Another nail in the coffin of Children's TV

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/nov/30/advertising.television


That article sums it up, but basically in relation to children's TV broadcasters won't be allowed to insert an ad break in programmes less than 30 minutes long.


Now, until a few years ago on CITV at least this was common practice, with ads only airing in between the shows - but now like other 30 minute programmes, most half-hour kids programmes do include an ad break in the middle.

So I expect in the next couple of years they'll be 35 minute long kids programmes will begin filling the schedules of children's channels.



In other news, the maximum amount of advertising in any hour is to remain at 12 minutes, with an average of 9 minutes an hour over any given day. This is the current average for most UK channels, though the terrestrial channels are restricted to an average of 7 minutes an hour, rising to 8 minutes in peak time.



Product placement will also be permitted in certain programming, including films for TV, sport and light entertainment. That itself doesn't worry me hugely as I never really spot it in US programming - but what does worry me is that the EU dictate that broadcasters must "signal" the inclusion of product placement at the beginning and end of a programme and after each commercial break.

How this affects sponsorship I don't know, but I certainly don't want to see "This programme is bought to you by..." type promos become common place - and though a listings in the credits is fine, I think alerting you to the product placement beforehand will make you look out for it, rather than let it's subtle inclusion pass you by as might otherwise be the case.



Also no mention of any change to the "20 minute rule", so that should mean no extra ad breaks each hour, meaning 30 minute programmes will continue to play out in 2 parts and 60 minute programmes in four.

IIRC the ad ban for 30-minute shows remained in place until late 1999, when on an experimental basis breaks were inserted into CITV's half-hour shows in the 12 weeks running up to Christmas. CITV at the time tried to fight the move because they feared the ads would cause viewers to flick over to the BBC1 opposition. Come new year 2000, the extra ad break disappeared, but between mid-2000 and 2001 was reinstated on a permanent basis.

Placing programmes in 35-minute slots to get round the rules will probably create a scheduling nightmare!

So theyre speculating broadcasters will go the other route and opt for shorter programmes to get more ads in.


I suppose also they'd be nothing to stop them using Coronation Street like scheduling and rather than air something as one 30 minute episode they could split it into two and schedule a short programme in between them.


I don't know how this rule would be applied to shows which are basically two or three episodes tagged together in a half hour slot.

It'll be something more for the continuity annoucers to add to the now commonplace content warnings.

"Now on ITV2, tonight's all action movie, with strong language, violent scenes, and some product placement."

Two points:

1) In the early 1970s it seems ad breaks WERE permitted in 30-minute children's shows. Timeslip, Follyfoot, Kids from 47A - all have break slates. Not sure when the ad ban came in, but was certainly in place by the late 1980s.

2) Interesting the ad ban was not finally lifted until 1999; something which you'd think might have happened earlier.

I can appreciate the EU's desire to reduce children's commercial exposure, but on top of the fast food ban among other things...

Ah - but (a) most of them are US (or Japan-via-US) shows, so they can't do much to alter them and (b) that's 30 minutes of programming , yes? As in, a 35 minute slot would need to have a maximum of 4mins 59 seconds of ads - they'd need to go to 45 minute or hour-long slots to have "normal" levels of ads (quotation marks used advisedly...)


I think it might be a "This programme contains product placement" message they're looking for, rather than naming the products as you suggest...