Abstract
Background
Exposure to audio-visual alcohol content in media is associated with subsequent alcohol use in young people, but the extent of exposure contained in UK free-to-air prime-time television has not been explored since 2010. We report an analysis of alcohol content in a sample of UK free-to-air prime-time television broadcasts in 2015 and compare this with a similar analysis from 2010.
Methods
Content analysis of all programmes and advertisement/trailer breaks broadcast on the five national UK free-to-air channels in the UK between 6 and 10 pm during three separate weeks in September, October and November 2015.
Results
Alcohol content occurred in over 50% of all programmes broadcast and almost 50% of all advert/trailer periods between programmes. The majority of alcohol content occurred before the 9 pm watershed. Branding occurred in 3% of coded intervals and involved 122 brands, though three brands (Heineken, Corona and Fosters) accounted for almost half of all brand appearances.
Conclusion
Audio-visual alcohol content, including branding, is prevalent in UK television, and is therefore a potential driver of alcohol use in young people. These findings are virtually unchanged from our earlier analysis of programme content from 2010.
Exposure to audio-visual alcohol content in media is associated with subsequent alcohol use in young people, but the extent of exposure contained in UK free-to-air prime-time television has not been explored since 2010. We report an analysis of alcohol content in a sample of UK free-to-air prime-time television broadcasts in 2015 and compare this with a similar analysis from 2010.
Methods
Content analysis of all programmes and advertisement/trailer breaks broadcast on the five national UK free-to-air channels in the UK between 6 and 10 pm during three separate weeks in September, October and November 2015.
Results
Alcohol content occurred in over 50% of all programmes broadcast and almost 50% of all advert/trailer periods between programmes. The majority of alcohol content occurred before the 9 pm watershed. Branding occurred in 3% of coded intervals and involved 122 brands, though three brands (Heineken, Corona and Fosters) accounted for almost half of all brand appearances.
Conclusion
Audio-visual alcohol content, including branding, is prevalent in UK television, and is therefore a potential driver of alcohol use in young people. These findings are virtually unchanged from our earlier analysis of programme content from 2010.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 462-469 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Journal of Public Health |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Early online date | 25 Oct 2018 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 30 Sept 2019 |
Bibliographical note
© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health.
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Jo Cranwell
- Department for Health - Senior Lecturer
- Centre for 21st Century Public Health
Person: Research & Teaching