Can advertising ever fund social networks?

It all seems so obvious; mass audiences in a new place and an advertising community eager to tap into the zeitgeist. What’s holding advertising back from funding Facebook, Myspace etc? OK there’s no marketplace as yet for this trade and it’s complicated to buy and sell but is there something more fundamental going on here?

What chance is there that the rules on product placement will be swept away. If they are, will open up new opportunities for producers?

This is an all-too-common question in the ongoing search for alternative revenues to spot advertising, sponsorship and ever depleting broadcaster commissioning budgets and the response is relatively simple. Despite frequent and ongoing requests for a relaxation of the current stringent and anti competitive product placement regulations in the UK, it is extremely unlikely under the [...]