Dry/annoying commercials killing TSL

[kenglish]

I worked on a project called StoreTV many years ago. TV sets and overhead speakers were installed up and down the aisles of supermarkets, and were fed by servers that took satellite downloads once or twice a day.
The customers quickly freaked out over seeing and hearing "the same damned commercials that I just watched on TV at home".
The stores quickly shut them down.
I suggested doing low-key ads, perhaps tied to upcoming holidays and family-friendly events. But, the agencies would have nothing to do with it. It HAD to be the same spots as were on network TV.
The equipment was soon removed, and sent to salvage yards.
I see something similar every so often. Usually at the registers, or at gas pumps. Those are short-lived as well.

 

[Mikey Radio]

I see something similar every so often. Usually at the registers, or at gas pumps. Those are short-lived as well.

The gas pump ones are painful. By the time I get done filling my tank, I've usually had my ears assaulted with a few bits of outdated weather forecasting or sports scores, bookended by commercial spots that I don't watch. Those same gas stations are usually the same ones where you need to go through several sales-related prompts before you're allowed to simply pump your gas: "Do you want a car wash today? Yes/No" "Do you want a coupon with your receipt for our special, which is 2 hot dogs and a Coke for $2.99? Yes/No"

 

[oldradiotapes]

I worked on a project called StoreTV many years ago. TV sets and overhead speakers were installed up and down the aisles of supermarkets, and were fed by servers that took satellite downloads once or twice a day. The customers quickly freaked out over seeing and hearing "the same damned commercials that I just watched on TV at home".

The stores quickly shut them down.

The equipment was soon removed and sent to salvage yards.

About 10 years ago they put crap like that (don't know if it was the same CP) into the local Carl's Jr stores. At my then-local it was fed from a server in the office (where a Profusion D had been) via HDMI to a ~50" widescreen mounted on a wall in the dining room. Just over a year later they ended up yanking it after they saw their sales figures plummet faster than 45's approval rating!

The widescreen's still there to this day but it's been dark for close to a decade. They must have put the Profusion back into service because there's been music playing in there since.

The gas pump ones are painful. By the time I get done filling my tank, I've usually had my ears assaulted with a few bits of outdated weather forecasting or sports scores, bookended by commercial spots that I don't watch. Those same gas stations are usually the sa

There's a way to mute that crap on some models of Gilbarco/Veeder Root pumps. Hit the second button down from the top, on the right side of the screen. On some very rare examples it's actually marked with a "mute" symbol (speaker with slash through it). In fact most Gilbarco pumps that run FMV have a mute function of some type though not always assigned the one I explained above. It's just a matter of figuring out which one it is.

The local Fred Meyer started doing it within the past year or so and they have the particular GVR model that does that. Previously they had only displayed static cards showing the store's weekly sale items and a "Thank you for shopping at Fred Meyer" graphic. But evidently that wasn't good enough and there was a need to increase the local noise pollution level past what it had already been.

 

[Kelly A]

The gas pump ones are painful. By the time I get done filling my tank, I've usually had my ears assaulted with a few bits of outdated weather forecasting or sports scores, bookended by commercial spots that I don't watch. Those same gas stations are usually the same ones where you need to go through several sales-related prompts before you're allowed to simply pump your gas: "Do you want a car wash today? Yes/No" "Do you want a coupon with your receipt for our special, which is 2 hot dogs and a Coke for $2.99? Yes/No"

I've solved that problem by carrying a roll of Gorilla Tape(tm) around in my vehicles. A 4" long piece of tape vertically across the gas pump speaker solves that annoyance. So far, all the pumps at my local WaWa have been physically muted, as they all have a piece of tape over the speakers. As soon as the spots start, the tape comes out.

 

[seatownmedia]

I don’t mind the little videos when pumping gas. It makes a mundane task atleast semi interesting. But then again it doesn’t take much to make it interesting for me these days.

 

[boombox4]

The local area gas stations have changed their tune on the gas pump video thing. Sometime in 2016, a couple of them had them set to play some interesting, chimey music when not in active use. You'd pull up at night and it would be echoing off the walls and the pavement. Then when you pumped your gas, the commercials and short liners would start.

About eight months later, they switched off the music. You'd pull up and just see a pic on the screen. Then you'd get the programming and ads while pumping your gas. About a week or so ago even that stopped. Most stations that have those screens really don't use them anymore. I don't know why they stopped them. It's not like you're going to quit pumping gas just because of some blather coming from the pump, especially if the gas is a decent price.

 

[Kelly A]

About eight months later, they switched off the music. You'd pull up and just see a pic on the screen. Then you'd get the programming and ads while pumping your gas. About a week or so ago even that stopped. Most stations that have those screens really don't use them anymore. I don't know why they stopped them. It's not like you're going to quit pumping gas just because of some blather coming from the pump, especially if the gas is a decent price.

