Comments on: Could more adverts be a good thing?

By: David

David — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:45:54 +0000

Showing adverts during F1 is ridiculous.
But thanks to sky + how many of us now just fast forward through the advert breaks on our recorded programmes.So I am guessing these advertisers are not really getting value for moneyany more

By: Ryan Morrison

Ryan Morrison — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 09:30:41 +0000

Does it though? We get French TV in Jersey and when I’m bored and there is nothing else on I’ll watch for a bit in the hope it will help improve my french.

Anyway – the end of show ads don’t seem that much longer in France than in the UK but I’ll admit I haven’t seem them after a movie of match.

Also – it could be that the advertising market is different in France – it could be that there is less competition for advertising money and so adverts cost more and so can show fewer of them.

Or maybe the French are less Advert blind than the Brits.

By: doctorvee

doctorvee — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 20:31:54 +0000

Yeah, that is true Ryan. Although it seems to work well enough for France!

By: Ryan Morrison

Ryan Morrison — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:58:56 +0000

I completely agree – there should be a liberalisation of television advertising in the UK – after all the shows have to be paid for somehow.

That might lead in turn to ‘premium channels’ that offer content advert free (an equivalent to the American HBO) – so ITV Plus or something.

The problem with longer ad breaks at the end of a film or match is that people know they’re there so can easily ignore them – and advertisers know that.

The advertising slots within a show cost a LOT more than the ones around a show.

By: Clive

Clive — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:55:13 +0000

The solution is really quite simple. Give F1 back to the Beeb.

By: Craig

Craig — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:38:59 +0000

If Ofcom can bring in a rule specifically for ITV’s coverage of F1 then surely if there is enough pressure put on them then we can bring about a rule change?

The split-screen affair seeems the most logical – even a running tally of the order at the side of the screen would suffice.

Currently I have the laptop on so the live timing is running for when the ads are on, but in the past I’ve often paused the Sky+ before the race has started and waited 20 minutes before playing, and can then fast forward the ads as they happen. It’s not exactly ideal as it doesn’t overcome the fact that you are missing parts of the race!

The only way I can see ITV actively lobbying Ofcom for a change is if something really major happens during a break and there is a massive public outcry – ie, Lewis crashing out or something equally spectacular.

I was in the US a few years ago, and put the TV on – I was totally confused within a few minutes. The opening titles of a show came on, then there were ads, then they switched back to the show and then ads again, and so on – and when they switched to adverts there was no ident to let you know it was switching back and forth so I can understand why Ofcom feel there is a need for them.

Having said that, I feel ITV take things a bit too far – they have the short clip about F1, then they have a clip from whichever company happens to sponsor their F1 programme that season, and only then do the ads start. Then we get the sponsor clip and the F1 clip again before the programme starts – and let’s face it, about 90% of screentime during the race is advertising anyway, either on the cars, driver’s overalls or trackside.

How much more advertising can we stomach!