Broadcasting Rule On Cigarette Advertising

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29932, 20 September 1962, Page 12

Broadcasting Rule On Cigarette Advertising

From April 1, advertisements which may encourage young people to smoke cigarettes will be banned from broadcasting and television by the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation. “In the light of recent medical and public opinion, the corporation has decided to parallel the action taken by the Independent Television Authority in England in introducing restrictions on some aspects of cigarette advertising,” says a notice sent to advertisers.

The following clause will be added to the “general principles” for advertising by both television and sound broadcasting:— “The corporation will not accept commercial material which directly or indirectly or by implication encourages young people to smoke cigarettes: e.g. material which suggests that smoking is “(a) Indiioaitive of manliness or maturity;

“(b) An indispensible ingredient of romance, sophistication, or social prestige;

“(c) Enjoyed by the conventional heroes or heroines of the young.” The new order will come into force on April 1. The corporation advises that material now in preparation should be reconsidered in the light of the new rule. Christchurch advertising interests do not consider that the new rule will be unduly restrictive. They claim that there is little in present cigarette advertising directed specifically to youth. Even if the corporation ruled that some of it was unacceptable there were “dozens of other angles” which would comply. "The name and image of a product, its quality, and its sales are among the main ingredients of any advertisement,” said one agent.