Ofcom amends rules on TV ad breaks

by Fiona Ramsay, Media Week 24-Jul-08, 11:00

LONDON - Ofcom is to remove "outdated and unnecessary" rules that require a 20-minute interval between ad breaks on TV, as part of a new advertising code to come into force on 1 September.

Following a consultation on the UK implementation of Brussels' new Audio Visual Media Services (AVMS) Directive, Ofcom is changing its code on the rules for the distribution of TV advertising.

Ofcom has ditched the 20-minute interval rule that currently forces the first and last breaks to be scheduled very close to the beginning and end of some programmes.

The new code will also allow for one advertising break for every 30 minutes of a film, instead of one for every 45 minutes, and will end restrictions on advertising breaks in documentaries.

The next stage of the review, due for release in the autumn, will deal with possible changes to the rules on the amount of advertising allowed by broadcasters.

But Ofcom has indicated that the industry is not in favour of increasing the amount of ad minutes that TV broadcasters may carry.