• Variety, Thursday, March 12, 2009 9:45 AM

The British government is keeping the ban on product placement in British TV shows, despite economic difficulties and a three-month lobbying effort by broadcasters.

Media minister Andy Burnham says he does not see a convincing economic case for product placement, which is widespread in the U.S. "My priority is to protect the standards of broadcasting for which Britain is known worldwide. There are very serious concerns about blurring the boundaries between advertising and editorial."

The European Union greenlit limited TV product placement in 2007, but individual governments still have the power to outlaw the practice. British broadcaster ITV, hit by declining ad revenues, says it will fight the government's decision, labeling it "perverse but not surprising."

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