asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether he has appointed any advisory committees or advisers under section 20 of the Broadcasting Authority Act, 1960 in relation to the Authority's functions on advertisements; and whether such committee or adviser has considered what constitutes an advertisement; or whether the Authority has power to include items of an advertising nature as an integral part of its general programmes.
Ceisteanna—Questious. Oral Answers. - Broadcast Advertisements.
63.
The answer to the first part of the question is "no", and the second part does not therefore arise. As regards the third part, the Broadcasting Authority have wide powers in relation to advertisements and there is no express provision in the Broadcasting Authority Acts forbidding them from acting in the manner suggested. There is, however, a clear implication in section 20 of the Broadcasting Authority Act, 1960, that advertising matter be identifiable as such and I am assured that it is and has been the general policy of the Authority to separate advertisements from programme content. On the sound broadcasting side, of course, there are still sponsored programmes, that is, programmes supplied for advertising purposes by or on behalf of an advertiser but these are clearly identified as advertising programmes.