J
19
WATT
(cont'd)
children's programming extended and improved. We require that each station should do l1⁄2 hours a day of children's programming, between 4.00 p.m.
and 8.30 p.m. of which 1 hour must be broadcast
before 6.30 p.m. We require advance notice of
these programme schedules. We also want firm commitments for time for public affairs programming.
We are only asking for 1 station produced public affairs programme a week. Not a large commitment
but, nevertheless, a burden financially. Then
there are minimum requirements for adult education or community "enrichment" programmes at least:
an hour per week. News was another item of
concern. We were worried about the fact that
news had been pushed back to lesser hours, to
make way for more drama or other entertainment to boost the ratings. We now insist upon 2 news bulletins between 6.00 p.m. and midnight separated by not more than 3 hours, the object being to get
Sp
a reasonably full news bulletin in the middle
of the peak viewing period. Also, we do not allow news to be interspersed with advertisements and we insist that news and commentary be clearly
separated. We do not allow editorial comment
to come into the news bulletins. We have also
asked for revised submissions in respect of
sources of programme material.
Also upon renewal, we have strengthened our control over maximum permitted advertising time. We
have not changed the basic standard of 10 minutes
advertising in the hour provided a 10% share of
total transmission time is not exceeded. However,
time for station promotion announcements has
been restricted to a maximum of 2 minutes in the
hour if the full commercial advertising time is
taken up.
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