The consultation follows the publication of the Communications Act, which, after much lobbying by the ad industry, included a clause that TV and radio advertising should be regulated in the same way as the non-broadcast industry -- by a self-regulatory system.
The proposal would see the bulk of Ofcom's advertising regulation handled by a body within the Advertising Standards Authority, which currently only regulates non-broadcast advertising.
The new system would work with Ofcom, which is headed by chief executive Stephen Carter and would retain backstop powers over the ad regulator.
Under the current system, TV ad complaints are handled by the Independent Television Commission, while radio ads are regulated by the Radio Authority. The new system aims to simplify the complaints procedure for consumers.
ASA chairman Lord Borrie QC said that the proposals offered clear benefits for the public.
"At present, consumers must negotiate a regulatory maze just to submit a complaint about misleading or offensive advertising," Lord Borrie said.
"Complaints about TV ads go to one regulator, radio ads another and cinema ads a third. And as boundaries between technologies blur, confusion about who does what will only increase. Ofcom's proposals provide a clear and straightforward solution to this regulatory complexity: a one-stop shop for all advertising complaints."
The new body would have responsibility for drawing up, reviewing and Ofcom-approved enforcing codes, as well as setting standards for the presentation and content of broadcast advertisements.
The consultation document, The Future Regulation of Broadcast Advertising, together with a summary, is available . The closing date for responses is January 9 2004.
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