Channel Seven has been censured by the broadcasting watchdog for airing a clandestine promotion for fast-food chain McDonald's during children's TV programming.

The campaign, which purported to be a network promotion and aired 72 times during children's TV programs late last year, did a lot of promoting for McDonald's and not much for the TV network.

Golden arches ... Channel Seven argued the ad was a 'station identifier'.

The fast-food chain's golden arches and its well-known characters Hamburglar and Grimace were prominent, but Seven was not.

The promotion was in fact an ad, paid for by McDonald's, and its broadcast was today found to be in breach of regulations governing children's TV.