Open Letter to Children's TV Chief Executives

Dear Sir/Madam,

I'm writing to ask you to urgently ban the advertising of secured debt companies on your children's TV channel.  This letter coincides with the launch of the ‘Not In Front of the Children' campaign and petition to have these ads dropped from children's channels and the submission of an Early Day Motion by Rob Flello MP.

To normalise debts for children is bad.  To normalise the worst type of debt, for those who are in crisis, is morally irresponsible. 

Why am I launching this campaign?

A shockingly high number of parents are being badgered by their children to take out loans with expensive lending companies such as Ocean Finance and Norton Finance. 

These companies provide secured loans, the very worst form of debt, as the lender can forcibly sell the borrower's house if they are unable to repay moneys owed.

In a poll of over 1,000 people on my website MoneySavingExpert.com the results show (of the respondents who were parents)

• One in three (32%) have heard their child repeating slogans from debt adverts
• Eleven per cent admitted that their child had suggested they take out financing of this type
• Fifteen per cent have discussed the adverts with their child
• Just one in ten (11%) said their child had never seen the adverts
• Only one in five (21%) felt their child was unaffected by watching the adverts

I could write and say ‘would you show warnings before the ad's?', ‘can you reduce the number?', but neither would suffice.  It is wrong, plain and simple to show such ads to kids.  I ask you to withdraw them immediately.   If this doesn't happen I will look to escalate the campaign.

I therefore call on you to stop showing these adverts.  Please do call me.  I'm only too happy to talk.