08/01/2008 - In agreement with EU ministers, the new regulation of adverts and product placement -at the core of a ‘TV without frontiers’- has decided to limit ad breaks to every 30 minutes for news, children programs, TV films and cinematographic works. In the same thread news, children programs and current affairs should be free of product placement. The implementation of safeguards will ensure editorial independence for these programs.

TV - new rules will focus on ad breaks

How much TV do you watch? The average European watches two hours a night. With such exposure it's little wonder that the advertising industry sees TV as an easy way to reach a mass market. Its two favourite methods are straightforward adverts and the more controversial "product placement" where stars of the screen are shown using certain products. The regulation of adverts and product placement is at the centre of a revised TV without frontiers directive.

The "Television Without Frontiers" directive has changed over the years to mirror changes in the industry - especially the Internet, mobile telephones and the switch from analogue to digital TV technologies.

The latest incarnation - which is due to replace the 1997 law - has reached the second reading in the legislative process after agreement was earlier forged with EU Ministers. The German MEP who has acted as rapporteur for this issue is Ruth Hieronymi (EPP-ED).

MEPs and Minister find compromise on TV adverts

The main elements of the compromise are:

-Advertising must not exceed 12 minutes or 20% of each hour.
-Ad breaks and other interruptions are limited to once every 30 minutes for news, cinematographic works and films made for TV. Soap operas and documentaries are not covered.
-Children's programmes can also only be broken by adverts every 30 minutes and then only if the programme is over 30 minutes. EU Ministers want a Code of Conduct for children's advertising.
-No subliminal advertising - for example when the volume for adverts is higher than the programme.
-Adverts should not be offensive on grounds of race, gender, nationality, disability, age or on sexual grounds.

In addition there would be:

-No advertising cigarettes and tobacco.
-No advertising of prescription medicine.

As well as these measures EU Ministers and MEPs want the media to do more to make their products available to those who are disabled.

Without advertising revenue many of the films and programmes we enjoy would not be made. At present private TV channels in Europe get 90% of their revenue from advertising and public channels get 29%.

The directive covers TV Broadcasts, "television-like" services as well as the audiovisual media. It does not cover newspaper sites on the Internet.

Product placement – sometimes

More popular in the US than in Europe - product placement is only regulated in so far as how much the viewer can stand. The recent James Bond Film continued the Bond tradition of the main character having a strong affinity with certain cars, watches...and women!

Although some MEPs wanted it totally banned the compromise reached said that it should "in principle be prohibited" but that certain exceptions would be allowed.

No product placement: In the text agreed by Ministers and the MEPs they want news, current affairs, documentaries and children's programmes free of product placement.

Exceptions permitted: However, it would be permitted in the cinema, films for TV, sports broadcasts and light entertainment.

Finally, there should be safeguards to protect the editorial independence of programmes.

Ruth Hieronymi, explained "we agreed on more transparency and information for the viewer, who mostly were not aware of product placement".

Original article available here.