It seems like that's up to local management for that station. I've only encountered one station in my area that absolutely blasts spots and music. The worst part about it, is the levels are all over the place. They have one spot in particular, that's easily 12db above all the other spots or music. The pump speakers rattle and distort when it rolls. This is the station that spurred me to break out the Layer-1 gas pump muting technique. Other stations in the area have their levels much more under control and less obtrusive to customers.

To me, this is a safety issue. You're supposed to remain outside at the pump monitoring the dispensing of fuel into your vehicle. From what I've seen, the blasting/distorted pump speakers give customers more incentive to get back in their car while the pump runs unattended.

 

[MarcB]

From 2017 until the beginning of 2021 we had a Kia Dealership in East Hartford, Connecticut that aired ads on most of the stations in the Market that featured a sound alike of President #45 and another guy that's supposed to be a sound a like of Putin. - There was an article in the Hartford Courant in 2017 a few months after that ad campaign started that stated the commercials got people into the Kia Dealership.

Every time the commercial would come on, we'd button push. We mainly listen to a Springfied, Mass station now so we don't know if this dealership is running new ads or not. This is just the opinion of my Mom and me - if you have to resort to using a sound a like of the president to get people into your business, your business sucks.

 

[oldradiotapes]

Heh, in the early 90s, Magnolia Hi-Fi (stereo equipment merchants in Po[r]tland) used imitators of George Bush and then-just elected Bill Clinton in mildly satirical dialogues to advertise their line of car phones (remember those?), often involving topical for-the-time prank phone calls between the two of them. The music bed was an orchestral performance of "Hail to the Chief".

*phone rings* Bill: Who is it?
George: Saddam. (sa-damn)
Bill: Saddam who?
George: Saddam shame I'm not still president!

Those spots used to air on KINK quite a lot ~30 years ago.

Well, what can I say. Americans were a different people then.

 

[kevtronics]

Once thing I've noticed is that within the past decade, suddenly every proprietor of a company thinks they can become their own radio spokesman/woman for their commercials. For example, the Renewal by Andersen commercials used to be entirely read by a professional announcer. Then they started letting the owner of the company say a few words at the end. Then eventually he started doing all the ads entirely by himself. Plus there's the Madison Reed hair coloring lady, the My Pillow guy, and of course Dr. Lederman in the NYC area, none of which have good voices for radio.

 

[kenglish]

Once thing I've noticed is that within the past decade, suddenly every proprietor of a company thinks they can become their own radio spokesman/woman for their commercials. For example, the Renewal by Andersen commercials used to be entirely read by a professional announcer. Then they started letting the owner of the company say a few words at the end. Then eventually he started doing all the ads entirely by himself. Plus there's the Madison Reed hair coloring lady, the My Pillow guy, and of course Dr. Lederman in the NYC area, none of which have good voices for radio.

They probably cut their own hair, too 🙄 .

 

[b-turner]

As much as we don't care for client voices on commercials, the owner's voice causes a bonding with listeners. They'll go in and ask for the owner and perceive them as a friend. Then there's the reality that a client never wants to cancel because psychologically, to cancel is a failure. They get results too. Not only do they gain a few new customers, their friends mention hearing the commercial. So, a client injecting their voice in a spot, even a line and even if they sound as exciting as fingernails on a chalkboard, will likely continue spending dollars with the station, believe they are getting results because friends mention the spot and they actually get some new customers because a business owner's voice is akin to a personal invitation.

There came a point when I cringed and had to do some deep thought. The best chance at a good, long-term, paying client that really gets results is the spot that has the owner's voice on it or at least one of their employees. Listeners don't perceive a non-professional voice as radio people do. And I'll point out a little place called Gallery Furniture in Houston. The owner did his own spots and they were so bad some stations would not sell him time until late night. I can tell you around every water cooler was talk about those spots. Eventually the poor quality spots were running everywhere. The owner sold the Houston Rockets a while back but he still owns Gallery Furniture, the largest volume single local furniture store on the entire planet. He began by renting a piece of furniture, putting it under a tent on a busy corner and writing orders for that piece of furniture. He earned a commission from the furniture store that leased him the piece of furniture. I honestly have to say his voice made him a household name in no time flat. By the way Gallery Furniture only buys radio and TV, never print.

 

[oldradiotapes]

It seems like that's up to local management for that station. I've only encountered one station in my area that absolutely blasts spots and music. The worst part about it, is the levels are all over the place. They have one spot in particular, that's easily 12db above all the other spots or music. The pump speakers rattle and distort when it rolls. This is the station that spurred me to break out the Layer-1 gas pump muting technique. Other stations in the area have their levels much more under control and less obtrusive to customers.

To me, this is a safety issue. You're supposed to remain outside at the pump monitoring the dispensing of fuel into your vehicle. From what I've seen, the blasting/distorted pump speakers give customers more incentive to get back in their car while the pump runs unattended.

Citizens, please hear me out.

