This study examines the gatekeeping process of broadcast advertisements. Itrntries to explore the basic principles of gate keeping of the broadcastrnadvertisements in Ethiopian Radio and Television Agency (ERTA), identifies thernmajor challenges in the process and explores how ERTA defines its mediarnresponsibility role in relation to selection criteria of advertisements.rnI use the qualitative research methodology for the data analysis. Purposivernand snow ball sampling techniques used in the research. In-depth interview,rnobservation and documents are main data gathering techniques that I used forrnthe research. Social responsibility theory is the major theoretical frame workrnused for the research, which "emphasized freedom, it holds that responsibilityrnis necessarily a partner to freedom in institutional behavior". In thernadvertisement selection process, the gatekeepers in ERTA refer to thernadvertising manual of the institution. Legal and ethical frameworks; marketingrnconcerns and respect to institutional policies are the grounds for advertisingrngatekeeping of ERTA.rnThe major forms of gatekeeping are categorized as reviewing advertising content,rnchecking production quality, cost of air-time and placement. Un-updated advertisingrnmanual, lack or limited training, the pressure of the customers on the gatekeepers,rndominated personal interpretations, problem of technical quality control, the disparityrnof execution between advertising manual and editorial policy of ERTA are some of thernchallenges of advertising gatekeeping.rnThe research findings show that there are inconsistent decisions overrnadvertisements; some contents and forms of advertisements do not have thernparameter in the advertising manual of the institution; the advertisers andrnadvertising agencies give little or no attention to ethical and legal obligations;rnERTA did not publicize its advertising manual to its customers; unhealthyrnrelation between advertising agencies and ERTA; no code of advertising ethics;rnand the absence of advertising law at the national level are among the findingsrnof the study.