Ofcom proposes no change to amount of TV advertising

As part of its consultation into rules on TV advertising, through which Ofcom has already removed rules that require a 20-minute interval between ad breaks, the regulator said its initial preference is for no change to the overall amount of advertising on television.

However, it said it will consider alternative views on the range of other options before making any decision.

Ofcom is also seeking views on whether there should be changes to the rules on peak-time advertising on the main commercial public service channels – ITV1, Channel 4, Five and S4C. Ofcom said: We are inviting views on whether public service channels should be able to allocate the total weekly allowance flexibly, so that they could show more on one day than another.

Ofcom has dismissed the hopes of some commercial broadcasters that there should be no rules on the number of advertising breaks within programmes. Instead, it is consulting on what those rules should be.

Ofcom is also to consider allowing the commercial public service channels to broadcast a certain amount of teleshopping. It said its preliminary view is that non-public service channels should be allowed to decide for themselves how much teleshopping to show, but that public service channels should only be allowed to show teleshopping overnight.

Ofcom’s consultation closes on 11 December and it intends to publish a statement on its decision based on responses in the first quarter of 2009.