attended by President William Lai (賴清德), Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) and New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜), the bridge was hailed as both an engineering landmark and a long-awaited regional transport link connecting Tamsui (淡水) and Bali (八里)
RSS