The Stage

Casting websites to fall under extended ASA remit

Published Wednesday 1 September 2010 at 14:51 by Matthew Hemley

Casting agencies that use the internet to make false claims about the services they offer are to be targeted by the Advertising Standards Authority for the first time.

The regulatory body’s digital remit is to be extended from March 1 to apply to all marketing communications online.

Currently its remit only covers paid-for marketing communications, such as pop-up banner advertisements.

The move means that casting companies making certain claims about their services on their own websites - such as purporting to supply extras to particular soaps - would have to prove documentary proof should a complaint be made about them.

Such complaints have regularly been brought against companies placing misleading adverts in the papers, but this will be the first time companies’ own websites will come under scrutiny.

ASA chairman Chris Smith said: “This significant extension of the ASA’s remit has the protection of children and consumers at its heart. We have received over 4,500 complaints since 2008 about marketing communications on websites that we couldn’t deal with, but from March 1 anyone who has a concern about a marketing communication online will be able to turn to the ASA.”