channel 4 advert on itv1

The Central Cake would look fantastic now - its only really like the latest Channel 4 logos that form up in different ways, just like the Cake used to. And the different music too - fantastic - bring it back! Sorry to turn this into a Central thread...

Most of the ITV regions used to cross-promote Channel 4 programmes from 1982 onwards, and this was sometimes reciprocated, especially in the years when the ITV companies funded Channel 4.

But, an ITC ruling banned direct cross-promotion between the two channels from 1st January 1999.

Then why was there cross-promotion a few nights ago then?

In America, I see lots of cable networks buying ad time on another network.

In some cases, they already own the network but I saw an ad for the USA Network(NBC U) being run on A&E(A&E Networks-which is partly owned by NBC U along with ABC).

Not so much banned cross-promotion, as ended the compulsory cross promotion required under the Channel 4 funding formula (and indeed. ended the formula).

The idea was that if Channel 4 ever made a loss the ITV companies would fund it. But Channel 4 was always making a profit and in turn had to pay ITV. So it was decided to end the funding formula completely. This meant that ITV and C4 no longer had to cross promote - but doesn't ban them from taking out paid advertisements with each other, as was presumably the case here.

No, that would get them into trouble, they can't raise their price for some and not others

Because they bought an advertising slot just like any other company can