Folks, if you want a really interesting blend of populism, science, politics and media policy — look no further than Ofcom’s junk food advert consultation. It’s great! It’s really one of the first occasions in which we’ve seen Ofcom thrown somewhat off its game with respect to a consultation.

Here’s where things stand, along with my random thoughts and observations:

* The deadline to respond to the consultation is June 30, 2006. You can use this online form.

* Here is the consultation document, the update, and a new chart detailing how broadcasters will suffer ad revenue losses. What’s the update all about? Basically the update revises Ofcom’s quantitative research and shows more of Ofcom’s thinking on the issue of whether a complete ban of advertisting HFSS (high fat salt and sugar) foods before 9pm. Ofcom still maintains that a pre-9pm ban would not serve the public interest, although the regulator goes of out its way to solicit other unspecified options.

* I think it’s fair to say that Ofcom has been taking a beating on this issue from health and consumer-protection campaigners. For example, Which? recently stated:

We believe Ofcom is wasting an opportunity to really get to grips with the
advertising of foods high in fat, sugar and salt while children are watching
TV.

Last week Ofcom admitted that a complete pre-watershed ban would cut kids’ exposure to junk food ads by 82 per cent. Yet the option it favours - stopping junk food ads during children’s TV programmes - will reduce their exposure to ads by just 39 per cent.

* Jamie Oliver is starting a new experiment for Channel4 where he gets fifteen inexperienced young people to manage an Ofcom food advert consultation … Just kidding, but I did hear through the grapevine that some MBA students from a well-known university are preparing a response to Ofcom’s consultation.