NEW YORK -- They're stealth commercials within a television show: a soft drink can in front of an "American Idol" judge, a bag of chips offered to a starving "Survivor" contestant.

A watchdog group says these embedded ads are getting out of control, and asked federal authorities Tuesday to enact stricter rules regarding their use.

"TV stations are turning programs into infomercials, but viewers are often not aware that these ads are ads. That's totally unfair," said Gary Ruskin of Commercial Alert, which filed separate complaints with the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission.

Product placements within television shows is a growing trend as networks become increasingly nervous about the impact of digital video recorders like TiVo, which allow viewers to skip commercials. TV networks depend on ad revenue to survive.

The FCC complaint cited a survey of 750 media planners from earlier this year that found 18 percent had negotiated a product placement over the previous six months, but 26 percent anticipated working on one during the next six months.

They can take many forms: cosmetics companies have had their products included in soap opera plot lines; Regis Philbin cited a phone company when a contestant on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" wanted to phone a friend; beer company signs appear on the set of "The Best Damn Sports Show Period" and a skit on the program mimicked a trousers ad.

There's nothing wrong with advertising, Ruskin said, "but they must not pretend their ads are something else."

When Congress first required radio broadcasters to identify their sponsors in 1927, lawmakers said listeners are entitled to know who is trying to persuade them, he said.

"Current practice in the broadcast industry violates this principle broadly and systematically," Ruskin said in his FCC complaint.

Susan Lyne, ABC entertainment president, said it's important to explore product placements because of the way the broadcast business and technology are evolving. But ABC is moving cautiously, she said.

"I think it can alienate viewers if they feel they've been hit over the head," Lyne said. "Also, it's still tough to assess what to charge for product placements. We want to take it one step at a time."

Other network executives were reluctant to even talk about it. CBS and Fox specifically declined to comment on Commercial Alert's complaint; NBC and the WB did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

Ruskin said FCC rules require television stations to identify sponsors -- other than traditional advertisers -- once during a program's broadcast.

He's not sure whether all networks are abiding by this and, even if they do, if it makes much of an impact on viewers. He wants product placements to be identified as ads when they happen: the word "advertisement" should flash, for example, when a soft drink bottle appears on the screen if the beverage maker has paid for it to be there.

Commercial Alert asked the FTC to investigate the extent of product placements.

"Embedded advertising is the new reality of television, and it is time for the commission to address it," Ruskin said.