Ofcom head issues clampdown warning

Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards has warned of a further clampdown on advertising and called on advertisers to stop complaining about those restrictions already in place.

Richards, in his debut ISBA speech, was speaking in response to advertiser and broadcast unrest following Ofcom’s recent decision to place a partial ban on the advertising of foods high in fat, salt and sugar.

Richards says: “Now is the time to make recommendations work, both in letter and spirit. Companies need to move on from policy debate, from the lobbying, from the PR battle and get on to implementation.”

Ofcom’s chief executive adds that further advertising restrictions are likely in other industries, such as gambling, in light of the introduction of greater deregulation later this year across the sector.

The subject of contracts rights renewal (CRR) was also touched upon by Richards, who says the success of the contract depended on better TV scheduling and programming.