Two weeks ago, CNN International was reprimanded by Ofcom because its CNN YouTube Debate on Climate Change programme broke rules barring sponsorship of news programmes and product placement.

Just two weeks later, the UK media regulator is again warning the network on a near identical charge. It says Skype’s sponsorship of the Connector Of The Day segment in host Becky Anderson’s Connect The World show contravened rule 9.1 of the UK’s Broadcasting Code, which outlaws sponsorship of news programmes.

Skype has recently been looking for media alliances. It ran this ad during the show, but it was about more than just an ad spot - like the YouTube case, the show also invited viewers to contribute by sending their views using the VoIP software…

While CNN owner Turner escaped sanction for the YouTube breach (Ofcom merely recorded the offence against Turner’s broadcasting license), the regulator is now angrier following the repeat offence. It says:

“Ofcom has significant concerns with Turner’s compliance with Rule 9.1 of the Code. In light of this, Ofcom is requiring the broadcaster to attend a meeting to discuss these concerns. Further, Ofcom is putting the licensee on notice that any further breaches of Rule 9.1 will be taken extremely seriously and in such circumstances Ofcom may consider further regulatory action.”

Like the YouTube case, the Skype complaint put CNN International in the rather weird position of saying the show in question was not actually a news programme...

“The segment format of the ‘Connector of the Day’ is explicitly not a news and current affairs format, even though it sits in a current affairs show. CNN invites guests for the segment who have no relationship with the immediate news agenda of the programme in which the segment is placed. The guests are asked to answer questions which have been posed by CNN’s viewers, not CNN, and are selected so as to avoid any connection with current events.”

But, as with the sponsorship of CNN’s Copenhagen climate debate by YouTube, Ofcom rejected this defence, stating: “The interview clear references were made to
recent news events.”

In the meeting to which Ofcom is summoning CNN International, it will likely be reminding the network of the definition of “news”.

{/exp:get_graph} {/exp:tweet_quote}