Channel 5 rapped for Tim Minchin plug

Channel 5 show The Wright Stuff has landed in trouble with broadcast watchdogs for blatantly plugging Tim Minchin’s DVD.

They have ruled that mentioning live on air that the Ready For This show was available from the channel’s website blurred the line between programming and advertising, which is against the rules.

An unnamed sidekick of host Matthew Wright gave the sales pitch when the Australian comic was a guest on the daytime show in November.

Holding up the box she said: ‘And if you fancy a good laugh this Christmas, then may I recommend Tim’s brand new live DVD. It’s called Ready For This and features such hilarious songs as Bears Don’t Dig on Dancing and Matthew’s personal favourite, Gay. You can buy your copy from five.tv/wrightstuff for just £12.93 and save a third off the suggested retail price, and no, I’m not joking.’

When quizzed by regulators Ofcom, Channel 5 said producers had misunderstood rules that allowed on-air promotion of certain ‘programme-related material’

In its ruling today, Ofcom accepted that neither Channel 5 nor the show’s producers had received any payment for the plug.

But they said: ‘For material to qualify as programme-related material, it must be directly derived from a specific programme and must allow viewers to benefit fully from, or interact with, that programme.

‘In this case, it is clear that the reference to Tim Minchin’s DVD did not meet the definition of programme-related material. The presenter encouraged the audience to buy the DVD by providing a positive review of its various features, details of a special reduced price and where the audience could purchase it. Ofcom considered the promotion of the DVD was akin to a teleshopping feature.

‘Ofcom concluded that the promotion of the DVD during the programme was clearly in breach [of the broadcasting code].’

The transgression came four months after Daily Express and Daily Star owner Richard Desmond brought Channel Five for £104million.

Ofcom today made similar rulings against plugs on X-Factor telling viewers that Diana Vickers and Michael Buble’s singles could be downloaded from the programme website.

Published: 24 Jan 2011