By Charlie Charalambous
HOUSE deputies, not usually renowned for their swift decision-making, have threatened to kick CyBC’s £17 million budget into touch if the state broadcaster’s ad-infested World Cup coverage continues.
Politicians, spurred on by a simmering armchair revolt, yesterday caught CyBC off-side and scored a Golden Goal for viewers’ rights.
The emotionally-charged issue concerns CyBC’s France ’98 coverage, which is regularly interrupted by adverts; yesterday, politicians warned CyBC its budget would be snipped if it continued to butcher its live transmissions.
Speaking at a meeting of the House Finance Committee, Diko deputy Tassos Papadopoulos said the corporation would suffer financially if the non-stop flow of ads was not plugged.
Not only does interrupting live World Cup games with advertisements violate FIFA guidelines on TV coverage, but Papadopoulos pointed out that it also contravened recent House-approved broadcasting regulations.
“Showing ads during live events goes against broadcasting regulations approved by the House. The ads should stop immediately,” Papadopoulos said during the committee meeting.
He suggested that money earned from such advertising violations would see a corresponding amount axed from the budget.
CyBC management were told to make sure that the rot stopped for yesterday’s Germany v Mexico (5.30pm) and Holland v Yugoslavia (10pm) clashes, and to ensure that the high-profile — and potentially lucrative — Second Round fixtures remained ad-free zones.
The cash-strapped organisation has argued that it needs the revenue from such ads to help keep it afloat, a position which has failed to placate the island’s football crazy viewers.
To put it bluntly, CyBC describes the roll-call of ads, ranging from domestic bleach to disposable nappies, as a necessary evil in a cut-throat TV market.
However, CyBC has ignored lessons from the past, especially when it was reviled when it first introduced the ads during USA ’94.
The USA ’94 débâcle, highlighted at the time by the Cyprus Mail, encouraged thousands of furious soccer viewers to boycott the products advertised during games.
An orchestrated fan-inspired backlash forced advertising big guns like Coca- Cola and Carlsberg to withdraw commercials and deploy a campaign strategy to protect the beautiful game from corporate intrusion.
CyBC, which had an operating deficit of £3.3 million last year, is hoping that its £17.5 million budget for 1998 will pass without cuts.
The budget requires approval by the House of Representatives.
