The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that Five effectively raised the volume of ad breaks during a broadcast in March of the Bill Murray comedy 'Groundhog Day'.
The revelation will be a major embarrassment to TV companies, which are meant to adhere to rules set by the Committee of Advertising Practice (Broadcast) TV Advertising Standards Code.
Following a complaint from a viewer, the ASA kicked off an investigation which found Five guilty of playing the ads louder than the film.
"The film contained several scenes of quiet dialogue, some of which immediately preceded advertising breaks," the authority said. "Advertising soundtracks featuring highly compressed sound played during these breaks appeared particularly strident."
The ASA asked TV watchdog Ofcom's technical department to assist in the investigation. It concluded that almost all the ads sounded "subjectively louder than the main content of the surrounding film", resulting in "almost constant loudness".
After initially denying the charge, Five last night blamed the contrast in volume on a "technical error".
While broadcasters such as Five fall foul of advertising rules, ITV is lobbying Ofcom about relaxing legislation governing advertising. For example, it wants the regulator to lift restrictions on product placement so that advertisers can actively promote products during programmes.
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