Daily Sport faces legal action over misleading promos

by Jennifer Whitehead,, Brand Republic 03-Jun-04, 13:50

LONDON - Sport Newspapers, publisher of downmarket tabloid the Daily Sport, could face legal action after the advertising watchdog referred the company to the Office of Fair Trading.

The dispute centres around promotions on the Daily Sport and Sunday Sport and follows a ruling handed down by the Advertising Standards Authority in March.

It said that a promotional flash on the front page reading "Daily Sport 10p today" was misleading because it implied that the newspaper was available for 10p, but the price was, in fact 40p and the 10p price was a magazine promotion.

Sport Newspapers, infamous for front-page stories including 'Hitler Was A Woman', 'Aliens Turned Our Son Into A Fish Finger' and 'Donkey Robs Bank', refused to sign an assurance saying that it would comply with the ASA's ruling that it check promotions copy with the copy advice team.

The watchdog has now referred the case to the Office of Fair Trading after a similar promotion, this time by the Sunday Sport on May 23.

Roger Wisbey, director of advertising practice at the ASA, said that Sports Newspapers' refusal to co-operate with the ASA had led to the referral.

"Publishers, advertisers and advertising agencies all have a responsibility to comply with the advertising industry's own code of practice, the CAP Code. Sport Newspapers have persisted in publishing misleading promotions and so the ASA has resorted to the self-regulatory system's legal backstop by asking the OFT to consider further action," he said.

Sports Newspapers has been the subject of ASA investigations four times since the beginning of 1999. The March ruling came after four complaints from the public.

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