Party Election Broadcasts

Two of the British political parties released their third election broadcasts. The British election is May 6th, 2010, and over the next few weeks, the three major political parties will release what they call “party election broadcasts.” In the United Kingdom, paid political ads are not permitted on television. Instead, the parties and broadcasters agree on an allocation of airtime that’s free. Under the law, the BBC and ITV are required to air them on their main national television and radio channels. During the official campaign period, which lasts about four weeks, there is usually one broadcast aired each day, excluding Sundays. The broadcasts are not all of the same length - but are usually around five minutes, unlike the thirty second ads commonly used in U.S. elections. close