Viacom, Disney Fined by FCC Over TV Ads

Two cable TV channel operators have agreed to pay a combined $1.5 million in fines to settle probes into whether they violated federal rules on the amount and kind of advertising aired during children’s shows.

Viacom Inc., owner of the Nickelodeon channel, agreed to pay $1 million after it allegedly violated Federal Communications Commission rules restricting children’s TV advertising to 10.5 to 12 minutes per one-hour episode.

Walt Disney Co.’s ABC Family agreed to pay $500,000 for violating rules that prohibit TV stations and cable operators from airing commercials for products associated with the children’s show, such as an ad for a toy likeness of a main TV character.

Both companies blamed internal snafus.

FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell said Thursday that the settlements sent a message that would “ensure that our children, who are uniquely vulnerable as viewers, are not exposed to excessive advertisements.”

In Disney’s case, regulators determined that ABC Family Channel aired 31 half-hour episodes in which commercials for products associated with the children’s programs were aired. The company blamed a computer snafu and human error.

Meanwhile, the FCC determined that there were nearly 600 instances in which Viacom’s Nickelodeon show contained more than the maximum allowed minutes of commercial time. Viacom blamed its troubles on “flawed internal procedures and human error.”

The violations surfaced during routine FCC audits last fall.