Kenya Film Classification Board Bans Sports Betting Advertisements

The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) has announced new regulations to control advertising on TV during watershed hours of 5pm to 10pm. The new guidelines will affect sports betting commercials that usually air during this period.
KFCB boss Ezekiel Mutua in a press conference on Tuesday termed the commercials as ‘unsuitable.’
“Commercials related to betting to be classified as unsuitable for watershed period,” Mutua asserted.
The board also issued strict rules on adverts promoting condoms, contraceptives, alcoholic products, or advertisements with sexual innuendos. They will not be aired during the watershed period.
“The Kenya Film Classification Board has issued new classification guidelines on advertising content to enhance film and broadcast content regulation. In principle all adverts will either be suitable or unsuitable for watershed. Adverts to do with alcoholic drinks, condoms & contraceptive products as well as betting will be classified outside the watershed, unless there’s an overriding, safety, health or educational message. Billboards with misleading information will be brought down and the advertisers prosecuted in line with the law. All tv programmes, including telenovelas and soaps will be rated in line with the Programming Code for free to air radio and television stations effective July 1 2016,” said Mutua
The new regulations come barely a week after the board took action against Coca Cola’s ‘Taste the Feeling’ ad, in which a kissing scene was edited out.