Advertising Time Frequency and Duration in TV Channels

HB13DISH

Basically we have five national channels in Israel.
There are only two that can be watched, namely Channel 10 and Channel 2.

Eversince these two channels started to broadcast, the advertising frequency and duration seems to get worse and worse everyday.
I am sure that there are some restrictions on these channels and that they are probably adhering to it during the transmissions, but I think that there is a big difference between us and the rest of the world.
For example, a standard film of 90 minutes will have a whole 60 minutes of ads, making it 150 minutes.
When an advert break starts, the volume is given a healthy boost, not to mention that almost all the ads have a noisy content (jingles, shoutings, etc.)

Looking at some of the European channels like German or Italian, I can see that there is a big difference between them and us.
The ads are less frequent, shorter, and have a nicer and quiter tone.

I am interested in our members views from all locations on this (obviously everybody hates adverts), but try to give me an idea about how they really are and if they are tolerable.
Also how do you react when a commercial break starts.
Do you zap to another channel, or mute the TV?
Funny enough, whenever I zap to the other channel, they seem to also have a commercial break. So maybe they arrange the timing between them so that the viewers will have no escape.

I read few years ago the Croatian rules on thier TV channels commecial breaks and it was totally fair. I will try to dig it up and post it here when I find it.

rolfw

The issue of advert volume is not unique to Israeli channels, it is complained about in the UK as well. The TV channels insist that there is no increase in volume, but the viewers think otherwise.

The explanation given by some experts, is that the adverts are actually not peaking any higher, but often in mono, also that they are optimised to give maximum audio throughout the duration of the commercial.

As for the amount of advertising, it does appear to be getting more intrusive, but I have never really taken the time to work out the percentages, Sky appears to have a lot more than terrestrial channels.

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Yorks

They certainly startle me when they kick in half way through a program that I've been watching with my eyes closed.

To be honest, they are that abstract these days that half the time the selling point is lost on me.

The Sony Bravia advert with paint explosions simulating fireworks, I thought was something to do with Crown or Dulux until I'd seen it several times and bothered to take it in. Maybe it's just me.

Give me 'Beanz Meanz Heinz' anyday - although Phil Collins playing drums on the chocolate ad was quite good. But he's certainly put on weight and I suspect that's an artificial tan too.

As for the frequency, I would guess in a half hour program on one of the main UK broadcasters (such as ITV) there are about 3-4 mins of ads half way through and the same at the end. So really the program is only perhaps 22-24 mins long. (I must dig out my stop watch).
In films I think the frequency varies a little but is probably 15-20 mins per break.
As Rolfw says they seem more frequent on Sky (which unfortunately I don't have). This is probably because you are entitled to more, as you are subscribing. I don't think Sky include adverts during films. But it maybe a possibility for the future if people are willing to pay for them.

Yorks

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Salty25

Sponsorship of popular shows in the UK is also common, with small ads of usually about 5 seconds at the start, at the end, and going into and returning from an advert break.

News channels and news reports, however, are strictly forbidden from being sponsored.

In terms of sports programming, broadcasters have not yet introduced permanent or semi-permanent 'ad boxes' or any other on-screen adverts during the event, other than the momentary graphics which are overlaid on the feed by the organisers. To give two examples, IBM logos appear on flashed graphic scoreboards during Wimbledon, and Sony logos appear on UEFA Champions League coverage.

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HB13DISH

OK. Here is the Croatian regulation that I mentioned in Post #1

Article 12

(1) The duration of advertising messages in every HRT programme shall not exceed 9 minutes per hour of the programme.

(2) Two or more advertising messages (advertising block) may be broadcast without interruption only between programmes.

(3) The information, religious, children's programes and programmes lasting less than 30 minutes shall not be interrupted by advertising messages.

(4) HRT shall not interrupt feature films with advertising messages.

(5) HRT shall be entitled to refuse broadcasting of advertising messages the content of which is contrary to the programme obligations, as determined by this Law, other regulations and the rules of advertising and promotion.

(6) HRT shall not broadcast advertising messages of political parties, religious communities and trade unions. The prohibition of the broadcast of advertising messages of political parties shall not apply in the period of electoral campaign.

(7) Concealed advertising messages shall be forbidden.

PaulR

I remember some years ago that Star Trek:TNG was reduced in running length to 42 minutes (by 2 minutes I think) - so more advertising could be squeezed in. Add another minute for credits and then compare that with programmes like The Avengers and The Saint from the 60s and 70s which were 50 minutes long.

I'm sure that you can work out the advertising percentages from that!

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PaulR

As I get older I find myself thinking about the hereafter - I go into a room and then wonder what I'm here after.

rolfw

I noticed with the Heroes series on Sky, if you took out the advertising, then the reprise from the previous episode, then the taster for the next episode, you had less than forty minutes.

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HB13DISH

I wanted to measure the total time for commecial breaks on channel 10. and as I am not a masochist, I just set the DVR to record the whole News at 8 this Monday and then just went fast forward on all the recording.
Here are the results:
News in 4 parts and there were 3 breaks
First commercial break lasted 0:3 minutes
Second commercial break 0:5 minutes
Third commercial break 0:5 minutes
Total time for the adverts = 0:13 minutes
Total time for the whole show: 1:02 minutes
Commercial break percentage 21%

Is this normal?

As the country is suffering from a major water shortage crisis, those commercial breaks just add to the number of times people go to the loo.
So help the country by stopping these breaks.
Or perhaps the TV presenters need to go every 15 minutes?