OFCOM COSTA: call for evidence, now with responses
#1

www.ofcom.org.uk 

Now responses from many commercial broadcasters and beyond have been added to the website, regarding changes to the OFCOM's COSTA advertising laws for public broadcasters.

Unlike some people said, all public broadcasters are OK with some minutage changes and harmonization with "digital" channels, nowadays
Channel 4 states clearly that their plan would be to remove the end break and add 0.30 mins to most internal ad breaks (up to 4 minutes, most of the time), as seen on digital 4 channels nowadays.
Any change would mostly be visible during current programmes.

This didn't used to be the case, before 2008-09 apparently on digital 4 channels and beyond, internal breaks used to be 3'30 long even on E4.
But eventually on 60 mins slots in particular, broadcasters started removing end breaks completely
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#2

Please can you remind me what COSTA stands for? (Sorry if I’m latte to the party - don’t mocha me!)
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#3

(07-12-2022, 09:27 PM)Spencer Wrote:  Please can you remind me what COSTA stands for? (Sorry if I’m latte to the party - don’t mocha me!)
That's one large Code on the Scheduling of Television Advertising, with added milk.
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#4

(07-12-2022, 09:30 PM)AxG Wrote:  
(07-12-2022, 09:27 PM)Spencer Wrote:  Please can you remind me what COSTA stands for? (Sorry if I’m latte to the party - don’t mocha me!)
That's one large Code on the Scheduling of Television Advertising, with added milk.

Words cannot espresso my thanks.  Big Grin
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#5

We will see how it falls but interesting how the PSBs now back the increase when in the past they've repeatedly said during such consultations that the effects of supply v demand would be neutral at best.

Sadly then I suspect OFCOM will rubber stamp it and there will be no going back at a time when actually ad load on linear channels needs to be viewed as much in the context as the ad load in on demand services as it is on digital channels. Dave may have breaks up to 6 minutes long including trailers, but even ITV and C4's own on demand services can have ad breaks in content at least than a minute. Indeed currently ITVX's "FAST" channels have barely any ads at all, though suspect that'll graduallly increase.

C4's comment on taking out the break between shows is interesting but also something they could do within the current limitations (they do at times around new shows, but not frequently). With 10.5 minutes an hour if the take the 9pm and 10pm breaks out and then air the remaining 8.5 minutes during the 6pm hour or C4 News, they could pretty much run primetime with accelerated flow, and indeed there is enough flex within the rest of the day to run it most the day too.


Personally I do want to see more experimentation with ad break structure but increasing the PSB average to 9 minutes an hour from 7 minutes will actually limit that. I absolutely think the primetime limit should be raised from 40 minutes to 45 minutes, but would rather see more incentives to lighten the ad loads within programmes. Viewers I think would notice the difference if rather than packing in the full 12 minutes into some hours they kept it to an average of around 9 minutes an hour from 6am to 12.30am, cutting the standard ad break from 03:30 + 20sec promo to 02:20 + 20 sec. They would then need to ad a few minutes back into programme content each hour though, but that would soon sort itself out.
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#6

Quote:
(23-03-2023, 12:03 PM)Brekkie Wrote:  Bad for them but good for the viewer and it's for a reason - to encourage content in primetime which isn't commercially attractive - and indeed enable some, especially live sport, which is.  A night they had live football, especially now a half can be 55 minutes, means hitting that 12 minutes isn't possible.

Bringing it back to kids TV but I assume a chunk of the CITV weekend slot (on ITV1/Breakfast) is relatively ad free.  Indeed I think the ITV Breakfast slot may stipulate the ad quota across the week rather than daily, so they can put more into GMB in the week.
Relatively good for the viewer, once maybe: it's not like they make good use of these slots, which might be improved, as these are commercial broadcasters first and foremost.

I think PSB are living through difficult times already as it is, without adding an extra layer of complications with advertising laws.

Just made them respect their obligations, without too tight advertising laws, or just reformulate them slightly differently.

And yes, that CITV slot is not so attractive advertisers.

Maybe, I don't know, change the whole thing to a 7 mins of average in the broadcasting day and 45 mins between 6pm and 11pm, but more likely, we'll just the whole thing being flattened out, without removing some programme obligations of course.

