Malta

[MT] Broadcasting Authority’s Interpretation of the 20-Minute per Clock Hour of Advertising Rule: The Position of Short Programmes

IRIS 2008-10:1/25

Kevin Aquilina

Faculty of Laws, University of Malta

The Authority has clarified that paragraph 13 of the Third Schedule to the Broadcasting Act applies to programmes and not to broadcasts aired during a given clock hour. Paragraph 13 provides that a period of 20 minutes has to elapse between each successive advertising break within a programme which is interrupted by advertising and teleshopping spots. The Authority has held that in the case of programmes which are of less than 20 minutes in duration (“short programmes”), it is permissible to have adverts at the beginning and/or at the end of the short programmes, even if 20 minutes have not elapsed between one advertising break and another. However, in such short programmes, it is not permissible to have adverts within the short programmes. In other words, such short programmes cannot be interrupted by adverts.