Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

Payment for displaying products in TV shows is not allowed in Ireland, but a UK change would make it difficult to police, writes RICHARD GILLIS

PATRIC VERONNE is recalling his days as a writer on the Johnny Carson Tonight Show, during the so-called golden age of American television: “Johnny would come out in front of the curtain and do five minutes of funny, topical stuff talking about the week’s events and warm up the crowd,” says Veronne, who went on to write for The Simpsons among other hit shows, and is now head of the Writers’ Guild of America. “Then he went to his desk and before the first guest came out he would turn to the camera and present that week’s sponsor – it could be a beer company or detergent – and do his salesman bit.”