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Ofcom said that the decision was subject to specific safeguards "intended to preserve editorial independence, protect the under-18s and ensure the audience is made fully aware of the sponsorship relationship".

Sponsorship of individual commercial television and radio programmes has been permitted for the last 15 years in the UK, with the sponsorship by Cadbury's of 'Coronation Street' being one of the first and longest running. However, following responses it received during its review of the broadcasting code, the regulator has now decided to relax the ruling. 

The current Ofcom broadcasting code prohibits the sponsorship of news and, for television, current affairs programmes.

It also prohibits specific product categories from sponsoring certain kinds of programmes. For instance, alcohol brands are not allowed to sponsor children's programmes and gambling companies may not sponsor programmes aimed at under-18s.

The February consultation asked whether it was appropriate to allow channels that broadcast some of these kinds of programmes to be sponsored at all. Having considered the responses, Ofcom will now allow the sponsorship of any channel. 

Restrictions will still exist. Channels and stations that broadcast short hourly news bulletins will be allowed to be sponsored. However, an alcohol brand would not be allowed to sponsor a children's television channel. 

The regulator now will move to make sure specific safeguards are put in place to preserve editorial integrity and protect children. These will include moves to ensure that "viewers must be made aware of the sponsorship arrangement and the sponsor's credits must be separated from all other editorial and advertising content on the channel".

In addition, credits for the channel sponsor must not appear in or around programmes that can not be sponsored and credits should not suggest that these programmes are included in the sponsorship arrangement, and that "the sponsor's presence on the channel should not be unduly prominent".
 
Broadcasters will also be unable to rename channels after the sponsor in question, according to the new rules.

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