Commercials on screen during programs....no No NO!

[Mike Sheridan]

One of the columnists here mentioned something I saw while channel surfing over the weekend. I think it was a local movie on our CW affiliate here in Charlotte WJZY-46. A commercial flashed on the screen during the movie, like the obnoxious promos for shows that they have been doing on some stations.

Sorry guys but this isn't going to cut it for me. I'll stop watching channels that do that. If they all do it there are always DVD's to watch. What do you think? Is it happening where you live yet?

 

[mleach]

and speaking of DVDs, believe it or not there are some people who really believe they should have those content ratings featured the same way the shows are when the networks/stations air them. Yeah..go out and pay money for the Simpsons ( or any show ), take the DVD home, play it and just about every scene, here comes the big bug .."TV-PG" !!!

I assume many of these same people were the ones who wanted content ratings for radio that was talked about years ago. Actually I heard that idea almost came to be but I also heard that idea was DOA right from the start too. I remember my hometown newspaper back in the mid 90's suggested that a content rating ( like "Radio-PG" for radio would be a good idea. Of course they didn't say how this could be possible either.

 

[BRNout]

One of the columnists here mentioned something I saw while channel surfing over the weekend. I think it was a local movie on our CW affiliate here in Charlotte WJZY-46. A commercial flashed on the screen during the movie, like the obnoxious promos for shows that they have been doing on some stations.

Sorry guys but this isn't going to cut it for me. I'll stop watching channels that do that. If they all do it there are always DVD's to watch. What do you think? Is it happening where you live yet?

It's amazing; just when you think TV can't sink any lower into the muck, down it goes! Sadly, the "I'll stop watching" mantra hasn't seemed to make a dent in the proliferation of active on-screen promos. If anything, there are more than ever before. They're obnoxious and nobody likes them. But, there is no backlash - so the programmers will keep heaping it on.

Sadly, I don't think it will be long before this practice goes national. After all, the "content" is just considered to be filler to get eyes watching the ads. Given this, there's no reason for the likes of TBS to show restraint.

 

[radiolives]

The other day I watched a movie I liked on TBS. It was before the end for the names where they showed pictures from the movie before running the names and had captions under each picture. Well you couldn't read part of them as they were shown as TBS puts their bottom banner up for whats up next, etc. Can't they just tell us when the credits go on.

 

[Markxxx]

Sorry guys but this isn't going to cut it for me. I'll stop watching channels that do that. If they all do it there are always DVD's to watch. What do you think? Is it happening where you live yet?

Well don't stop watching the show. If your not a "Nielsen Family" no one knows you are watching and no one will know your not watching it so the boycott is meaningless.

A better alternative is to take down the name of the company advertising and WRITE not email but WRITE that sponsor a letter. Tell them, while you appreciate the product you don't appreciate that particular form of advertising. THEN and this is the key, say in the future when you go to purchase a product you not only won't be purchasing their product, but you'll buy from their competitor.

Make sure you shell out 42¢ for a stamp. Companies respect letters more than email cause it's too easy to mass email.

Speaking of DVDs don't you love the one that have previews of other movies and you can't fast forward past that and the menu button is inactivated.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Good point Mark. I thought about writing the sponsor. Then again it seems like you are telling them you saw and noticed their commercial but it could do some good.

Actually since they killed off most of the shows I was watching and haven't come up with anything new that I like it
s not hard to give up commercial TV anyway! The writers strike pretty much killed anything that was left. I guess I'm just getting old.

 

[MikefromDelaware]

I agree with you that those on screen promos and ads are irritating and take away from the viewing experience. However, my guess is those advertisers pay a premium to have THEIR ad displayed in this manner as you are watching the show and won't channel surf as you probably will do during the regular spot breaks. The ad people have found a way to get you to see their ads, whether you like it or not. The only real choices you have is to accept the ads and ignore them or to not watch TV at all, other than maybe PBS, but most people are not willing to go one night without watching their TV much less unplug the device and do something else.

I, personally, watch very little TV, but do listen to the radio. Their ads can't be inserted into the show as the TV shows are now doing, but the bigger plus for me is that I can do something else while listening to the radio. If I want a drama or suspense story, I listen to an audio book (they are available for free from my county library system) while I do something else. My librarian tells me that the audio book and DVD sections of the library are the fastest growing part of the library system. Maybe it's not just an "over the hill" male who's had enough of the poor program choice and the intrusive ads, but many others as well. TV may be "shooting itself in the foot" with this approach long term as they may be chasing more and more of that special demo from watching their product.

