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New EU rules for advertising, just before Brexit

(January 2019)

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KU
Kunst
https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=428a9c7e-7ea1-4705-b9af-56240aff3fe0

A complete revolution in terms of advertising

No more "a maximum of 12 minutes of advertising per hour".
But , just an average of 12 minutes of adverts in two blocks (20% as before), between 6am to 6pm (144 minutes), 6pm to midnight (72 minutes), with no more "maximum per hour" anymore
This means that, especially in prime time, you can get things like 16 minutes of adverts per hour between 9pm and 10pm (less than 12 minutes of course), while quietly diminishing this between 6pm and 7pm

Will similar laws be adopted in a Brexit Britain?
:-(
A former member
No. short answer, UK has always had stricter rules than anywhere else in the world.
GE
thegeek Founding member
Is this a case of maximum minutage allowed, and any member country would be free to set stricter limits if they so chose?
KU
Kunst
No. short answer, UK has always had stricter rules than anywhere else in the world.

When it comes to terrestrial stations, when it comes to other stations, not so much

I can see it being applied in the UK, some time soon
KU
Kunst
Is this a case of maximum minutage allowed, and any member country would be free to set stricter limits if they so chose?

Yes, each member can choose
But, the main point, is that the EU does not force a "minutage" anymore, as the article states. Now the maximum is in terms of %.

There is an average, but not a minutage anymore
JM
JamesM0984
This is something I've always been surprised at the EBU for not standardising, along with flashing images. Alongside a satellite exchange and the mother of all reality TV franchises, isn't the EBU there to bring broadcasters together to develop common standards and best practices?

TBH I don't see the limit as necessary, since we are seeing a slow shift away from the traditional "30 second spot within or between a show" to other forms of commercial partnerships.
KU
Kunst
Sadly, common people's interests are not always the target of the EBU

Anyway, if you haven't got what this law is about, I'll give you some examples.
Currently, on non-terrestrial commercial channels, broadcasters can only schedule their ads per hour like that:

18:00 - 12 min
19:00 - 12 min
20:00 - 12 min
21:00 - 12 min
22:00 - 12 min
23:00 - 12 min
(in total 72 minutes)

Soon they should be able to have a hypothetical:
18:00 - 4 min
19:00 - 6 min
20:00 - 14 min
21:00 - 16 min
22:00 - 16 min
23:00 - 16 min
etc.
This law definitely gets us closer to the US

Now we'll see what each member state will do, as they will will have 21 months to transpose it into national legislations
:-(
A former member
Didnt uktv reduce its ad lenght to keep viewers? It's a double edge sword.
JM
JamesM0984
Presumably these changes don't apply to us anyway as we leave the EU on March 29?
WH
what
Presumably these changes don't apply to us anyway as we leave the EU on March 29?

We still have the option to adopt EU laws.
SJ
sjhoward
Presumably these changes don't apply to us anyway as we leave the EU on March 29?


As with all other EU rules, they would (almost certainly) apply during any transition period.

Beyond that, like most other EU rules, it starts to get a bit sticky because the UK Government's intention is to remain part of several bodies where following EU rules is expected as part and parcel of membership; but simultaneously rejects the idea of following rules it has no influence on making... so who knows what the long-term outcome will be.

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