Deceptive Regulation

The television industry employs something called Broadcast Advertisers Reports, which monitors TV commercials and helps the industry regulate itself. Last week B.A.R. Chairman Phil Edwards turned around and bit the master. His chief complaint: B.A.R. monitors local stations, which choke the air with commercials in excess of industry rules. B.A.R. turns in a report. The station ignores it. The National Association of Broadcasters ignores it. The commercials go on. "I suppose we would have realized from the start that nobody would give himself a ticket for speeding," said Edwards. "We will not be privy to a farce."

With that, he announced that B.A.R. would no longer undertake to monitor television stations for the industry. Said Edwards: "Self-regulation on an industry-wide basis is not only deceptive; it is impossible."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.