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Movie interruption - why?

Channels like 5 and ITV2 interrupt their films regularly (August 2019)

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JO
Josh
When watching films on channels like Channel 5 and ITV2, I notice they almost always interrupt them halfway through for news or something similar. But, why? I've never understood the need for this or why they do it.
JO
Jonwo
It's a way to squeeze in more ads as there is a limit of the number of ads you have in a slot.
CA
Capybara
Jonwo posted:
It's a way to squeeze in more ads as there is a limit of the number of ads you have in a slot.

I was watching Bridget Jones' Baby last night on Channel 5 (which I surprisingly enjoyed) and noticed they do the same thing as Film4 - ads were spaced further apart? They seem to interrupt the movie less to make it less disruptive.
TW
tweedledum
I believe its something to do with regulatio s specifically around advertising in films on TV. I think the maximum amount of ads is lower than in other slots/programmes and so presumably thats why they split to avoid that regulation. Could be wrong though.
TM
tmf9
That's correct. They can show at least one extra ad break by splitting the film with something like 'FYi Daily' or 'Access'.
LL
London Lite Founding member
One of the reasons I no longer watch films on ITV2-4 is because of those banal showbiz fillers which ruin the flow of the film.
LO
lobster
I used to have on VHS, a recording of the movie premier of A View To A Kill, from sometime in the early 1990s... it started at 9pm, and was interrupted for 40 or so minutes by the ITN News at 10, national weather and then regional Anglia news and weather.

wished I still had it - those were the days.
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
To be honest I'd much rather have the interruption by News at Ten than the irksome "FYI Daily".

Not unique of course to the networks owned by the PSB networks... Sony Movie Channel does it too, although some of the visual quality on the material on Sony Movies seems to suggest they've just found some tatty old print from somewhere, though that on its own isn't unique to Sony either.
PF
PFML84
What is more annoying about those filler programmes is that they get an entry in the EPG, so if you went to record a film, you have to remember to record both parts or you'll only see the first half!

Not quite as annoying as this trend of "NEW" before programme names in the EPG which ruin stacks/folders. Surely the description could tell us if it is a new episode or repeat and not have to have it in the title of the programme?!
LL
London Lite Founding member
I remember watching Schindler's List on one of the ITV spin off channels, where it's one of those movies where commercials are fine, but to have the film interrupted by some post-grad 20 something journalist being over enthusiastic about some celeb gossip was just too much. United 93 is another film that really shouldn't have that filler in the middle of it.

You can just about get away with it on ITV2 where the programming is younger skewed, but on 3 and 4 is a big ask.
TI
TIGHazard
What is more annoying about those filler programmes is that they get an entry in the EPG, so if you went to record a film, you have to remember to record both parts or you'll only see the first half!

Not quite as annoying as this trend of "NEW" before programme names in the EPG which ruin stacks/folders. Surely the description could tell us if it is a new episode or repeat and not have to have it in the title of the programme?!


Not all devices show the description during the now/next display, but obviously the titles are. So if you're flicking through...
TE
Technologist
What is more annoying about those filler programmes is that they get an entry in the EPG, so if you went to record a film, you have to remember to record both parts or you'll only see the first half!

Not quite as annoying as this trend of "NEW" before programme names in the EPG which ruin stacks/folders. Surely the description could tell us if it is a new episode or repeat and not have to have it in the title of the programme?!

One if my greatest regrets with the first open standard EPG EN 300708 was that we did not have a flag for " New" Subtitles AD etc so that the EPG could decide how to do it .... e.g by making the title a diferent colour.... rather than many prog titles be New <title> whuch just confuses everyone.

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