Ben Bradshaw, the UK Minister for Culture, Media, and Sport, has announced that product placement restrictions will be lifted.
Bradshaw says that product placement will be allowed to provide meaningful commercial benefits for television companies and producers. He said that preserving the restrictions would be detrimental to television industry due to the recession. Bradshaw says that the government is here to support the industry.
The Secretary said that adopting product placement is necessary. He explained: ?Not to do so would jeopardize the competitiveness of U.K. program makers as against the rest of the EU, and this is something which we cannot afford to do.?
Bradshaw also outlined restrictions, including the prohibition of product placements of alcohol and other selected food and beverage. These product placements will only be allowed in cinematographic works, films, and TV series and will not be allowed on news programs and kids? programs.
UK producers are expected to start using product placements later this year.