The number of adverts on TV channels and how long they last is under review by the broadcasting regulator Ofcom.
In a report, which was published earlier this week on Wednesday, Ofcom explain that:
“We are also looking at the rules that set the frequency and length of advertising on broadcast TV.
“These rules are complex, with limits in place for public service broadcasters that are stricter than the rules set for commercial broadcasters.
“We have had initial discussions with stakeholders, and we expect to be able to outline our next steps later this summer.”
Ofcom report
At the moment, current regulations say that the “total amount of advertising in any one day must not exceed an average of seven minutes per hour of broadcasting” on channels 3 to 5.
For these channels, the regulations state that between the hours of 6p.m and 11p.m in the evening and 7am until 9am in the morning, adverts can be up to eight minutes per one hour of broadcasting.
Excluding those channels, under current regulations adverts can last for up to nine minutes per hour of broadcasting.
The decision to review follows the announcement that streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime could also be Ofcom regulated and that Channel 4 would be privatised, as part of a white paper published by the UK Government’s department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Commenting on the review, a spokesperson for Ofcom said: “We’re scoping a range of options, but before we form any plans we’ll listen to different views and examine what TV viewers say.
“We need to strike the right balance between protecting viewers’ interests and sustaining our traditional broadcasters, which includes helping them compete with American streaming platforms.”
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