Whistle blown on World Cup TV advertising

Date: 27/06/02

TV ADVERTISERS in Spain, Italy and French-speaking regions of Belgium have spoiled World Cup football excitement for fans - and breached the spirit of EU broadcasting law - by placing short commercials in the middle of the action, according to a new report.

The study by the Strasbourg-based European Audio-Visual Observatory finds the three countries have allowed adverts during free-kicks, throw-ins, substitutions and corners, while other countries only showed commercials at half-time.

That means the trio are pushing to the limit their interpretation of the EU's 1989 Television Without Frontiers directive.

The law - currently being reappraised by Culture Commissioner Viviane Reding - states that 'advertising and teleshopping spots shall only be inserted between the parts or in the intervals' of sports events.

Iceland, a member of the European Economic Area and treaty-bound to impose similar laws to the EU, also allows the adverts.

The lengthy 45-minute 'halves' in football have been cited as a reason for the failure of the game to be embraced by advert-funded US TV networks.

American football and baseball have time-outs that allow advertising without interrupting the game.

World soccer governing body FIFA is under increasing pressure to introduce brief time-outs for soccer.

TV advertisers in Spain, Italy and French-speaking regions of Belgium have spoiled World Cup football excitement for fans - and breached the spirit of EU broadcasting law - by placing short commercials in the middle of the action, according to a new report.