ASA throws out Freeview ad complaints

The BBC can legitimately describe digital terrestrial television service Freeview as "free", the Advertising Standards Authority has confirmed in its latest round of adjudications.

Adverts in which the BBC said: "You can get these 8 BBC channels, with others, on cable and satellite. But now you can also get them on Freeview. A new package of 30 channels. You can get Freeview by plugging an adapter into your TV. They cost around £99. One-off payment, no contract..." attracted complaints from around the country, from North Yorkshire to Dorset. The complainants disputed that the BBC could advertise the service as free on two points; firstly, that one has to buy suitable equipment to decode DTT signals before Freeview is available; and secondly, that consumers were already contributing to the cost of Freeview by purchasing a TV licence.

In its assessment of the complaints, the ASA said: "The Authority considered that the advertisement made clear that the channels were available free with satellite or cable services and that they were also available through the new Freeview service. It considered that, because the eight channels were free to satellite and cable subscribers and the advertisement explained the cost of the adaptor needed for the Freeview service, the cost of the adaptor did not negate the claim that the eight new BBC channels were free. The Authority concluded that the description of the channels as "free" was not misleading."

As to the TV licence point, the BBC said that the potential audience of Freeview would already hold a TV licence. Thus, the Authority concluded: "...because television viewers were required to have a licence, irrespective of whether or not they accessed the advertisers' digital channels, the Authority considered that the cost of a TV licence did not have a bearing on the advertised product."