[Kunst]

I think ABC1 is quite fondly remembered compared to other defunct Freeview channels as it did do something different - I thought the ad structure actually worked quite well and as they were place in parts where they were designed to be anyway it didn't really disrupt the flow. I'm quite surprised more digital channels haven't taken advantage of the rule - I've only known 5Star to air half hour programmes with two breaks, noteably their screening of Home and Away. I don't know if they still do that. I do think part of the reason it was bumped from C5 was they could air it with extra ads on 5Star whilst on C5 due to the 40-minute primetime rules it generally aired ad free in later years, with advertising focused later on primetime.

In Europe we're just more used to 1 ad break in the middle of a 30-ish mins slot, it's not going to change and probably it's better like that

In the UK you also have PBS channels behaving like that (by law), so other channels are influenced by that and not want to take a useless risk
But even other countries where no frequency restrictions on commercial operations apply (such as Italy and Germany) keep firmly having 1 ad break only, during these slots

It's a relic of the now gone 20 minute rule, but it is what it is; changing would probably not go well with the audience