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Products were wrongly promoted in episodes of Jamie at Home and Britain’s Next Top Model, Ofcom has ruled.
Channel 4 was judged in breach of the broadcasting code for appearances of the Jamie Oliver Flavour Shaker on Jamie on September 8 and October 9.
Ofcom noted during the first show Oliver referred to the Flavour Shaker by name and used it for about two minutes. It added: "During this segment there were several close up images of the product as the ingredients were placed into it, two shots of Jamie Oliver shaking the product to camera and two further shots of the Flavour Shaker open on the chopping board; full, and then afterwards, empty."
The regulator decided: "It is Ofcom’s view that there was insufficient editorial justification for the combined way in which the product was both visually presented and verbally referred to. Overall the focus on the product went beyond the level of prominence usually given to a basic kitchen utensil."
Channel 4 agreed the product was unduly prominent in the shows and contacted producer Fresh One Productions when it realised to make sure there was no repeat. It also argued the use was editorially justified, however, and said it was "unrealistic to expect that new kitchen devices could not be used".
Meanwhile, an episode of Britain's Next Top Model, broadcast on Virgin Media's Living on August 13, was found to have promoted a Vauxhall Tigra, which was also the sponsor of the series.
It featured in a photoshoot for several minutes while host Jonathan Phang told contestants: "You’re going to be starring in an ad alongside this beautiful Vauxhall Tigra."
Ofcom decided it was a promotional reference to the sponsor on the show - a more serious breach than that by Jamie.
It warned broadcasters about in-programme references to their sponsors: "...broadcasters should be aware that a reference to a sponsor within a programme may create a higher presumption of editorial influence by the sponsor. Non-promotional references are more likely to be acceptable if they appear to occur naturally within the programme.
"However, in this particular case, the Vauxhall Tigra was featured within the programme as a result of a deliberate, scripted and advance decision by the programme maker...
"Ofcom’s approach to visual or verbal references to a commercial product or service of a sponsor in a sponsored programme (such as those to the Vauxhall Tigra) will naturally be more rigorous than if those same references appeared in a programme which was not sponsored."
Virgin had said the references were "non-promotional" and "editorially justified and incidental". It said Vauxhall had no influence on the content of the show and that other brands and retailers had appeared elsewhere in the series.
