Ad Standards

CBC/Radio-Canada is responsible for all content -- including advertising -- carried on its broadcast, specialty and new media services. CBC Advertising Standards is a set of policies, procedures and guidelines that determines the conditions under which commercial messages are accepted for broadcast or placement on CBC/Radio-Canada services. The objective is to ensure that advertising messages are presented with integrity and good taste and are not false or misleading. Commercial messages must also comply with the Broadcasting Regulations of the CRTC and any applicable laws and regulations.

All commercial messages carried on CBC/Radio-Canada services must be approved by appropriate Advertising Standards staff prior to broadcast or placement.

Key Policies

CBC/Radio-Canada Advertising Standards contains the following key policies:

1. Truth in Advertising
2. Standards of Taste and Fair Representation
3. Advertiser Identification
4. Endorsement
5. Program Integrity
6. Language of Broadcast
7. Advocacy Advertising
8. Political Advertising
9. Unacceptable Advertising

The policy statements for all Advertising Standards policies may be found at the following site: www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/docs/policies/ads/

Legal and Regulatory Requirements

The following policies deal in part with legal and regulatory requirements:

1. Advertising Directed to Children under 12 Years of Age
2. Contests and Games of Chance
3. Alcoholic Beverage Advertising
4. Advertising Limits

Scheduling Limitations

Some scheduling restrictions or conditions apply to the following:

1. Program Integrity
2. Advertising Directed to Children under 12 Years of Age
3. Advocacy Advertising
4. Contests and Games of Chance
5. Alcoholic Beverage Advertising
6. Political Advertising

Review Of Advertising Material

All commercial messages intended for broadcast on CBC facilities require Advertising Standards' approval before scheduling. Separate submissions for commercial messages are required in both languages when the material is intended for broadcast on both English and French CBC stations.

Script In Advance Of Production Whenever possible, commercial scripts should be submitted for evaluation in advance of production. This can avoid costly revisions of produced material.

Produced Material Commercial material in its final form (broadcast quality), together with the exact audio/visual transcript, should be submitted well in advance of scheduling deadlines.

CBC Approval CBC Advertising Standards numbers are assigned to all commercial material for national and regional advertisers at the time the produced message is reviewed and approved for broadcast.

For more information on Advertising Standards, contact one of the following departments:

English Commercials

CBC ADVERTISING STANDARDS

French Commercials

SRC BUREAU DU CODE PUBLICITAIRE