Broadcast Code for Advertising to Children - Guidelines and Procedures

These Guidelines and Procedures do not form part of the Children’s Code. However, they are generally intended to assist broadcasters, advertisers, advertising agencies and media placement services, particularly the creative, media and traffic departments, in adhering to the provisions as well as the spirit and intent of the Children’s Code. Every effort should be made to ensure that persons involved in these functions are thoroughly familiar with the Children’s Code and these Guidelines and Procedures.

More detailed commercial message clearance procedures have been established by ASC and are subject to change from time to time. Information concerning these procedures can be found on ASC’s website.

Broadcasters, advertisers and agencies often enquire about the interpretation of certain clauses of the Children’s Code. In this regard, ASC, in cooperation with broadcasters, advertisers and the Children’s Clearance Committee, has instituted an ongoing process to establish accepted Children’s Code clause interpretations that are intended to serve as a guide for industry. Information concerning these interpretations can be found in The Children’s Broadcast Advertising Clearance Guide, available on ASC’s website.

1. Program Classification

Audience analysis and other studies of children's interests and viewing habits show a major, definite shift in viewing patterns at the age of 12. Using this age-level definition has the further advantage in that the Children’s Code will conform to the audience breakout used by BBM Nielsen Media Research Inc.

The program and production departments of the station or network staff know the primary audience they are trying to reach with each show. From a viewer's point of view, of course, the most obvious criteria are the type and nature of the program, its suitability for the child audience, and the time of scheduling. Viewer enquiries about program classification may be directed to the individual station or the network.

As with any commercial message, the ultimate responsibility for acceptance or rejection of a child-directed commercial message remains with the individual broadcasting station. A station may for its own reasons decide to reject a commercial message which carries an ASC authorization number. The CBC does not accept commercial messages of any kind in or adjacent to programs designated by the CBC as directed to children under 12 years of age.

Advertising directed to children is acceptable on a limited basis (maximum two minutes per clock half hour/four minutes per clock hour) in and adjacent to programs designated by the CBC as having an overall family/adult audience appeal.

Where doubt exists, the station, the advertiser or the advertising agency involved, may refer the commercial message to the Children's Advertising Section for a decision as to whether it conforms to the Children’s Code.

2. Pre-Schoolers

Children of pre-school age often are unable to distinguish between program content and advertisements. Therefore, any commercial message scheduled for viewing during the school-day morning hours should be directed to the family, parent or an adult, rather than to children and should have the requisite ASC clearance number if appearing in or adjacent to a child-directed program.

3. Program Promotions and Public Service Announcements

Although the Children’s Code does not apply to unpaid public service announcements or to program promotions, stations are urged to conform to the spirit of the Children’s Code when scheduling such announcements and promotions. For example, promotion trailers and public service announcements shown during children's programs or family viewing time, should not include sensational scenes unsuitable for child viewing.

4. Local Advertising

Local advertising refers to those commercial messages that appear in one market only. Although pre-clearance is not mandatory for commercial messages that are purely local, stations are responsible for ensuring that local advertising directed to children or that appears in children's programs conforms to the provisions of the Children’s Code.

5. Advertisers and Advertising Agencies

(a) ASC will review scripts and storyboards on a consultative basis but an approval number will be assigned only after the Children's Clearance Committee has reviewed a finished commercial.

(b) When tag lines to be used by a local announcer are sent out with a commercial message the tag line should also be submitted.

(c) Sometimes the exigencies of broadcast timing and production call for "on the floor changes" in a script. It is therefore important that all those involved in production be familiar with the Children’s Code so that any such changes do not conflict with specific clauses or the spirit of the Children’s Code.

(d) The Children's Clearance Committee generally meets every other week to review finished commercials except from September through November, when meetings are held weekly.

6. Scheduling

The Children's Advertising Section has raised a concern with respect to the scheduling of children's advertising featuring known characters and their related products in or adjacent to programs in which the same characters appear.

It has been agreed that broadcasters and advertisers should, to the best of their ability, continue to implement the established industry practice and refrain from the scheduling of children's advertising in such a manner. It is understood that there may be occasions where this kind of scheduling cannot be avoided.

Telecaster Services of TVB has agreed to make provisions reflecting the established policy a part of its guidelines.

7. Clearance Procedures - Advertising Standards Canada

All children's advertising, except that which is purely local, must receive authorization from the Children's Clearance Committee prior to broadcast.

All authorized commercial messages must carry an ASC number (e.g. ASC-012345) which should appear on the traffic instructions. Private broadcasters will not accept children's advertising that does not carry such a number. Telecaster Services of TVB member stations and networks will identify children's advertising via the Telecaster one number (which embraces all other numbers, except CBC) which gives the expiry date and a K to signify the commercial message has been cleared by the Children's Clearance Committee. The Telecaster one number could look like this sample A20223cd4-1089K.

All approved commercial messages shall carry the initials ASC, plus a six-digit number which will be valid for one year from date of issue. IT MUST BE RENEWED AT THE END OF THE ONE YEAR PERIOD, if it is to air subsequent to the expiry date.

Advertisers (agencies) are to re-apply for a new number at the expiry of each commercial message and stations will not accept commercial messages with an expired number.

Submission procedures can be found on ASC's Website (www.adstandards.com), or requested from ASC.

Children's Advertising Section
ASC Clearance Services
Advertising Standards Canada
175 Bloor Street East
South Tower, Suite 1801
Toronto, Ontario
M4W 3R8