Senate committee differs on SBS ads

A Senate committee looking at allowing SBS to broadcast more prime-time advertising has divided along party lines.

Government senators gave the nod to legislation that will allow up to 10 minutes of advertising in any one hour, up from the existing limit of five minutes.

Labor, the Greens and independent senator Nick Xenophon recommended the Senate not pass the legislation.

Labor and the Greens said the bill was an attempt by the government to make parliament complicit in breaking Tony Abbott's 2013 election promise not to make cuts to SBS.

They also said government senators had failed to take into account concerns raised by witnesses to the inquiry.

Free-to-air broadcasters and the Save our SBS group told the inquiry the measure would equate to the creation of a fourth commercial television network by stealth.