Television

ISBA’s Television Action Group represents around £2.5 billion advertising spend per annum, which equates to almost two thirds of the UK’s total annual television advertising budget. The group has influenced much of ISBA’s advertising policy and maintains constructive relationships with government and regulators.

The Television Action Group meets six times a year and addresses topical issues affecting advertisers. This can range from production costs, late copy delivery and airtime trading, to the impact of the proposed European directive on advertising minutage. 

One of the group’s most significant legacies is the introduction of the Contract Rights Renewal (CRR) price control mechanism. ISBA urged its imposition when the two sales houses Carlton and Granada merged to form ITV plc in 2003. The group feared that ITV’s magnitude would allow them to leverage their dominant position, increasing airtime prices and their share of the market. CRR links the share of budgets ITV can command from advertisers to its audience delivery. We estimate it has saved advertisers almost £1.5 billion. Recent outputs include:

• responding on advertisers’ behalf to both stages of the Ofcom/OFT review of the Contract Rights Renewal remedy, which links ITV’s revenues to its audience share performance.
• forging a strong relationship with the regulators. This high level of engagement has resulted in submissions on: rules on the amount and distribution of advertising, product placement (AVMS Directive), Project Kangaroo and the future of public service broadcasting.
• liaising with a production company on TVAG’s behalf to produce a revised version of our ‘Producing ads in times of conflict’ guidance note, circulated in February 2009.
• ensuring advertiser representation on the BARB board, with Unilever’s Richard Brook overseeing the transition between research contracts.

For further information about the work of the TV Action Group please contact David Ellison.