Ofcom have criticised the way in which a sponsor credit for a window company was read out on a London radio station.
Sunrise Radio, which broadcasts to London's Asian community, has been found in breach of sponsorship rules following the broadcast of a feature entitled [i]Hit of the Hour[/i].
On one occasion in March, the presenter credited the sponsor with the following live read: "This is the Hit of the Hour, brought to you in association with G&B Windows. They’ve got a special offer going on at the moment, seven windows and one opening, fully fitted, and it’s only going from £1,399. Why not give them a call? The number is 020 88 67 double 9 double 5, or you can just log on to their website…"
One listener complained that the mention sounded "like an advert", rather than a sponsorship credit.
Finding Sunrise in breach of Rule 9.9, Ofcom said: "In this instance the sponsor credit lasted almost twenty seconds. Further, in addition
to the names of the sponsored feature and the sponsor, the information provided comprised notification and full details of a special offer, a call to action and the sponsor's contact details."
Sunrise says it did not intend to breach the rule and has offered its apologies to the regulator.
