Restrictions on advertising to children extended

Health Minister Tony Ryall and Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman have congratulated New Zealand broadcasters for voluntarily extending the restrictions on advertising to children.

Mr Ryall says, "The updated booklet, Getting it Right For Children, confirms restrictions on when ads for children can be screened, and includes restrictions on advertising children's foods.

Dr Coleman says, "The total restricted and advertising free zones per week across the three major free to air broadcasters, will double to 101 hours and 30 minutes a week since the classification system was introduced in 2008.’’

The Ministers say this is a good example of organisations voluntarily taking responsibility for the impacts they may have influencing young people.

The organisation representing free-to-air TV broadcasters is ThinkTV. Chief Executive Rick Friesen stays "Children are very important to all of us and free to air broadcasters consider it a welcome obligation to provide these low and no advertising zones for them."

A copy of the new booklet, Getting it right for children, is available from http://www.thinktv.co.nz/thinktv/standards-and-regulations/children-an-tv/