MANILA, Philippines?One of the most heartening show biz developments thus far this year is the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster?s recent announcement that it would more strictly implement the 18-minute maximum of allowable commercials per 60 minutes of telecasting time.

We?ve been urging the KBP and our TV networks to do this, because the limit has been officially imposed precisely to uphold people?s right to untrammeled televiewing.

Viewers of course know or at least suspect that this limit has often been breached in the past, particularly during the primetime slot?ignoring official rules with seeming impunity, and forcing viewers to endure a seemingly endless barrage of hard-sell commercials, all in the name of ?free? entertainment.

Now that the KBP has made its move, we trust that erring TV networks will respect viewers? rights more scrupulously. At the same time, however, we must point out other areas of concern that also involves commercial messages on TV:

Plugs

The 18-minute limit per hour covers commercials, but it doesn?t account for the many more minutes taken up by in-program plugs, endorsements, ?thank you for my clothes, shoes, eyewear and skincare,? etc. that also take up quite a lot of program time.

TV people make money from these in-program plugs, so we feel that they should also be regarded as commercial in nature and effect?and thus should also be governed by the 18-minute rule. It could very well be that, if these many ?incidental? plugs and commercial mentions are included in the total, viewers could be left with only 35 minutes of actual program time per hour!

This is clearly unacceptable, so viewers should speak up.

That?s one of the problems with local TV: Some TV people feel that they can do their worst, because only a few viewers complain. If a lot of people speak up, you can bet that they will finally listen and give us their best, instead.

The TV business is all about numbers, after all, and concerned viewers, if they speak up and act together, have the numbers to persuade, convince, and effect change.

Longer features

Add to this the many program plugs and longer features on a network?s new shows on the tube. Those extended promotional features are all over the place on show biz-oriented talk-variety shows, and even on newscasts. ?That?s particularly off-putting, since there? little that?s of objective news value to viewers in those new programs.

TV people should be made to realize that viewers are entitled to plug-free entertainment, and their right to enjoy it for 42 minutes every hour should be respected. And viewers themselves should become more aware of their prerogatives, and should resolutely complain when some TV channels take them for granted.