Advertisers' warning to C4 over Big Brother racism row

A moneysupermarket.com spokesman said: "We asked our agency to move our
ads from the breaks because we don't want to be associated with the
show. We don't want our name linked with allegations of racism."

A C4 spokesman confirmed the broadcaster had been approached by
companies willing to replace The Carphone Warehouse if the telecoms
firm's decision to drop its sponsorship became permanent.

The remainder of Celebrity Big Brother will run without sponsorship
idents. Negotiations continue about the eighth series of Big Brother,
due to start in May.

The spokesman confirmed that some advertisers had asked for their
campaigns to be reallocated, but added: "We've had many more advertisers
wanting to come in to Celebrity than wanted to leave."

The Channel 4 board was due to grill chief executive Andy Duncan
yesterday over his handling of the scandal surrounding the treatment of
Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty by housemates including Jade Goody.

Chancellor Gordon Brown has previously backed away from plans to
privatise the broadcaster, but Bob Wootton, director of media and
advertising at the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers, said C4
was "playing with fire".

Bernard Balderstone, associate director of media at the UK's biggest TV
advertiser, Procter & Gamble, said: "Channel 4 doesn't have as clear a
case for public service funding as years ago. Privatisation would force
it from the halfway house situation it's got itself into."

A C4 spokesman said: "The Government's policy has been to ensure ongoing
plurality of PSB provision in addition to the BBC and the Government and
Ofcom have identified Channel 4 as vital to that."