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Junk food ban threatens kids TV

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Industry group Free TV Australia has warned children’s programs could be axed if the Federal Government backs a ban on junk food advertising.

“There would be significant impacts on children’s programming, for which advertising is already limited,” Free TV told a parliamentary inquiry.

If true, locally made shows such as Hi-5, Totally Wild, Here’s Humphrey and The Shak could be dumped.

Free TV said voluntary broadcasting codes, which require “special care” when advertising to children, were sufficient to protect young viewers.

But The Parents Jury, a parental lobby group, said mums and dads were concerned about about the huge number of unhealthy food ads directed at children.

It said studies had shown 81 per cent of food ads screened during children’s viewing hours were for unhealthy foods such as confectionary, sugary breakfast cereal and fast food.

The group, which has 3100 members and is backed by VicHealth, wants junk food ads banned between 6am and 9pm.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon is awaiting a report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority on the issue before considering advertising bans.

Source: news.com.au

8 Responses

  2. With the problems children face all around the world the over-reaction is from PTC.
    I agree with Dan, you don’t teach kids a healthy lifestyle by taking TV shows of the air or banning commercials, the only way this line of thinking could possibly work is if you banned ALL advertising and then the actual food itself.
    The parents need to take a bit of responsibility here and teach kids about moderation from a young age. Moderation is the essence of indulgence, any food is fine if had on rare/special occasions.
    Teaching your kid to say no to bad food is what will curve the tide..
    You really think these people actually care about kids?
    Most people who protest in these kinds of way contribute to the cause to benefit themselves, not the people they claim to be “looking out for”.

  3. I guess I’m in the minority when I agree with what the PTC is doing. Obesity’s an epidemic in this nation, the kiddies here are the fattest in the world and it’d be nice to see a dropoff of that percentage and cutting off the supply of candy bar ads isn’t such a bad thing. And for all the people screaming about their rights of freedom, get a grip, they’re only trying to make kiddies healthier. Overreaction much?

  4. Fanger, it might be the most remarkable thing in the history of the universe, but I completely agree with everything you wrote there.

    Well said!

    Every time I read the name “Nicola Roxon” these days it seems to be in the context of her and her government telling me how I should and shouldn’t be living my life. For my own good, of course. I’ve gone from having plenty of time for her to, basically, despising the cow in the space of a few short months. Not even the Liberal government could achieve that. Tony Abbott took far longer to reveal himself as repulsive 😀

  5. David, If Big Brother’s axing is the “stabbing” of the Queensland TV industry, banning junk food advertising will kill it. Childrens television is the backbone of the Queensland TV industry. The Shak is exported overseas, and kids from Dubai to Toronto enjoy the program.

    Don’t let the “southern TV army” led by 7 and 10 stomp all over Queensland’s best talents who risk losing their jobs in this debacle…

  6. Couldn’t agree more fangera 101 and another thing it should be up to the parents to decide what their kids can and can and cannot eat

    Banning these ads won’t make any difference because kids will still want junk food

    I wonder what these groups will want next maybe pulling all junk food from supermarkets or banning maccas altogether

    This is just another example of making people less responsible for their own actions

  8. I’m sick of Australia telling people how they should be and what they should do with that degree of smug arrogance. The upper mid class wannabe elitists are trying to turn everyone into these perfect Human Beings. We are the most socially dictatorial place in the World right now and one of the most hypocritical. We really shouldn’t let these people try use the TV and Media to tell us how to live. The more rules and pressures they put on our Youth the more they will rebel as they get older. They’ve even resorted to threats to Children entertainment to get their way purely for their own self satisfaction. We have people in this world dying every moment of starvation, Children who don’t have any access to Education and Kids being used as Mine Fodder and these people are worried about our kids seeing a MacDonald ad? Come on Free TV, pick the battles that count, please.

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