Media&Marketing: Irish radio and television stations, which are already operating in a very crowded market, will take some satisfaction from comments this week from the EU commissioner for media, Viviane Reding.
The commissioner has said restrictions on the amount of advertising radio and television stations can aim at their listeners and viewers should be relaxed.
While this is likely to irritate listeners and viewers already faced with endless and sometimes co-ordinated advertising breaks, the views of the commission are likely to carry weight with regulators in the Republic and elsewhere.
Ms Reding is behind moves to update the Television Without Frontiers directive, which includes provisions concerning advertising minuteage.
Under current Irish codes, advertising breaks are only allowed every 45 minutes during films. Mercifully the regulations only allow stations to broadcast advertisements before and after matches, as well as during half time. In terms of normal programmes, advertisements are only allowed every 20 minutes, or three times in one hour.
Programmes lasting less than half an hour cannot be interrupted by advertising, thus there are very, very few programmes on Irish television of less than a half hour. All of this seems eminently sensible, but stations - particularly those not funded by licence-fee revenue - would like to see some flexibility.
Ms Reding wants commercial stations in particular to be given more flexibility, which also seems eminently sensible. But anyone who watches digital television will be aware of the practice of stations taking breaks at around the same time.
Clearly the major TV companies are hoping to catch channel surfers whenever they try to avoid breaks. What is probably also driving this are the growing sales of personal video recorders, which allow viewers to skip advertisements entirely.
Irish advert boom
This is going to be a boom year for advertising in the Republic, at least when compared to sluggish growth rates in the UK and the US. A new report commissioned by the UK Advertising Association shows just how buoyant the Irish market place is.
For example, in 2006 the US market will grow at 2.2 per cent, while the UK market is expected to grow at 2.6 per cent.
Saor Communications believes the Irish market will grow this year by 5.1 per cent.
Ireland's growth is strong compared to British and American markets, but it is positively booming compared to EU markets, which will only grow on average at 1.4 per cent.
New-look Labour?
With a general election not too far away, parties are taking early steps to make sure their message is properly polished and refined.
The Labour Party has circulated a brief among advertising agencies looking for a new agency. One wonders what tone the party will adopt in any new campaigns or election literature. Would party leader Pat Rabbitte countenance affixing "new" in front of the words Labour Party?
TV3 bidding war
There is a sense of unreality about the bidding war for TV3, Ireland's second-largest television station.
Three bidders are left in the race - UTV, and private equity firms Doughty Hanson and Veronis Suhler Stevenson.
Ostensibly the 45 per cent stake held by CanWest is up for grabs, but everyone knows that if ITV does not bid, the whole station will effectively come on the market.
It is believed the station has been valued at €262 million, but the real question is whether ITV will make a bid. The company retains pre-emption rights which allows it to match any bid put up by the other bidders. Indications suggest ITV wants to hold onto it but is not going to pay over- the-top prices. An ITV source told the Guardian this week: "If someone is desperate enough to get control and put silly money on the table we will sell."
ITV own the rights to Coronation Street, TV3's highest rated show.
O'Herlihy account
O'Herlihy Communications has managed to pinch a key Government account off Murray Consultants. O'Herlihy is to provide public relations and media services to John O'Donoghue's Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism.
The current executive director of O'Herlihy Communications, Ian McClure, is a former deputy press director with Fianna Fáil and he played a key role in winning the account. The agency has also won a contract to provide communications and skills training to Dick Roche's Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
Both accounts will be managed by Mr McClure.
AIB links with Ryder
While every company this September will probably be boasting about some vague connection to the Ryder Cup, AIB is out of the traps earlier than most with a new €5 million marketing campaign. The campaign is based around a commercial called Epic filmed at various locations around Ireland. The campaign is also going to be plastered inside the terminals at Heathrow where Irish and UK domestic flights take off from.
AIB advertisements over the years have sometimes been accused of being staid, but such a charge is unlikely to be levelled at the latest production. It was directed by Enda McCallion, whose previously directed music videos for Nine Inch Nails.
