EU Eases TV Advertising Rules

BRUSSELS, May 25: The
European Commission’s new version of the TV Without Frontiers directive has
been approved, lifting restrictions on product placement.

The directive is expected
to be put in place by year-end, the European Commission said. It covers all
audiovisual media—from terrestrial broadcast to online on-demand
services—regardless of the transmission technology. It paves the way for
producers to use product placement, providing that viewers are informed at the beginning
and end of the show. The practice remains banned in news content and kids’
shows. Broadcasters will remain limited to 12 minutes of advertising per hour,
but the directive eliminates the current limit of three hours per day of
advertising.

“We have made a decisive
step towards a true internal market for audiovisual media services and to a
more competitive European audiovisual content industry," said Viviane
Reding, the EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media. "This
important piece of modernizing legislation brings Europe's audiovisual policies
into the 21st century, providing a welcome shot in the arm to industry. It
promises less regulation, better financing for European content and higher
visibility to Europe's key values, cultural diversity and the protection of
minors."