BR
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/24/ofcom.advertising
OFCOM are rewriting the rules regarding the regulations for TV advertising, though the actual amount of advertising won't change.
The main changes are:
Films can contain one ad break every 30 minutes, rather than every 45 minutes as currently permitted (and seemingly ignored IMO)
Documentaries, Current Affairs and religious programmes shorter than 30 minutes will be permitted to include one commercial break for the first time
The infamous 20-minute rule, where the time from the beginning of one (internal) part to the beginning of the next part must be no less than 20 minutes has been scrapped. This will probably be most notable with US imports, which rather than breaking after the titles or just a couple of minutes before the end will probably return to including one shorter internal part of around 7-8 minutes instead.
The current arrangement in which C4 can transfer advertising from it's schools programming to other parts of the schedule is to end following complaints from ITV and Five. This means advertising will be permitted to be shown between schools programmes, but has until Dec 2009 to comply.
These changes come into force from September 1st 2008. There is a second stage to the review regarding the length of ad breaks and amount of advertising, but OFCOM have noted in todays report that viewers, broadcasters and advertisers seem to agree there would be no benefit in an increased amount of advertising.
Most of this does seem common sense and in practice will probably be un-noticeable. One thing we might see though is on non-PSB channels (i.e. everything but ITV, C4, Five) is an extra break within 30-minute programmes. ABC1 did that but kept to the 20 minute rule, meaning a break near the beginning and near the end. These new rules (in theory) would allow a more natural pattern of a break after the titles and then one at the mid-point.
OFCOM are rewriting the rules regarding the regulations for TV advertising, though the actual amount of advertising won't change.
The main changes are:
Films can contain one ad break every 30 minutes, rather than every 45 minutes as currently permitted (and seemingly ignored IMO)
Documentaries, Current Affairs and religious programmes shorter than 30 minutes will be permitted to include one commercial break for the first time
The infamous 20-minute rule, where the time from the beginning of one (internal) part to the beginning of the next part must be no less than 20 minutes has been scrapped. This will probably be most notable with US imports, which rather than breaking after the titles or just a couple of minutes before the end will probably return to including one shorter internal part of around 7-8 minutes instead.
The current arrangement in which C4 can transfer advertising from it's schools programming to other parts of the schedule is to end following complaints from ITV and Five. This means advertising will be permitted to be shown between schools programmes, but has until Dec 2009 to comply.
These changes come into force from September 1st 2008. There is a second stage to the review regarding the length of ad breaks and amount of advertising, but OFCOM have noted in todays report that viewers, broadcasters and advertisers seem to agree there would be no benefit in an increased amount of advertising.
Most of this does seem common sense and in practice will probably be un-noticeable. One thing we might see though is on non-PSB channels (i.e. everything but ITV, C4, Five) is an extra break within 30-minute programmes. ABC1 did that but kept to the 20 minute rule, meaning a break near the beginning and near the end. These new rules (in theory) would allow a more natural pattern of a break after the titles and then one at the mid-point.