/ 15 May 2008

ASA tells media not to accept ads from Tshwane council

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) on Thursday reiterated its call for media houses to refrain from accepting any advertising from the City of Tshwane metropolitain council. The ASA said it had come to its attention that media houses were accepting advertising from the city despite its instructions not to do so.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) on Thursday reiterated its call for media houses to refrain from accepting any advertising from the City of Tshwane metropolitain council.

The ASA said it had come to its attention that media houses were accepting advertising from the city despite its instructions not to do so.

”It has come to our attention that despite the alert, some members are still accepting commercial advertising from Tshwane,” the authority’s Fred Makgato, head of legal and regulatory affairs, said.

”We therefore insist that all members refrain from accepting any advertising from Tshwane, other than political advertising,” he continued.

Last year the ASA gave notice to media houses to no longer accept Tshwane Metropolitan Council advertisements which refer to Tshwane as the country’s capital, rather than Pretoria.

ASA ruled the public had been misled by the Metro Council’s advertising campaign that described Tshwane as the capital.

Makgato said ASA received a query from Beeld newspaper in Pretoria on Thursday as to whether it should accept advertising from the metro.

”The ban still stands until we announce its upliftment, this is a reminder.

”The only advertising that may be accepted is for political advertising,” said Makgato. – Sapa