The structure of ad breaks

I take your point there about the programme being edited to suit ad breaks, I agree. I'm most bothered about the idea of detaching the opening titles and closing credits from the body of the programme - it's bad enough now, particularly after a drama, when the music is talked all over by the announcer - it totally ruins the end of some things for me.

For a 90 minute show
An ad before, plus two during the show at 30 and 60 minutes.

For an hour-long show:
An ad before, plus two breaks during the show at 20 minutes and 40 minutes.

For a half hour show:
One ad before, plus one break during the show at 15 minutes.

Or no ads during the program but a long set afterwards?

eg on ITV1

7.30pm Coronation Street
7.50pm 10 minutes of ads.

Not sure how this would work or how it would get advertising revenue lol but it would be ideal for us!

The TV companies and advertisers would never agree to that - and my opinion is it be more distracting to viewers! The vast majority of shows on commercial TV work around the breaks - and Coronation Street is no exception, using a mini-cliff hanger into each break.


As I said in the opening post it is the actual breaks in between two programmes that I'd like to scrap. The facts regarding the amount of advertising suprised me alot, as the average is supposed to be 7 minutes an hour over 24 hours, with eight minutes an hour in peak time.

However, as OFCOM allow a maximum of 12 minutes, this is why ITV especially seem to have long commercials. From 6pm - 11pm they are allowed to screen 40 minutes of adverts. This is an average of 8 minutes an hour, but on weeknights adverts are only screened between 6.55pm and 10.30pm, meaning an extra three or four minutes of ads every hour, with ITV using their maximum allocation of 12 minutes an hour.

It also explains why there is a delay in programming on ITV, C4, Five at 11pm by five minutes. The stations can take up to five minutes of adverts from it's overnight allocation and screen them from 11pm, boosting the amount of adverts for that hour from 7 minutes to 12 minutes.

Please can anyone find the main rules regarding advertising on US, Australian and European TV? The FCC website is a mess, while the OFCOM rules mention that it's rules are related to a EU directive on television, so do all EU countries follow the same ad structure as in the UK?

This probably isn't very helpful, but when I was on holiday in Portugal, I watched a film (in English) that had been split into two parts, with what must have been around 20 minutes of non-stop adverts half way through. It was ridiculous, really.

Personally being used to Australian TV i couldnt handle long commercial breaks, it causes a huge switch off factor. With the shorter ad breaks by the time youre bored the next show comes back on. In the US i think they have tags in the middle with something like 'the simpsons will be right back on FOX' which keeps you watching the ads in anticipation of the show. This is also why shows fade to black there. Also Australian shows generally play through the intro and take a break well after story has developed. This results in most US shows being cut in the wrong places because their breaks are after the intro. Also most US shows have a break between the end of the show where the executive producer credits are shown and the next episode trailer. Going into the break a graphic for the show will be shown along with ann announcer saying 'Stay tuned for scenes from our next episode' the production enders would then play before the credits (which are split screened) to create a seamless flow into the next show.

So as you see there are diffrenses between Australian and US tv. Accelerated flow and uniform split screen credits (US Method) is still relatively new in Oz with nine and ten yet to remove all commercial time between programs in primetime just yet.

Funnily enough Advertisers pay much more to have their ads between programs, something australias seven network had a hard time getting rid of. Infact they couldnt remove one sponsor from programs between starting at 9.30 because they paid $11 Million a yr for that small spot. They have the silly belief that people will watch it more closely because theyre away from other adverts!

Thinking about the main advertising rules:

an average of 7 mins per hour for 24 hrs from 0600
an average of 8 mins per hour in peak-time (0700-0900 / 1800-2300)
maximum of 12 mins of ads per hour
max length of (internal) break: 3 min 30 secs (plus 20 sec promo)

In theory, it is possible for stations to ditch many of their ad breaks between programmes without increasing the number of breaks. Certainly where hour-long programmes are concerned, the three internal breaks give them 10.5 minutes of advertising - well above the average, and within the 12 min maximum. Only with consequtive 30-minute shows and around films / sport would ads need to continue at programme junctions.

COULDN'T AGREE MORE!!!! I can't believe some people on this forum are even talking about this idea as if it may work in some ways......

Firstly, opening and closing titles are there to 'enclose' and somewhat 'complete' the programme at either end. Closing credits especially give us a moment to reflect on what we have just seen before moving on - although of course ITV and Channel 4 have completely ruined that for us now with their relentless promotion during end credits (and even the BBC on their most popular shows)
For this same reason, I feel we actually need a break of sorts between programming - can you imagine some heart-rendering emotional end to an episode of Coronation Street, and then going straight into a commercial?

And secondly, the fact is that US TV shows just how commerically-obsessed the whole thing is. Now, i'm very pro-America, but just take a look at their 'Sporting' spectacular, the SuperBowl - the game is designed to play around television advertising for crying out loud!! That is the last thing we want to start happening in this country....

Part of what makes films special in the cinema or on DVD is that you watch the whole 120 mins break-free, giving you a proper chance to get into the programme and become absorbed in its world, appreciating it as the true art-form it is meant to be.
US television is a constant stream of switching between programme and advertising, which has a very subtle psychological effect. Ultimately, long-term we are more exposed to the advertising as 'part of' the programmes we watch. That is also the reason why in the US they do not have short stings indicating the programme going to or returning from a break - everything just slides together more smoothly, exposing us more deeply to the adverts...

Personally, I think we have it good in the UK...