Imagine whole half hours on e.tv in prime time or episodes of hour episodes of 3 Talk with Noeleen on SABC3 (when its ''Woolworths' winter recipes'' or ''Woolworths' summer fashion fun'') with a big letter ''P'' in the corner? A P that will indicate to viewers that the TV channel has actually largely given their independent, editorial control away within that show to advertisers who are getting the opportunity to showcase and push their products on a largely unsuspecting TV audience through product placement?
That is how it will now be working in Britain where Ofcom, the British communications regulator - the United Kingdom's version of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) - has now ordered broadcasters to tell viewers which TV programmes contain product placement. New Ofcom rules state that TV channels have to show the P symbol (similar to the S, V, L, N, 18 which we have come to know for sex, violence, language and nudity) to indicate where commercial consideration is given to products, outside of straight forward TV ads.
