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Prime TV in trouble over exceeding commercial airtime

Prime TV has been rapped by Ofcom after it exceeded commercial airtime on 15 occasions during March and April 2017.

Ofcom’s regulation prohibits broadcasters to exceed 12 minutes in any clock hour. However, during routine monitoring, Ofcom identified 15 incidents on Prime TV where the amount of advertising in a clock hour exceeded the permitted allowance. The overruns varied in length, the most significant being four minutes and 54 seconds.

Prime TV explained that the software used for its advertising break patterns had experienced some calculation errors but had since been replaced. It added that, since taking over the licence for Prime TV in April 2016, this is the first time it had been investigated for breaches of COSTA rules. The Licensee expressed regret for the breaches of Rule 2 of COSTA in this instance.

Ofcom found the channel in breach of the incidents.