Remind me someone, please, of the BBC’s attitude to advertising. Easy — they don’t do it. Well, that’s what we were always led to believe. How often have we heard a presenter or performer mention some product or service supplier and then cover her or his mouth in mock horror at the accidental infringement of the cast-iron rule? Very often, I’d say — but perhaps not for some years.

No celebrity, for instance, ever appears on any chat show or radio programme guest spot without some recording, book, DVD, film or new stage production to plug.

Then there’s product placement. As long ago as September 2006, an investigation by The Sunday Times proved just how easy it is for specialist agents to get their clients’ products shown on the screen. At least 50 cases were identified where top brands bought favourable exposure.

The investigators dreamed up a fictional Mexican beer called Reds, then visited programme makers to try to arrange an airing. The makers of The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook programme said: “I don’t see a problem with that.” The prop master for Hotel Babylon was equally co-operative. He said: “I can do you two or three bottles on the bar — prominent all the time.”

A few months ago, the hard-hitting consumer affairs programme You and Yours on Radio 4 was accused of having broadcast what was, in effect, a six-minute free advertisement for Krispy Kreme doughnuts. (Tried them? Me neither.) This followed a six-minute interview with the managing director Rob Hunt. At one point he said: “At any given time we have 16 different varieties on sale. There is [sic] about ten that we sell all year round and then we bring out seasonal variations over the course of the year.

“We have just launched our summer doughnut range, which includes my personal favourite — our new cheesecake doughnut, which is just gorgeous.”

Complaints about the interview were made to the Radio 4 show Feedback. One listener said: “I want to know why You and Yours spent all that time giving a free advert and wonderful publicity for a doughnut company.”

The criticism was reported in the Daily Mail, prompting the Guardian to accuse the newspaper of its “usual BBC-bashing”. There had, said the Guardian, been only 13 complaints.

But a great many more, surely, will have heard the report, been annoyed by it, but done nothing about it. I know someone who was in exactly this position.

I know this because she told me about the Krispy Kreme plug (of which I was unaware) when I mentioned my annoyance over an episode rather similar.

The interviewee this time was Rod Garnham, the boss of a newish company called Corkers Crisps, makers of an up-market product from potatoes grown on his family farm near Ely. Air time was granted him on Radio 2’s Drivetime with Simon Mayo on Tuesday of last week.

Ostensibly he was ‘on’ to discuss a claim (made, I think, by a caller the previous day) that it was possible to eat six packets of crisps in one ago.

Quite possible, said Mr Garnham. He and his staff did it most days in order to assess the consistency of their products. Sorry, their “high quality” products! He then went on to list the six varieties (“sausage and mustard is very popular”) and tell us what was so very special about Corkers: “good quality potatoes from a good farm”, “less greasy crisps”, “a nicer crunch”, “less abrasive” were phrases that jumped out.

At the end of the interview, the jocular Mr Mayo thanked him and said: “Sales are increasing already.” Too true, mate!

One can hardy blame Mr Garnham for seizing his moment. But is it fair to other crisp makers for the Beeb to supply him with this platform?

Even as I was pondering this question, Drivetime continued with a report on the British car industry — and a plug for the largest retailer, Pendragon. This came in an interview with boss Trevor Finn who seized every chance to ‘big up’ his firm.