Some time back the former Australian captain Steve Waugh pithily described the telecast of cricket matches on Indian TV as completely “unwatchable”. It is about time that some one spoke for the rights of the viewers, so that some sanity is brought to our TV screens.
It would be interesting to point out that the British Broadcasting Corporation - the oldest and arguably one of the best TV channels in the world - has no commercial advertising in its telecast within the UK. The other Commercial TV channels in Britain follow a strict ‘Code of Advertising’. In Britain two separate and independent bodies regulate this code:
i) The Advertising Standards Authority: a body of the UK advertising industry, which practices self-regulation.
ii) The Ofcom (Office of Communications): an independent watchdog and regulating authority that strictly enforces the code.
Under the code, some of the general practices being followed are: -
Amount of Advertising:-
The total amount of spot advertising in any one day (24 hours) must not exceed an average of nine minutes per hour (or 15 per cent) of broadcasting.
Maximum amount in any one hour:-
In any one clock hour there must be no more than 12 minutes of advertising. There must not be more than 4 commercial breaks in any one hour and no commercial break should be of more than 3 minutes
Programmes and advertising have to be clearly separated:-
Television advertising must be readily recognisable as such and kept quite separate from other parts of the Programme service. Breaks containing advertising spots of any kind must be clearly identified in vision and/or sound, with a Channel/ or Programme identifications while going in and out of breaks.
Placing of Breaks:-
Breaks within programmes may be taken only at a point where some interruption in continuity would, in any case, occur (even if there were no advertising) and such natural breaks must not damage the integrity or value of the programme in which they occur.
In sports programmes and in coverage of similarly structured events or performances containing intervals, breaks may be taken only in the intervals.
Particular Separation of Advertisements and Programmes:-
In order to maintain a distinction between programmes and advertisements that is clear to the viewer, and to minimise any risk of confusion between the two, advertisements featuring a well known personality or performer, or a person who takes a leading role in or whose appearance is central to a Programme, must not be scheduled in breaks in or adjacent to that Programme.
Programmes Featuring Advertisements:-
Advertisements for products or services which appear as part of programme content may not be transmitted within or adjacent to that programme.
These are just some of the main features of the Code. (Full code available at link: - www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/ifi/codes/advsrtising/rules)
As can easily be seen all TV channels in India are brazenly flouting most of these rules. It is about time that some ‘Code of Advertising’ was introduced in India too. We also need a strong & independent watchdog body, on the lines of the British Ofcom/ or the Press Council of India. (No government body please.)
Being cricket crazy, I find frequent interruptions during a cricket match the most frustrating. Ironically, cricket also attracts the maximum ads; so the breaks are more frequent and of longer duration. The moment a wicket falls or the batsman makes a big hit, instead of showing us action on the field, we are told which soap or shampoo was good for us.
After silently suffering for several years, I have worked out a simple strategy to take my own sweet revenge. I diligently note down all the products so advertised, and then take a vow never to buy any of them ever again. Amen!
Kunwar Sinha
