Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon in trouble for Macca’s ad

Channel Nine’s Today show breached broadcasting regulations when it aired a McDonald’s promotion in October last year.

Co-hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon didn’t make it clear Nine had a commercial partnership with the fast-food company during the segment.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority’s ruling was first reported by The Australian on Wednesday.

The segment saw Langdon, 42, share a box of McDonald’s burgers and fries with Stefanovic, 46, and the other presenters.   

The advertorial for the chain’s new ‘chicken menu’ saw Stefanovic eat a ‘chicken parmi burger’ and declare it was ‘the best burger’ he’d ever tasted.

According to the commercial television industry code of practice, networks must be transparent when it comes to commercial arrangements and product endorsements.

An ACMA  spokesperson said ‘Ms Langdon’s comments suggesting she had arranged for the products to be provided [for the Today show] had the potential to obscure for viewers the circumstances in which the products appeared on the program.’ 

Another segment saw weatherman Tim Davies handing out food to members of the public and saying: ‘I’ve got the new McDonald’s McChicken range here.’ 

This was also found to have breached broadcasting rules, with ACMA explaining that while Davies had ‘disclosed the products were provided by McDonalds’ he did not disclose the endorsements were ‘in accordance with a commercial arrangement’.

‘This kind of blurring of the lines between advertising and program content breaks down the audience’s trust in what they are seeing,’ said ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin.

Ms O’Loughlin stressed the importance of ‘transparency’ about endorsements and added that Nine ‘was not clear enough’ in this instance.

The Nine Network has questioned the findings made by ACMA, saying it was obvious to viewers the food had been provided by McDonalds. 

The station has nonetheless accepted the breach notice.