I think a letter to sponsors only makes a difference if enough people, from the right demo, do it from various parts of the country. As a "over the hill" viewer or listener to the advertisers (I'm 57) they don't care if I watch (TV), listen (radio), or not. Also being a male also makes my opinion far less interesting to them as they realize that females make most of the purchases for the family. From what I understand, for the most part advertisers on radio and TV are targeting females 12-49. So they are the one's who'd have to take the time and spend the 42 cents for postage and write complaining to the sponsors. My guess is, most folks don't want to be bothered. They've worked hard all day, now at the end of their busy day, they just want to plop down into an easy chair and be entertained for a few hours. They'll watch anything (given what's on, they really will watch anything) so is it such a stretch for these folks to tolerate these on screen spots that air while their "favor escape" show is on?

Understand that "Madison Avenue" knows exactly what they are doing and how to get you to buy their products. Read an old book called the "Hidden Persuaders" by Vance Packard. It was written in the mid 1950's so it may be hard to find, but even back then with far less technology, those ad folks of Madison Ave. knew how to hook you.

 

[landtuna]

Speaking of DVDs don't you love the one that have previews of other movies and you can't fast forward past that and the menu button is inactivated.

You can always re-author the DVD. Quick and easy to do.

 

[landtuna]

Hey! I'm a member of Edwardo's 55+ "don't mind me" consumers so I'm not only hard of hearing and sight but also so set in my ways I will not consider anyone's new or improved product.

Can I send them a copy of my AARP card and opt out of getting commercials? ;D

 

[quadraphonic]

landtuna,
If you can reauthor a DVD, you can sit still through some commercials.

[How do you reauthor a DVD anyway? ??? ]

 

[jegrant]

Here in Indianapolis, they have started to put McDonald's ads on the bottom 1/3 to bottom 1/2 of the screen during syndicated episodes of Family Guy and The Simpsons (both on Tribune's WXIN-FOX).

 

[philosofy]

landtuna,
If you can reauthor a DVD, you can sit still through some commercials.

[How do you reauthor a DVD anyway? ??? ]

By using a wonderful little program called AnyDVD, while its not free it will allow you to extract the contents of any dvd including Bluray and allow you to play with it however you want. I use it mainly on the dvds that our kids watch to that I can strip out all the previews, FBI warnings etc and make a copy with just the movie on it and then put the original somewhere safe. That way when the copy inevitably gets scratched to heck I can burn another copy for them to use.

 

[rwells2265]

I, personally, watch very little TV, but do listen to the radio. Their ads can't be inserted into the show as the TV shows are now doing, but the bigger plus for me is that I can do something else while listening to the radio. If I want a drama or suspense story, I listen to an audio book (they are available for free from my county library system) while I do something else. My librarian tells me that the audio book and DVD sections of the library are the fastest growing part of the library system.

Agreed ... I watch so little TV that only my wife's viewing justifies the monthly Dish Network tab. Were it just me, I'd be OTA, if that. TV has become 95% useless to me. To me the tube is a monitor I use to watch movies and classic TV shows via trades.

Another option I find very appealing are vintage old-time radio broadcasts. Hundreds are available for free online at sites like www.archive.org ... timeless, family-friendly (jokes from the likes of Jack Benny have aged VERY well, without a hint of gutter/toilet humor), and radio drama forces one to use their brain .... unlike watching TV all slack-jawed in your La-Z-Boy, taking it all in without question.

"Books on tape" have their undeniable appeal, but after years of listening to OTR drama, with sound effects, nicely-executed music cues, and well-directed acting, audio books seem bland and two-dimensional to me, IMO.

Maybe it's not just an "over the hill" male who's had enough of the poor program choice and the intrusive ads, but many others as well. TV may be "shooting itself in the foot" with this approach long term as they may be chasing more and more of that special demo from watching their product.

I'd love to think/hope so. But I'm afraid most of the "target audience" are the ones who'll watch whatever is put in front of 'em. As a rookie curmudgeon pushing his mid 40s, I've accepted the fact that I'm long dead and buried to TV networks' eyes, both broadcast and cable.

From what I understand, for the most part advertisers on radio and TV are targeting females 12-49. So they are the one's who'd have to take the time and spend the 42 cents for postage and write complaining to the sponsors. My guess is, most folks don't want to be bothered. They've worked hard all day, now at the end of their busy day, they just want to plop down into an easy chair and be entertained for a few hours. They'll watch anything (given what's on, they really will watch anything) so is it such a stretch for these folks to tolerate these on screen spots that air while their "favor escape" show is on?

