ITV wants MORE ads between its shows to add millions to profits

The broadcaster is asking to be allowed to transfer advertising slots from less-watched daytime TV shows and put them into prime-time shows.

But broadcast industry experts said last night that showing more ads during popular weekend programmes could spark a viewer backlash.

The hosts and judges of Britain's Got Talent

The call for change has come from ITV commercial chief Rupert Howell, who demanded 'more flexibility' in the rules which govern how many minutes of advertising can be shown and when. 

The broadcaster is obliged to maintain at least seven minutes an hour across the day or eight minutes between 6pm and 11pm.

The rule is there to prevent ITV stacking all its advertising time into its peak-time schedules.

However bosses claim that the rule restricts the amount of advertising they could sell on some nights when audiences are high, such as on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

Chiefs want to be able to borrow their 'allowed' advertising minutes from less popular programmes and transfer the time to cash in on hit shows such as The X Factor or Britain's Got Talent.

In the past the broadcaster has called for an increase in the number of minutes of advertising it is allowed, but has since backed down.

Industry experts say showing more adverts during weekend programmes could anger viewers.

Nick Bampton, of Viacom, said: 'It needs to be considered who would get any benefit from such flexibility.

'Such a move could be damaging for the industry in the long term, particularly if audiences were exposed to a greater amount of longer ad breaks over weekend peak time.'

One advertising agency boss added: 'ITV is living in dreamland if it expects minutes to be averaged across the week.'

The media regulator Ofcom is currently carrying out a review into advertising rules.

Depending on the outcome, this could see TV interrupted by scores more advertisements.

Ofcom has put forward suggestions which could see an increase in the frequency and length of commercials on screen.

Under its plans, the rule which requires a 20-minute interval between advertising breaks within TV programmes would be scrapped.

One outcome of Ofcom's review could be allowing 30-minute shows such as Coronation Street to double the number of commercial breaks to two per episode or three for a 60-minute show.

Films could also be interrupted once every 30 minutes, rather than the present 45 minutes.

The regulator has even admitted it could let all channels decide for themselves how often to have a break, creating fears of a freeforall.

Ofcom is also looking at whether rules banning advertising during royal ceremonies and live Parliamentary proceedings should go.

The suggestions raise the prospect of U.S.-style TV advertising, where a break may follow a show's title sequence.

The new proposals emerged as Culture Secretary Andy Burnham expressed his opposition to product placement in TV shows.

This was seen as a blow to ITV, which was expected to cash in on a relaxation of the rules.

ITV's shares fell after Mr Burnham said yesterday that the Government was rejecting a European Union directive allowing product placement.