The ban, if passed, will also mean that MacDonald's will not be able to give toys away with children's meals nor carry out any more MOVIE/TIE-IN promotions. Sorry about this rant and the blog will return to normal service but this sort of crap makes me so ANGRY......
I've posted an old TONY THE TIGER commercial here. Once the video plays more video options will become available featuring some vintage similar ads. All are from You Tube. Beneath the video is an article from a leading UK newspaper.
****************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************
Quote:
TONY THE TIGER, Ronald McDonald and the Honey Monster could be banned from television screens under European Union plans, supported by the British Government, to curb the advertising of junk food to children. Urgent action was needed to tackle the widespread obesity on the Continent, the European Commission said. It called for food companies to take voluntary action to stop promoting food high in sugar, fat and salt to children.
But Markos Kyprianou, the European Health Commissioner, said that Brussles would legislate if necessary. “I would like to see the industry not advertising directly to children ,” he said. “The signs from the industry are encouraging, positive. But if this doesn’t produce satisfactory results, we will proceed to legislation.”
Legislation would focus on adverts aimed at children, in particular those that use cartoon characters to appeal to children, such as Frostie’s Tony the Tiger, Sugar Puff’s Honey Monster and McDonald’s Ronald McDonald.
An alternative to an outright ban would be to limit such advertising to late at night, when children are presumed to be in bed.
Mr Kyrpianou said: “The idea is that children are protected from direct marketing and advertising convincing them and inducing them to consume too much of this product.”
The Commission issued the warning as a result of concern about the widespread obesity among the Continent’s children. One in four European children is overweight while a third of Italian and Greek children are overweight.
With pressure from many national governments, some large companies have started taking voluntary measures. Recently the US company Kraft said that it would stop advertising to under 12 year olds.
The EU has already banned tobacco advertising on television. The Government said that it would support European legislation if the industry did not reform itself.
Melanie Johnson, the Public Health Minister, said: “There is a strong case for action to limit the advertising and promotion to children of those foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar. “We will monitor progress through Ofcom and if, by early 2007, sufficient progress has not been made, we will introduce a compulsory framework for regulating the promotion of food to children.”
Despite her support, the Government has no right to legislate in this area as Brussels has declared that advertising on television is a European-wide issue as many TV stations are shown in more than one country and because TV signals can leak over borders.
The Government has the right to vote only on proposals put forward by the European Commission but could be outvoted by other governments and so be forced to continue to allow junk food advertising on television against its wishes.
Chris Heaton-Harris, a Conservative in the European Parliament, said that the Commission was making the proposal to win friends among the European public before the vote on the constitution. “The EU is trying to make itself more relevant. It is picking issues where it can get good news stories.”
Ms Johnson also criticised junk food companies that promote “two for one” deals and toys to children. “We are seeing contradictory messages going out to the public. It is important that the momentum towards healthy choices for the public is maintained by the food and drinks industry.”
She criticised double burger promotions, such as that recently run by McDonald’s, as well as toy offers with meals for children. The Government would use Britain’s presidency of the EU this year to press ahead with tackling this, she said.
9 comments:
1. I agree about the things said about McDonalds - there is a point there.
2. However, on the one hand the Government would rather have children eating breakfast cereals to bacon and eggs. So, how do they expect to encourage children to eat these things with 'adult' advertising.
Over the years we have lost the Quaker, the Scotsman with his caber and the famous Robertson's golliwog - all on spurious grounds.
I think that we should all write to our respective MPs and protest and demand that they listen to us.
After all MPs are elected to represent us - not do as they damn well please.
Yeah Ray Mcdonalds may not be the best of foods but is it the governments place to dictate? We, as people, should be able to decide for ourselves.
They'd be better off discouraging TV viewing in kids. If kids watched less TV there'd be much less problems.
No, Governments are more interested in messing about with peoples lives rather than do the job they are paid to do. It is not up to the Government to dictate what we do - it's a case of make Big Brother a reality as far as I'm concerned.
The latest ploy is to monitor our e-mails and blogs - well, just hope that they are taking notice of this one then.
Charles-how much telly children watch is down to the parents. In the age of TV on 24/7 there are too many children's networks. Disney, Jetix, Cartoon Network etc it would need all these companies to partipate in a clampdown on advertising. Can't sse it happening.
It is so easy for parents to put their children in front of the telly while they do the housework and check their e-mails etc.
And I feel that in the day of only three channels there was much better stuff to watch when I was a kid.
Ray- I've felt for a long time that mass protests up and down the country are what's needed to bring sense to our leaders. I love this country and the freedoms we used to have but day by day there are eroded with legislation that seems to serve no sensible purpose other than taking away democratic rights - is this a democracy we live in? And the streets are lost to crime and violence and a person is more likely to draw prison time for failing to pay the council tax than assaulting anyone. The latter usually gets community service.
No - it's the politicians who tell us we live in a democracy.
Just as they have told us that they can use our money to bail out banks who charge their customers over the top charges so that they can continue to rip off the very people who have bailed them out.
These are the very same politians that have told us that there is no money for our health service; no money for education and the list goes on and it's been happening for years.
The trouble is that I get the impression that this has crept up on people over successive governments. They operate 'trial' schemes over a six month period and whether the schemes work or not they become 'law'.
The biggest problem that I have is that with my 'trick mind' you know what I mean by that Gary) I could see the differences years ago and I said to the wife ' If this is progress - I want none of it.'
Agree with you fully Ray - I think we (IE-THE PUBLIC) have become too apathetic and let them get away with murder. There'll be a backlash one day. Ahh well enough of the politics and back to the westerns.
Maybe we should - at least westerns are home ground.
Post a Comment