There is no doubt from the blogs and feedback I have read that many viewers were intensely moved by 102 Minutes That Changed America, a documentary broadcast on Monday night that showed – through hundreds of pieces of video footage and audiotape – the tragic events of 9/11 unfolding, minute by minute. But for some people, their viewing experience was marred by the content and number of adverts broadcast during the programme.
I spoke to Channel 4’s airtime sales team, who reassured me that the commercial content of these breaks was looked at in great detail and that a number of commercials had been removed as they were felt to be inappropriate. Commercials removed included those for airlines, telephone companies and also a movie which featured a plane crash and a person falling. Sadly the commercial for CSL Sofas was not available to view in advance and, with the benefit of hindsight, the team say they would probably have recommended it be shown at another time. Where possible, advertisement breaks for this programme were also sequenced so that the more upbeat commercials were broadcast in the middle of the break, in an effort to avoid a jar in tone when coming out and back into the documentary itself.
The number of commercial breaks and commercial minutes broadcasters are permitted to take in any programme is regulated by Ofcom. Within this programme’s 130 minute slot there were seven commercial breaks (the maximum permitted) that lasted 22 minutes and 30 seconds in total (less that the maximum 24mins 30s allowed in a slot of this length). Earlier this year, following an Ofcom review of these regulations, the number of breaks that can be carried during programmes lasting over one hour was increased. Under the old regulations, the 9/11 documentary would have been allowed to carry fewer adverts lasting less time (a maximum of 5 commercial breaks at 17m 30s) which may explain the unusual number of complaints that we received this week.
Since 2001, Channel 4 has regularly broadcast programmes about 9/11 at this time of year – the most recent being 9/11: Phone Calls from the Towers. On every single occasion commercial breaks have been inserted with very few complaints.
The sales team pointed out that Channel 4 has to balance its commercial ambitions with its creative output to ensure that viewers feel as little intrusion as is possible with a commercial channel. They acknowledged though that, on this occasion, for some people that balance was not quite achieved.
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I complained about the CSL adverts as it was beyond insensitive.
And yet, this post contains no apology.
Why?
in regards to the 9/11 docu,,,,your saying theyre was only 7 breaks within the whole programme ??????? doesnt add up to me,, seeing as theyre were at least 5 in the first hour alone,,,
This seems to be a lot of “saying what we want to hear” talk. In my opinion the ads should have been aired every 30 minutes. The documentary was the length of a short film which on other channels would have had breaks every 30 minutes. Also something else that was not really thoughtout thoroughly was the birds eye advert with two fish fingers falling over which I found very insensitive and showed that the ads had not been thought about proberly.
its not just the number of adverts (why not have two adverts lasting ten minutes everyone flicks through other channel when there on anyway so just get them over with) its the way the programme was sponsered like a sporting event that i feel was in really bad taste
“for some people that balance was not quite achieved”. How many people? Channel 4’s defence of their appalling judgment is risible. Why could they not have followed the lead of ITV, who showed ‘United 93′ the previous night without a break, showing a proper sensitivity towards the subject?
Are programmes indistinguishable from each other? Are the airtime sales team guided by anyone or do they just sell slots in programmes like tins of beans? ITV showed Flight 93 without commercials because they realised the nature of the film relied on a build up of tension and atmosphere to give the film maximum impact. 102 minutes had no narration for a reason, the film was built as an assualt on our senses through the sights and sounds captured in the moment. Everytime an advert appeared the atmosphere was broken. Why maximum adverts? And who would have thought ITV would be bore artistically sensitive to content then Channel 4.
What a LOAD OF RUBBISH. Same on you.
Compelling viewing indeed, but to my mind the regulation of advertising – for a program of this nature – is not fit for purpose. I understand the need for a commercial station to maximise advertising revenue, however the fact that C4 deliberately used the maximum number of breaks permitted reflects a premeditated choice of revenue over integrity and sensitivity. The fact that you were within Ofcom regulations should not be a defensive argument but it’s nice to see a closing acknowledgement – at least in part – that the decision may have been an error of judgement…for everyone outside of your sales team I imagine.
Your post ignores my complaint which had nothing to do with ad content.
My complaint was about the sponsorship of the program which was intrusive.
