Advertising is the marketplace of television city where commercial goods and services are exchanged for audience ratings - that's we viewers - to pay for running the town - the networks themselves and the news, entertainment and other programs they deliver. But what happens when the shopping mall threatens to take over a large slice of the town and our television fills with more and more ads and advertisement-like programs?

Since introducing the 1992 Broadcast Services Act the government has allowed broadcasters to police parts of their operations under industry-developed Codes of Practise (COPs). Radio, television and also new players such as Internet Service Providers - companies selling Internet access accounts - have been encouraged to define their own regulations. The idea is that too many rules - especially ones relating to "less serious" misdemeanours - might stifle the operation of our hard-pressed broadcasters.

These paper COPs relate to levels of sex and violence, limits on ads per hour, compliant procedures and other similar issues. Meanwhile, the Act directly polices "more serious" concerns like ownership and control, tobacco and alcohol advertising and the amount of certain kinds of programming going to air. It also prevents ads appearing on most pay television services until mid-1997 when even they will provide no respite from ads.

Back in 1991, the government's sheriff, the Australian Broadcasting Authority - or "Tribunal" as it was called prior to 1992 - tried to stand up to the commercial broadcasters after a trial deregulation attempt found stations playing up to 19 minutes of ads per primetime hour - well up from 11 minutes in 1984. Ignoring this, the 1992 Act took back the sheriff's guns and the new Authority again proceeded along the path of self-regulation. Now privately-run COPs are stretching the limits of what we can put up with as recent public comment over the amount of ads placed around popular primetime programs demonstrates.

The networks have also become increasingly creative with advertising introducing more "advertorial" and "infotainment" product-marketing programs, placement of products within shows and "barter" programs such as Coke's NRG - paid for by advertisers and given "free" to the networks. It's a bit like walking to your favourite restaurant and being accosted by spruikers at every doorway - and not a real cop in sight - just when you need one.

With alternative television services on the rise it will be interesting to see if 16 and 17 minutes of ad breaks on commercial television will eventually drive we viewers to the ABC, to pay services or to the video store. Or will ad-supported television - best able to pay for expensive, quality programming - continue as the most popular nightspot in town?