Fergie's Tech Blog

FCC Studies Bogus TV News Issue

Via Red Herring.

Television has long blurred the line between entertainment content and advertising, but the U.S. Federal Communications Commission has begun investigating reports that TV networks are blurring the lines between news and advertising.

Two consumer groups have complained to the FCC that TV stations are airing video provided by PR firms representing major corporations such as Intel, Pfizer, Capital One, and General Motors, while disguising the sponsored content to make it appear as their own reporting.

The Center for Media and Democracy, which has been tracking TV’s usage of sponsored video, documented 36 PR-produced video news releases used in the news.

CMD, which has partnered with Free Press to investigate the usage of PR video in news, also identified 77 TV stations that aired the videos without proper identification of their source in 98 separate instances.

posted by Fergie @ 5/26/2006 11:23:00 AM