One is used to ad breaks in general and can switch off mentally, however the sponsorship ads intrude on the emotion one would feel watching at this time- obviously this is why it is sale-able!
Sponsorship are associated with light -hearted programming not programs about horrific death! Why would any company want this association?
At the end of the day if ofcom are responsable for the amount of adverts, then they are to blame, More adverts,more money, they obviosly dont think about the general public[viewers]. thank goodness for the BBC. where we can watch uninterupted programes.
I complained that the adverts were inappropriate, highly intrusive (no warnings/pause break indicated, and too frequent). I have read your well constructed respons feel certain nothing will change. Nothing rules more highly than the need for you to maximise profits and you do not compromise on that , that you make clear by the nature of your response
i have already complained directly about this. there are a few programmes which should not be interrrupted by adverts – mixing commerce with such harrowing scenes. Next time i`ll watch it later – when adverts are removed.
While I appreciate C4 does not have the luxury of demanding we pay a licence fee
I found the frequent commercial breaks during 911: 102 minutes totally inappropriate. When such a serious and sensitive subject is being shown, surely there is a better way? As for 9/11 Phone Calls from the Towers I found this very upsetting and very personal. Surely this programme should never have been made and I am amazed the relatives agreed to this.
In my original complaint about the advertising during this programme, I gave as an example the screening of ‘United 93′ by ITV on the previous evening. During this film, dealing with the heroic passengers who averted yet another hijacked plane causing unimaginable destruction, there was not a single advertising break. ITV, who are also a commercial television company, chose to treat the material with respect rather than for monetary gain.
“Under the old regulations, the 9/11 documentary would have been allowed to carry fewer adverts lasting less time ”
This statement seems to suggest that the company Channel 4 was made to have the maximum number of adverts. They are allowed to show less adverts the figures from the OFCOM are the MAXIMUM figures not the minimum figures.
Channel Four did not HAVE to show this many adverts and I understand they have to make money, but they do have other programmes they can make money out of such as the inane Big Brother.
Thank you for your response to my initial complaint I just am not sure it has fully answered the problem.
Brilliant documentary and very moving. I wasn’t aware of the content in the CSL Sofas but the amount of advertising breaks was ridiculous. I expect advertising breaks but the frequency of them was ridiculous.
Simply not a good enough excuse. I complained on the night this programme was aired, and received an automated response and was then directed to this blog. STV showed a documentary of a similar nature the previous evening – thats STV, a commercial channel – and showed not a SINGLE advert during that period. So why does Channel 4 have to bombard us with ridiculous adverts for trivial nonsense (seen the Head and Shoulders advert? I rest my case) during what was otherwise excellent viewing? I, and it seems, many others found them insulting and intrusive.
Why should you make a defensive point that that the total duration of commercial breaks was 2 minutes less than the maximum permitted by Ofcom? In other words, 92% of your permitted advertising time was used. In the context of the programme and title of this article, I’d say that most viewers would absolutely not empathise with these statistics.
More fool me for expecting I was about to read an apology here. I’t’s very disappointing that you see fit to justify the ad breaks in this programme, rather than review the decision and perhaps come to the logical conclucison that you butchered probably the best documentary on 9/11.
Missed it. More accurately I couldn’t face the subject matter. Just a bit too morbid for me if I’m honest, but the decision not to watch was also partly because I find modern documentaries to be long, drawn out affairs which repeat themselves a lot. Often two hours where maybe 45 mins will do, or an hour when 30 mins will do.
Presumably this is so that the audience is obliged to see it through to the bitter end once captured and engrossed in the subject, and that of course means that a known demographic can be targetted and bombarded with commercials for a couple of hours…
I thought that this documentary was a really indepth insite into what actually happen however I did think that the amount of adverts was out of order, if anything with the nature of the documentary there should have been non at all… never mind being sponcered by VW. What a joke! I think VW & Channel 4 should broadcast something to make this right…..
The best thing to have done, would have been to have shown commericials, but to have shown them much less frequently, eg every 30 minutes, instead of every 15 minutes, and to have not shown any “silly” commercials during the programme. This would have shown more respect to the people who died in the terrible 9/11 tragedy.
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