New Product Placement IDs? First Get Rid Of TV Program Promo Swipes

[Commentary] TV networks now argue there should be no additional federal regulations for identifying product placements — like extra visual messages at the time of their appearance. If so, Friedman suggests the networks get rid of identifying messages that already exist during current TV shows. If product placement and branded entertainment deals are here to stay, networks can't argue that interrupting the context of a show with product placement identification is hurtful — especially when they do it all the time. Not only do networks advertise their own shows during their own shows, but, in specific cases, will give a TV marketer — also, no doubt, a regular network commercial advertiser- a piece of that promotional swipe. A fragmented video world means TV network marketers fight for every bit of non-paying marketing time and space to promote their wares. According to current Federal Communications Commission rules, there need only be one announcement of identification for a product placed or integrated into a show. That typically comes right after the end of a show in some typically fast moving end-credits, noting usually that "paid consideration was provided by..." for such placements. Networks argue that it's overkill to offer up more regulation.