Yup. Ever seen the movie Idiocracy? Remember how the TV screens looked, with all the clutter and individual ads?

I guess it's all in how one defines 'escape.' My 16-year-old son had a nugget of wisdom: "Why do I want reality shows? I watch TV to GET AWAY FROM REALITY!"

--Russell

 

[PTBoardOp94]

Yup. Ever seen the movie Idiocracy? Remember how the TV screens looked, with all the clutter and individual ads?

Sure did.

There are some programs that come pretty close to the most popular TV program at that time. Big Brother comes to mind.

 

[landtuna]

landtuna,
If you can reauthor a DVD, you can sit still through some commercials.

[How do you reauthor a DVD anyway? ??? ]

You simply "rip" the DVD into its component parts, edit out anything you don't want and burn the edited copy to a new disc. AnyDVD is one option but there are many more. Simply use Google to find detailed descriptions and products.

And BTW, I was referring only to the poster who complained about the previews on commercial DVD's and not the "bugs" and other screen junk during a program. I have gotten to the point that I tape, yes tape, virtually every non-live broadcast I watch (which aren't many) so I can skip most, if not all, the commercials. Most of my viewing is done on cable channels which have the heaviest rotation of non-unique commercials (think Nutrasystem 100 times per day). The stations that broadcast intrusive bugs and leaders while the program is running are stations that quickly disappear from my menus.

 

[MotoMuzak]

"By using a wonderful little program called AnyDVD, while its not free it will allow you to extract the contents of any dvd including Bluray and allow you to play with it however you want. I use it mainly on the dvds that our kids watch to that I can strip out all the previews, FBI warnings etc and make a copy with just the movie on it and then put the original somewhere safe. That way when the copy inevitably gets scratched to heck I can burn another copy for them to use."


Exactly!

That's what I do too. Only difference is I use DVD Shrink and Imgburn for my software (both are free), but the end result is still pretty much the same.

A scratched-up DVD Video disc, in my view, is junk. If the DVD Video disc I spent $25 on initially becomes scratched or damaged, I would then be left with a $25 coaster. I am not going to shell out $25 (or sometimes more) for a replacement copy when I can just as easily make my own for about $3 in about a half-hour's time.

Trash the copy, save the original. Movie $tudio$ hate ideas like that (because it makes sense) but my wallet loves it (because it makes ¢ents. ;o)

 

[quadraphonic]

Thanks philosofy and landtuna and MotoMuzak (esp. since your ideas were free!).

Now that yall mention it, that makes sense, I just haven't messed with DVD's enough to have even thought of doing that......

 

[MikefromDelaware]

Russell, I too enjoy the old time radio drama's. I'll check out that www.archive.org. The library does have a few radio drama's mixed in their audio book section(they had Phillp Marlowe from 1951 that aired on CBS radio, plus some others from the 40's and 50's including the radio version of Have Gun Will Travel that aired on a different night using different actors (than Richard Boone who played Paladin on the TV version) with different stories than the TV version), including some modern day productions of Sherlock Holmes from the BBC. I've also bought some radio shows over the years. What would be great would be some modern day radio drama's being aired again, but I guess there just isn't enough of an audience for such a program in this country, other than an occasional special drama produced on NPR.

The audio book experience is a different one from the radio drama as there generally is only one reader, but some of these readers use a few different voices and do a good job in being expressive and not just reading. Some of the audio book productions use music as an effect, some will use several readers which gives a closer sound to a radio drama, but still the sound effects are missing. However, a good audio book will make your commute seem almost pleasurable or make a long drive on a vacation far more fun. I don't seem to mind getting all the red traffic lights as I used to before listening to audio books.

 

[BlueWanderer]

I've noticed this annoyance for the past three or four years now. I don't know if it was WB or TNT that start this new form of pop-ups first, but now ABC Family heavily practices it. What's strange is that I haven't come across any pop-ups advertising real products yet. So far it's only upcoming shows, movies, and sporting events that I've seen pop-ups for.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Hey! I'm a member of Edwardo's 55+ "don't mind me" consumers so I'm not only hard of hearing and sight but also so set in my ways I will not consider anyone's new or improved product.

Can I send them a copy of my AARP card and opt out of getting commercials? ;D

Great post, I loved it! I'm in the same boat (56 next month and proud of it!)

We should start a club. I like your idea of opting out of the commercials since advertisers don't want us. That's real creative thinking! Are you sure you're 55+? ;D