Tate Praises Food, Beverage Cos.
FCC commissioner responds to progress report released by Council of Better Business Bureaus.
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/30/2008 8:33:00 AM
Federal Communications Commission member Deborah Taylor Tate Wednesday praised food and beverage companies for cutting back or cutting out their advertising to kids under 12.
She was responding to a progress report released by the Council of Better Business Bureaus on the effort of the 13 companies -- now 14 with the addition of Nestlé this week -- participating in its self-regulatory initiative.
"America's parents will be pleased with today's report, which shows that 14 of America's food and beverage companies, which account for more than two-thirds of total food-advertising expenditures, have met their pledge obligations," Tate said in a statement posted on the FCC Web site. "I want to praise them for the steps they have taken. Some are true industry leaders, having agreed not to advertise any food and beverage products to children under 12. Other companies are advertising only ‘better-for-you’ products."
But while Tate praised the companies, she said more needs to be done, including "challenging" media companies to adopt their own voluntary initiatives.
Tate was echoing the Federal Trade Commission, which released its own report Tuesday on food and beverage marketing to kids. The FTC recommended that media companies join the CBBB initiative and called on them to put more of their creativity and muscle behind multiplatform marketing campaigns promoting healthier foods, diet and exercise.
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