According to sources close to the FCC the agency is expected to begin steps toward reducing the increasing use of product placements within television programs. The FCC is considering requiring TV shows to carry more conspicuous notices in their programs when advertisers have paid to have various products prominently placed into the program.

A coalition of consumer and health advocacy groups, which includes Public Citizen and the Parents’ Television Council, sent a letter to the FCC claiming that during 2007 there was a 13 percent increase in the number of product placements in prime time network programming. "We must not allow television programs to become Trojan horses, carrying messages that would otherwise be criticized by the public or even deemed illegal," the coalition claimed. They also expressed concern over product promotions that are woven into a TV script, known as “product integration.”

Part of the issue is that when the products are placed into a program or promoted there is no competition for any other similar product.  Programmers claim that they are using embedded advertising due to the increasing use of TiVos and DVRs that allow viewers to skip over traditional TV advertisements.

The FCC’s Chairman, Kevin Martin, said, "I believe it is important for consumers to know when someone is trying to sell them something and that it is appropriate for the Commission to examine these issues."