Advertising to Children
The New Zealand television industry has voluntarily adopted a number of rules regarding advertising aimed at children. These rules are in addition to the ASA’s Children and Young People’s Advertising Code.
There is a summary of these rules below, but for full details download ThinkTV’s (formerly the Television Broadcasters’ Council’s) Getting it Right for Children booklet.
Food or beverage product advertising during children’s programming must have a CF classification
An advertisement for a food or beverage product during school-age children’s programming times must have a Children’s Food (CF) classification.
The idea behind the CF classification is to create a viewing environment where young children are not inundated with unhealthy food advertising. How it works in practice is that food and beverage ads will be given a GXC (General Except Children) rating unless the advertiser specifically requests a CF classification.
Broadly speaking, to achieve a CF rating the featured product must meet the minimum standards to be recognised as an EVERYDAY or SOMETIMES food under the Heart Foundation’s Food and Beverage Classification System.
No advertising in pre-school television programming and limited advertising in school-age children’s television programming
Advertising levels in school-age children’s programming times (5-13 year olds) are reduced to a maximum of 10 minutes per hour, plus 2 minutes of appropriately classified station promotions.
A separation of programmes and advertising
Advertising must be clearly recognisable as such and not part of the editorial content of children’s programmes.
The host, or any other regular presenter or programme character, must not endorse, promote or sell products or services within the associated programme.
No excessive repetition in children’s programming
No advertisement may be played more than twice within an hour per channel, or more than three times during a specific programme which is longer than an hour.
For full details, download the Getting it Right for Children booklet.