At my on-the-way-from-work non-local Fred Meyer's, their pumps had video from day one, with the audio quite loud. When pressed for an explanation why, the manager matter-of-factly explained that it was to distract customers from the ambulances and rescue paramedics that would show up at the store at least once a week. This particular location is in the vicinity of at least three assisted living/retirement centre thingy-things including one at the end of the street, a nursing home a few blocks over and a 65+ condo complex a mile or so away, and had developed a reputation as the store where 80 or 90-something grandads would EOL whilst bending over to pull a tin of stringbeans or bag of cereal from the lower shelves. Sometimes I'll call in on the way home to get a gallon of milk and it'll feel like I accidentally infiltrated an AARP summit.

As it stands, that one is in fact the only Fred Meyer around here, that I'm aware of, that still sells blank cassette tapes. And recorders. In 2021. They're crappy plastic Chinese recorders, but know thy clientele.

 

[davideduardo]

... and had developed a reputation as the store where 80 or 90-something grandads would EOL whilst bending over to pull a tin of stringbeans or bag of cereal from the lower shelves.

I just spent an hour or so bending over our patio and courtyard low-voltage lamps to change bulbs and put anti-locking gunk on the lens cover threading. After it was over, I realized I felt more tired than when I'd climb the quarter wave towers of my 660 AM in Quito to change the bulbs!

Of course, that was 50 years ago!

... and the towers did not have a video to watch under the beacons.

 

[landtuna]

I just spent an hour or so bending over our patio and courtyard low-voltage lamps to change bulbs and put anti-locking gunk on the lens cover threading. After it was over, I realized I felt more tired than when I'd climb the quarter wave towers of my 660 AM in Quito to change the bulbs!

Of course, that was 50 years ago!

... and the towers did not have a video to watch under the beacons.

Gettin' old sucks (but it's usually better than the alternative)

 

[vchimpanzee]

Once thing I've noticed is that within the past decade, suddenly every proprietor of a company thinks they can become their own radio spokesman/woman for their commercials. For example, the Renewal by Andersen commercials used to be entirely read by a professional announcer. Then they started letting the owner of the company say a few words at the end. Then eventually he started doing all the ads entirely by himself. Plus there's the Madison Reed hair coloring lady, the My Pillow guy, and of course Dr. Lederman in the NYC area, none of which have good voices for radio.

On the subject of professional announcers, a business in Charlotte had Eddie Hubbard doing their commercials. Eddie Hubbard was a DJ on the station, but he was heard all over the country on affiliates of ABC Timeless. Or maybe by that time it was Citadel. I wonder if the person who wanted him knew he wasn't local? I'm sure he found out when the time came to write the check, because you have to assume a national DJ wouldn't be cheap.

 

[TheBigA]

On the subject of professional announcers, a business in Charlotte had Eddie Hubbard doing their commercials. Eddie Hubbard was a DJ on the station, but he was heard all over the country on affiliates of ABC Timeless.

Eddie was a Chicago DJ, who then worked for Satellite Music Network, bought by ABC Radio. I'm not aware that he worked in Charlotte. But it's possible a Charlotte station ran an ABC format, and they allowed their affiliates to send local copy to their DJs.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Eddie was a Chicago DJ, who then worked for Satellite Music Network, bought by ABC Radio. I'm not aware that he worked in Charlotte. But it's possible a Charlotte station ran an ABC format, and they allowed their affiliates to send local copy to their DJs.

It was an ABC affiliate.

 

[b-turner]

I would not assume a DJ working for a satellite delivered radio format to command huge bucks. Likely benefits are insurance and retirement over and above a typical salary. There may be a deal where the format's jocks do X number of commercials for clients for free or an established talent fee.

I worked a station that carried a farm news network with affiliate in a couple of states. The primary talent at the network produced a spot for one of my clients free. The station I worked for was not in a huge farming town and was certainly a small market station. It wasn't as if he said no we'd drop the network. Granted, if we requested this regularly we'd be paying something but once or twice a year was okay.

 

[Kelly A]

After it was over, I realized I felt more tired than when I'd climb the quarter wave towers of my 660 AM in Quito to change the bulbs!

... and the towers did not have a video to watch under the beacons.

Ah yes, those bayonet base incandescent tower beacon bulbs. One in the top half of the beacon, and one lower. One has to climb above the beacon, loosen that giant wingnut, swing the top half of the beacon over carefully, so you don't break the lens. Then, with nothing to hold onto, lean down over the edge of the beacon housing twisting the bad bulb out of the socket. Eight out of ten times the glass envelope breaks off, leaving the stuck bayonet base in the socket. Following that moment of dissapointment, you get to spend the next fifteen to thirty minutes trying to deform/twist the bulb base out of the socket with a pair of needle nose pliers and penetrating oil. The wind is usually blowing hard, and sideways snow is always a bonus. Generally I'd replace both bulbs at the same time, even if one was blown out. When you own your stations, you do what it takes to save a few hundred dollars.