End the double standards of TV brands

Your Media Analysis (MW May 27) suggests an increasing trend for broadcasters and producers to create “TV show brands” and then exploit them for commercial gain in the retail sector.

It would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for an established cleaning product brand to devise, fund and broadcast a television show along the lines of How Clean Is Your House. However, it is possible for the producers and broadcasters to create a show and then launch a related cleaning product.

This anomaly is being exploited by shows such as A Place In The Sun creating magazines and events and You Are What You Eat launching a range of health foods.

If such arrangements are regarded as acceptable, then it is unfair just to ban the funding of programming by the brand owner/merchandising company.

I regularly help advertisers and brands to devise and broadcast entertainment programming around their brands’ values, and it is clear the regulators need to address the anomalies.

What we need from Ofcom is not only clarity and consistency, but for the upcoming review of the Sponsorship Code to take the

rapid changes and pressures on advertisers and brands in the broadcast media into account. Brand advertisers should be able to compete with broadcasters and producers on a level playing field in creating branded shows.

Simon Wells

Head of commercial development

Enteraction TV

London SW8