TV & VIDEO - July 31, 1989

A television station in Manila that packed nearly an hour of commercials around a 91-second boxing match between heavyweights Mike Tyson and Michael Spinks has been fined $11,600 for airing too many advertisements, a broadcasters’ group said. The Philippine Broadcaster’s Assn. levied the fine against station ABS-CBN after a public outcry over the large number of commercials during the June, 1988 bout. Although Tyson took only 91 seconds to defeat Spinks, the station stretched the program to more than one hour with commercials. Vic de Vera, association executive director, said the industry watchdog agency first levied a $48,000 fine last year but reduced it to $11,600 this month after the station appealed. The station said the high cost of televising the Las Vegas match and the “unpredictability of its duration” forced them to air lengthy commercials.