Viewers could face up to 730 more hours of TV adverts on the UK’s most popular commercial channels as Ofgem prepares to relax its restrictions despite research showing more breaks spark a ‘negative, visceral reaction’ from audiences
- Ofcom ‘provisionally concluded’ current rules aren’t ‘justified or proportionate’
- Fears relaxing the rules would see British television become more like the US
- Plans would see channels allowed to show an average of 12 minutes per hour
Viewers could be barraged with up to 730 hours more TV adverts a year on the country’s most popular commercial channels.
Ofcom, the media regulator, is preparing to relax its restrictions by allowing public service broadcasters such as ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 to show more adverts – after it ‘provisionally concluded’ current rules are no longer ‘justified or proportionate’.
However, the body’s own research showed that the idea of more or longer breaks sparked a ‘negative, visceral reaction from viewers’.
There are fears that relaxing the rules would see British television become more like that in the US, which is infamous for its constant advert breaks.
Advertising is currently limited to an average of seven minutes per hour across the day, and slightly more during peak viewing.
Ofcom, the media regulator, is preparing to relax its restrictions by allowing public service broadcasters such as ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 to show more adverts – after it ‘provisionally concluded’ current rules are no longer ‘justified or proportionate’
However, the body’s own research showed that the idea of more or longer breaks sparked a ‘negative, visceral reaction from viewers’
The plans would see these channels allowed to show an average of 12 minutes of advertising and teleshopping per hour, as non-public service channels do.
Calculations show that as a result of this change across a year, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 would each be able to show an extra 730 hours of adverts.
In peak hours, between 6pm and 11pm, when top shows like Coronation Street and Britain’s Got Talent air, there could be an additional 20 minutes of adverts.
It is understood the daily total could jump from 168 minutes each day to 288, an increase of two hours.
The decision is in part motivated by the huge pressure on UK broadcasters from US rivals like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.
One option under consideration is to retain ‘safeguards’ that ‘limit the number of internal breaks allowed in programmes’.
Industry group Coba, which represents commercial broadcasters, said the proposed changes could see a huge increase in advertising on these services.
Adam Minns, Coba executive director, said: ‘It is hard not to draw the conclusion that Ofcom has asked audiences for their views and then, when it did not like the answer, gone out of its way to try to persuade them they are wrong.
‘The regulator has used an argument that no financial analysis – including its own – supports.’
Ofcom claims that the move will not ‘materially affect’ viewers’ perception of the quality of the channels. Its research suggested that viewers ‘tended to realise’ any rule changes ‘may not be as noticeable as initially feared’.
Ofcom’s Kate Biggs said the UK system was ‘nowhere’ near the US level of advertising. The body yesterday published its proposals and launched a consultation.
A Channel 4 spokesman said the move would ’cause minimal disruption to the TV viewing experience and will significantly benefit the TV advertising market’. ITV declined to comment.
