UK television regulator Ofcom are thinking about raising the broadcasting limit on advertisements, as a means to boost flagging revenue. British TV advertising is worth £3.47 billion a year, with a 30-second advert on primetime terrestrial TV costing approximately £50,000.
At the moment, terrestrial channels are allowed to broadcast 9 minutes of adverts every hour; although ITV, Channel 4 and Five choose to broadcast only 7 minutes, as they understand the British mentality about "rude interruptions."
Ofcom want to set a new 12-minute limit -- a 70% increase that will take us very close to America's 13-minute limit. However, terrestrial commercial channels are likely to only increase to 9 minutes, putting them on equal footing with digital channels like Sky One.
Obviously, any increase in advertising is a disappointment for UK viewers, although some ads can be more entertaining than the programs! Adverts are a necessary component of commercial TV, but I don't want the UK to become a clone of the US system -- where TV shows seemingly cut to commercial breaks every 6 minutes!
9 minutes isn't too bad, particularly as the extra 2 minutes generates more cash to pump back into making decent television. I think most people can cope with a 2 minute increase, as the difference between 7-minute terrestrial TV and 9-minute digital TV isn't noticed by most viewers!
But are we headed down a slippery slope to 13-minute madness? I hope not, as that would push more people to download TV shows over broadband internet, or find solace with the BBC -- and both are bad news for TV advertisers.
At the moment, terrestrial channels are allowed to broadcast 9 minutes of adverts every hour; although ITV, Channel 4 and Five choose to broadcast only 7 minutes, as they understand the British mentality about "rude interruptions."
Ofcom want to set a new 12-minute limit -- a 70% increase that will take us very close to America's 13-minute limit. However, terrestrial commercial channels are likely to only increase to 9 minutes, putting them on equal footing with digital channels like Sky One.
Obviously, any increase in advertising is a disappointment for UK viewers, although some ads can be more entertaining than the programs! Adverts are a necessary component of commercial TV, but I don't want the UK to become a clone of the US system -- where TV shows seemingly cut to commercial breaks every 6 minutes!
9 minutes isn't too bad, particularly as the extra 2 minutes generates more cash to pump back into making decent television. I think most people can cope with a 2 minute increase, as the difference between 7-minute terrestrial TV and 9-minute digital TV isn't noticed by most viewers!
But are we headed down a slippery slope to 13-minute madness? I hope not, as that would push more people to download TV shows over broadband internet, or find solace with the BBC -- and both are bad news for TV advertisers.
