Cyprus

[CY] No Advertisements during Short News Bulletins

IRIS 2007-2:1/13

Christophoros Christophorou

Council of Europe expert in Media and Elections

News bulletins of a duration of less than 30 minutes must not be interrupted by advertisement breaks. An amendment to Article 33 of the Radio and Television Stations Law 7(I)/1998 has put news bulletins on the list of programmes less than 30 minutes long, which must be free of advertisements and tele-shopping. These programmes include documentaries, current affairs, religious and children programmes.

The amendment brings the law into line with the relevant provision of the Television without Frontiers Directive (Article 11, paragraph 5). The provision of the law in force before the current amendment allowed only one break during news bulletins in general. Therefore, according to press reports, the European Commission urged the amendment for full harmonisation with the Television without Frontiers Directive.

A similar amendment was also made to Article 17a of the Law on the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation Cap. (chapter) 300A, with regard to the public service broadcaster.