Likely they won't use the 12 mins of advertising per hour everywhere, of course, as movies and football can't have it, but news and regional news probably need a slightly little push these days.

But the current situation is not ideal: ITV1 and Channel 5 already feel forced to have teleshopping from the likes of 1am, which is not very PSB, and the lack of advertising at 6pm and 10pm seems like a dream, but it's not for them.

 We might continue this discussion in a different thread if you want, it's always curious to see such things being discussed and different opinions Smile
I think this deserves its own "thread".
What do you think about it?

In a world where most of the European main channels and beyond can have the normal permitted  12 mins of advertising per hour and by now even more, the current UK laws seem too restrictive these days.

I understand their initial intent,, I really do, but it's really not working, especially with Teleshopping and other cheap stuff being rolled out from the likes of 1am, where channels could show normal programmes with normal advertising.

You can still have good programmes with a normal amount of advertising I think.

Things won't become as bad as in the US, that's hyperbolic .

BTW I meant 8 minutes per average on the broadcasting day, up to an average of 9 minutes per hour between 18:00 and 23:00.
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#7

I do think rising to 9 minutes between 18:00-23:00 is sensible - gives them an extra 5 minutes to play with but won't really be noticed by the viewer. Also think a small increase would likely mean they can largely keep current rates for a slot - but add 50% more slots to sell and I don't think advertisers will be willing to pay the same price.

Otherwise keeping it essentially to 40 minutes in primetime but having that defined at 18:00-22:00 would both still give viewers an hour of peak time relatively ad free, but also give broadcasters an extra hour later in the evening where they can add another 12 minutes. Indeed that might encourage more post-10pm commissioning, although would likely mean News at Ten being News at 10:04 even more often.
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#8

(28-03-2023, 09:50 PM)Brekkie Wrote:  Otherwise keeping it essentially to 40 minutes in primetime but having that defined at 18:00-22:00 would both still give viewers an hour of peak time relatively ad free, but also give broadcasters an extra hour later in the evening where they can add another 12 minutes.  Indeed that might encourage more post-10pm commissioning, although would likely mean News at Ten being News at 10:04 even more often.
Or I daresay even the end of News at Ten? I suspect that should your idea become reality, we might see ITV tempted to once again experiment with different programmes at 10 (*cough*The Nightly Show*cough*). I can see how it would at least make films more viable in primetime (particularly on a Sunday or Friday).
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#9

That is indeed the risk - maybe 6-10.30pm so it aligns with the official OFCOM definition of primetime would protect it.


C4 though who have in this consultation asked for an extra 30 seconds of ads in each ad break are now set to experiment with less ads online.

Quote:In a UK first, advertisers on Channel 4’s streaming service are set to take part in an experiment to see if fewer adverts from a single brand, broadcast in a less cluttered advertising environment, can deliver more effective and impactful campaigns.

The trial, never before undertaken in the UK, will determine whether High Impact campaigns, delivering a lower frequency of adverts, can deliver more cut through with viewers.

www.channel4.com 


Generally speaking for me the internal breaks on All4 tend to be the standard 3:30, although when I do boxset something for example you see fewer ads the longer you watch for.
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#10

(01-04-2023, 12:55 PM)Brekkie Wrote:  That is indeed the risk - maybe 6-10.30pm so it aligns with the official OFCOM definition of primetime would protect it.


C4 though who have in this consultation asked for an extra 30 seconds of ads in each ad break are now set to experiment with less ads online.

Quote:In a UK first, advertisers on Channel 4’s streaming service are set to take part in an experiment to see if fewer adverts from a single brand, broadcast in a less cluttered advertising environment, can deliver more effective and impactful campaigns.

The trial, never before undertaken in the UK, will determine whether High Impact campaigns, delivering a lower frequency of adverts, can deliver more cut through with viewers.

www.channel4.com 


Generally speaking for me the internal breaks on All4 tend to be the standard 3:30, although when I do boxset something for example you see fewer ads the longer you watch for.
GOOD. There are FAR too many ads on All4 currently. A few years back I took out a subscription to the premium version, which is supposed to eliminate ads. It did... but only for 4's own commissions. Any imports/acquisitions had the same amount of ads as on the free version. It's been a couple of years since I cancelled, so don't know if that is still the case.
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