Coming soon to your local news...subliminal advertising

[jal41]

Unfortunantly, it has happened at WGCL-TV/CBS 46 Atlanta, where McDonald's fries are a part of their UGA and Falcons pre-game shows. These shows are a product of the news department.

Last weekend, one of their meterologists were snacking on the fries while giving a game day forecast. On the pre-game show tonight for the Falcons/Saints game (WGCL is the ESPN/NFL Network station for the Falcons), the fries appeared on set, and a McDonald's ad appeared in the corner of the screen.

Subliminal advertising is going to get worse. Forget "American Idol". News departments are not suppost to do this. I know anchors reading advertisements was common practice in the 1950's, but it stopped when questions of journalistic integerity arised. I would not be surprised if subliminal ads make their way onto the hard news on WGCL or anywhere in the US within the next year or so. This is very dangerous, and needs to be stopped before the genie gets out of the bottle.

 

[oldschooltv]

Not only is this kind of thing entering into a gray area - but it's also distasteful (no pun intended)! Who really wants to see their weatherman eating during a forecast, let alone eating McDonald's fries? It's a total degradation of the profession, but why should we even be surprised anymore - the news industry has slowly turned into a free-for-all over the last few decades. You're right, this stuff shouldn't be mixed together with news personalities or on the set. Leave it for the graphics department to make a short commercial or on-screen advertisement. But that's it!

 

[nuzguy]

The dollar speaks its influence. A thoughgt, also. Subliminal transmission is that which occurs below the threshold of conscious perception, and the fries with the weather concept is pretty much in your face type advertising. However, the real point, as you pointed out, is that the merging of the news product with advertising is the actual concern here. Anchors and others acting as pitch men for Mickey D's should be axed. But it won't be; the practice will only get worse.

 

[bpatrick]

When John Chancellor succeeded Dave Garroway as host
of the Today show in 1961, he refused to do commercials,
thinking it unprofessional for a broadcast journalist. NBC
agreed to his terms; his successor, Hugh Downs, did do
commercials (he wasn't considered a bona-fide newsperson
at the time). When Mike Wallace decided to devote fulltime
to news, he managed to get out of his contract as spokesperson
for Parliament cigarettes for the same reason Chancellor wouldn't
do commercials.

Back to WGCL: I think this is a station that is (a) in trouble
financially (although I can't prove it), and (b) is doing anything
to attract attention, being fourth among the big four networks
in Atlanta. Jal, on another board, said that CBS ought to start
negotiating with WSB. I wouldn't mind seeing that but WSB and
ABC are doing just fine together, thank you, and things could
get ugly if ABC found itself in the position of trying to hold onto
Channel 2. And even if CBS offered to buy WSB, I just can't see
Cox selling its flagship. Another thing: ABC is in better shape
ratings-wise than NBC was when WSB switched to ABC in 1980.
WAGA is out, being a Fox o&o; WXIA is probably going to stay
with NBC for the rest of this century. I'm afraid you folks in
Hotlanta are stuck.

 

[aarontabr]

I have a new idea for CBS Atlanta.

"And now...Atlanta's CBS 46 WGCL is now WHAA 46, as in WHAA! WHAA! CBS in Atlanta is on a UHF! WHAA WHAA Wer'e in 4th place ;D."

 

[zumahans]

Unless those segments were identified as sponsored content, that station violated FCC regulations.

 

[Markxxx]

It is more commonplace, I am fortunate that I tend not to notice those thing. The producers are under more and more more pressure to squeeze revenue. As I've stated before the new "six sigma" concepts are not simply making a profit. It is continually "could I have made MORE."

If so why not?

Place McDonald's fries is subtle not subliminal which by the way has always failed controled test. Subliminal that is.

But I often wonder when I see resturaunt reviews and other "cute" promotions on the news how those things come to be chose.

The fact of the matter is advertising is only as effective as the people buying into it.