Financial Times

Strict code over child ads on state TV
The Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC), the country's main national TV broadcaster, has formulated a strict code of conduct, standards and practices governing television broadcasting and advertising.

The code, launched recently along with a media blitz on a new state media culture of so-called freedom and openness, has strict rules pertaining to advertising in relation to women, children and medicine.

SLRC said in an introductory note that the general principle that will govern all television programming and advertising is that it should be legal, clean, honest and truthful. "Television, because of its greater household penetration gives rise to problems, which do not necessarily occur in other media, and it is essential to maintain a consistently high quality of television programming and advertising," the code said.

Here are excerpts from the code, which incorporates sections contained in the station's earlier code of conduct for advertising: Good Taste - No advertisement should offend good taste or decency or be offensive to public feeling and must keep in mind the traditional values of the people of the land.

Advertisements for products or services for the following are not acceptable - breath testing devices and products which tend to mask the effect of alcohol; fortune-tellers and the like; undertakers or others associated with death or burial; unlicensed employment services, registers or bureaus; betting shops and individuals collecting bets; cigarettes, liquors and alcoholic beverages.

Advertisements should not discredit or attack unfairly other products, services or advertisements. Imitation - Any imitation likely to mislead viewers. No advertisement may contain the words "guarantee" or "guaranteed" "warranty" or "warranted", or words having the same meaning, unless the full terms of the guarantee are available for inspection by the Corporation and are clearly set out in the ad.

Advertisements offering courses of instruction in trades or subjects leading up to professional or technical examinations must not imply the promise of employment or exaggerate the opportunity of employment or remuneration alleged to be open to those taking such courses; neither should they offer unrecognised "degree" or qualification.

Advertising and children
No product can be advertised and method of advertising used in association with a programme intended for children or which large numbers of children are likely to see, and could harm them physically, mentally or morally. No method of advertising may be employed which takes advantage of the natural credulity and sense of loyalty of children.

No advertisement should be allowed which leads children to believe that if they do not own the product advertised they will be inferior in some way to other children or that they are liable to be held in contempt or ridicule for not owning it. Children should not be seen leaning dangerously out of windows or over bridges or climbing dangerous cliffs; small children should not be shown climbing up to high shelves or reaching up to take things from a table above their heads;

An open fire in a domestic scene in an advertisement must always have a fireguard clearly visible if a child is included in the scene. Children seen in advertisements should be reasonably well mannered and well behaved.

Financial ads
No ads should be accepted which directly or indirectly invites the remittance of money direct to the advertiser or any other person without further formality.

Medicines and treatment
Advertisements for medical products and services will not be permitted unless approved by the Medical Formulary Committee, Ayurvedic Council or any other recognised medical organisation.

The following is not permitted: Visual presentation of doctors, dentists, pharmaceutical chemists, nurses, midwives, etc., which give the impression of professional advice or recommendation, and statements giving the impression of professional advice or recommendation made by persons who appear in the advertisements and who are presented, either directly or by implication, as being qualified to give such advice or recommendation.

Vitamins - No advertisements should state or imply that good health is likely to be endangered solely because people do not supplement their diet with vitamins.

Cure - Advertisements should not contain any claim (directly or by implication) to extirpate any ailment, illness, disease or symptom of ill health. Money back offers - Advertisements should not contain any offer to refund money to dissatisfied users.

The directory that misdirects
If you think you are a master in the art of solving puzzles or computer games, then here’s a new challenge. Open the latest Sri Lanka Telecom directory and find a subscriber number that you haven’t dialled before.

The directory is in four volumes, three for Greater Colombo – North, South and Central, plus the Provincial directory. Remember that the Chairman staring at you from page one, telling you that a new era for telecommunications has dawned in Sri Lanka, has been replaced.

If the new Chairman has been heard to sing the praises of the new features in the same directory, ignore him. If you want to dial a number in Greater Colombo you need to know where your contact is located, North, South or Central, so that you refer to the correct volume.

That’s not easy, if you knew that Battaramulla, is in Colombo Central, there being no Colombo East. Boralesgamuwa and Maharagama are also in Colombo Central. There is a map, of course. But that shows the three areas in the form of patches in varying shades of grey without clear geographical boundaries. Assuming you want to find a number in the ‘Residential Section’, there is another surprise ahead.

These days when Lankans are striving hard for social harmony, forgetting differences, there is a ‘Religious Section’ with emphasis on Buddhism, Hindu, Christian and Islamic sub-sections to pass over.

But, now if you want the number of a cricket club, there is no separate section for them. Not even Sports Clubs or Recreation Clubs. This cannot appear in the Residential Section either. You will need to call 239 9399, which promises “more information” according to the directory, only to be told that the appropriate number is 161. There used to be a toll free number for Directory Inquiries. Not now.

This is 161 - Directory Assistance. So, the call will be charged to your bill even though assistance takes time and you hang on for long. Directory Assistance will give you the number. But it cannot tell you the section in the directory where that and other cricket clubs appear.

The name, number and address would appear on the computer screen but there is no reference to the section in the printed directory. When told that this must be the most confusing telephone directory in the world, you will hear the comforting comment: “Yes, Sir. There are many complaints like this about the directory”. At least, you will know there are others who share your misery.

Never refer to the index at the beginning. In the list of Ministries, for instance, Education is lost in the middle of a line containing multiple portfolios. You may imagine that there is no such Ministry. Try also not to believe that there are archaeological sights too.

You could now proceed to the next section: Professional and business individual section, whatever that means! But you wouldn’t find cricket clubs there. After extensive research you proceed to the ‘Business Section.’ Lo and behold! Your elusive cricket club is there! It will dawn on you then that cricket clubs do indeed conduct serious business nowadays. One last advice-preserve your old directories. They have much more than heritage value.

Food Ads bill delayed
The Food (Labeling and Advertising) Regulations - 2003, which should have been implemented earlier this year, has been postponed for the second time.

Due to be enforced in October 1, 2004, it will now be implemented from January 1, 2005. Health Ministry officials said the reason for the previous postponements was because certain amendments had to be made to the regulations -- at the request of the trade.

They said a transitional period had to be given to the industry in order to clear stock before the new rules apply.

Back to Business