TV Week has an interesting article on how the midterm elections may impact media-and-health issues, such as the $4.7 billion a year spent on broadcast drug ads. Excerpt:
"Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., has repeatedly questioned whether direct-to-consumer prescription drug ad costs are driving up health costs and co-sponsored legislation that could impose a two-year moratorium on spots for any new drugs, which ad groups have contended is unconstitutional.
An aide to Sen. Kennedy-who will take charge of his house's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee-didn't return several calls last week asking about plans to push the issue, but ad groups said House Democrats' desire to rewrite Medicare to let the government negotiate prescription drug prices and Congress's need to reauthorize a key Food and Drug Administration funding bill offer numerous prospects for attempts to limit the ads.
"It's our most immediate concern," said Dick O'Brien, executive VP of the American Association of Advertising Agencies.
The Senate switch also gives Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, a critic of junk food ads aimed at kids, chairmanship of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Sen. Harkin, while urging marketers to act voluntarily to stop promoting junk foods to kids, has offered legislation letting the Federal Trade Commission curb food ads if "there is evidence that consumption of certain foods and beverages is detrimental to the health of children."
His bill also limits deductions for tobacco ad spending, raising ad groups' fears of a precedent to limiting deductions of other industries, especially alcohol ads. Sen. Harkin has also questioned any ads being directed to younger kids."
Posted by schwitz at November 15, 2006 10:38 AM | TrackBack