Is it likely the FCC will do anything about phony radio-tv infomercials? sad to say--- likely not. and, announcers, would you do infomercials or reject them because your ethical standards are high? (may depend on the $$$ --- right!)
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Infomercials
- Thread starter Clayton Douglas
- Start date
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bub
Guest
Mr. Douglas:Clayton Douglas said:
Please excuse my ignorance, but what do you mean by phony infomercials?
infomercials selling useless products/services.
Why are you assuming that all products and services promoted in infomercials are useless? Are you saying that there are NO legitimate, useful products promoted in infomercials? Are all the legitimate products only promoted through spot buys and the useless ones promoted in infomercials?
not all tv-radio infomercials are phony/useless---but quite a few are.
Pardon me while I clean my colon.
Welcome to another hour of Discoveries in Health. I'm with Dr. Michael Pinkus today. QuackWatch.org. For starters, I doubt Red #5 is actually a carcinogen, and second, I doubt Dr. Pinkus's NuZymes will prevent the onset of cancer if it is.
I can't think of any infomercials airing on radio that don't hawk medical products or get rich quick schemes.
Dmargalotti: Can you name a worthwhile product sold via radio infomercial?
Welcome to another hour of Discoveries in Health. I'm with Dr. Michael Pinkus today. QuackWatch.org. For starters, I doubt Red #5 is actually a carcinogen, and second, I doubt Dr. Pinkus's NuZymes will prevent the onset of cancer if it is.
I can't think of any infomercials airing on radio that don't hawk medical products or get rich quick schemes.
Dmargalotti: Can you name a worthwhile product sold via radio infomercial?
Going beyond infomercials. How much $$$$ is made every year from spam on the web--- selling male enhancement crap? Must be a million dollar racket!
Regulations on infomercials
dmargalotti - you're my new best friend. People who are in radio or TV and who love bemoaning the loss of their jobs or the fact that people can pay money to do the same job they used to have a huge ego about, complain about infomercials as "killing" the medium. Of course, the fact that the KFIs of the world where the top professionals are, don't run any paid programming. There is a scale, and the stations that run infos during the weekday are the equivalent of PAX on the radio - no listeners and a little distribution. These stations are in many ways like women so desperate to pay the bills they go to work on a street corner. In both cases, the prostitute would have no way of supporting itself.
However, I had a question which is the real reason I came here when I stumbled on this thread... what are the regs concerning infomercials on 1) educational-band FMs and 2) LPFMs? I know there are religious stations down there that sell time to ministries, but where is the line drawn? I presume the colon cleanses and such can't be on there because if they could, they would be? If a minister asks for donations, isn't that basically a commercial pitch?
dmargalotti - you're my new best friend. People who are in radio or TV and who love bemoaning the loss of their jobs or the fact that people can pay money to do the same job they used to have a huge ego about, complain about infomercials as "killing" the medium. Of course, the fact that the KFIs of the world where the top professionals are, don't run any paid programming. There is a scale, and the stations that run infos during the weekday are the equivalent of PAX on the radio - no listeners and a little distribution. These stations are in many ways like women so desperate to pay the bills they go to work on a street corner. In both cases, the prostitute would have no way of supporting itself.
However, I had a question which is the real reason I came here when I stumbled on this thread... what are the regs concerning infomercials on 1) educational-band FMs and 2) LPFMs? I know there are religious stations down there that sell time to ministries, but where is the line drawn? I presume the colon cleanses and such can't be on there because if they could, they would be? If a minister asks for donations, isn't that basically a commercial pitch?
Thank you KJCB, nice to know ya! It's just hypocritical to blast ALL infomercials as being useless when there is so much other crap that is sold via regular ad buys on major market stations. I'm in the NYC area and you can hear ads for strip clubs, male performance products, and gambling (casinos & OTB) on many major radio stations. How is that crap any better or any different? And why is a sixty-second spot OK, but not a 28-minute informative program. They both do the same things: sell the product/service and bring revenue to the radio station.
And in response to PTBoardOp94 who wanted to know a worthwhile product sold via and infomercial...yeah, a lot of the recorded (but made to sound live) shows are poorly done. But that doesn't mean there is no benefit to the product being offered. Companies such as Roex, Nutritional Solutions, Invite Health, Gramarcy Health, and New Vitality have a great reputation for offering quality, holistic nutritional and health products. Some of those I mentioned even do real live, daily call-in shows where the hosts can interact with the audience, address the concerns of the callers, and promote their own products at the same time. It's live and local radio that makes money for the station...serves an audience...and delivers results for the client.
Isn't that why we're all here?
Maybe I'm changing my opinion a bit. See how open -minded I am. But----making $$$$ "any way" you can is somewhat bothersome to me. guess I'm too idealistic. maybe I belong at NPR, PBS. we know how ethical everyone there is!
would you air a preacher or an infomercial on your station if you knew they were phony rip off artists? would their $$$ be as good as any other? would taking it violate FCC and other laws?
AND I must admit--- if nothing more-- infomercials are quite humorous. lots of laughs. so maybe they promote mental health. for the right $$$ I might even even host infomercials. AND you are right -- their production work needs improvement -- both on tv and radio.
We could use better produced infomercials, yes. But, when DRTV/Radio makes so much money, it's hard to see why they'd change the formula. As to Clayton's other comment referring to the Brother Stairs of the world, it may be all about the money selling airtime to people like that, but does that mean that if you sold an entire station to someone who was a nut and wanted to broadcast their lunacy, that would be wrong, too?
I suppose I've somewhat changed my opinion after this discussion. I'm just concerned that some ethical standards exist regarding which infomercials are aired. As long as the infomercial (or preacher) is not doing anything illegal I suppose that means ethical standards for most tv - radio stations.( The internet is whole other issue. Out of control porn industry. it's sick.)
I wouldn't do business with ANYONE if I knew they were a rip off artist, regardless of whether they were buying spots of blocks of airtime. It's interesting that there are some who express concern over the integrity of people buying time for infomercials...but how discerning are you about clients who make spots buys on your stations? Do you personally check out every used car dealer, mortgage broker, furniture store, restaurant, lawyer, etc.? I sincerely doubt it and after 21 years in radio I can tell you several stories about businesses like those I just mentioned that later proved to be rip offs.
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bub
Guest
And there are stations out there that do think along the same lines as you. That's why these stations stick a short disclaimer at the beginning and end of each infomercial they air..."The following is a paid program. The views and opinions expressed etc." Personally, with those "safeguards" in place, I don't have a problem with infomercials as long as the client making the buy pays the bill on time.Clayton Douglas said:
And either for their protection or (in the case of the Kevin Trudeaus who have run-ins with the FDA) due to court settlements, the producers of said infomercials state its nature as a paid program on most shows over 15 minutes.
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DoubleC
Guest
If you want to get listeners you don't run infomercials.
If all you want is a few extra bucks and you are myoptic in your thinking and do not see the bigger picture you run infomercials.
At my stations where they let me drop infomercials and add excellent weekend programing ratings are up!!!!!
If all you want is a few extra bucks and you are myoptic in your thinking and do not see the bigger picture you run infomercials.
At my stations where they let me drop infomercials and add excellent weekend programing ratings are up!!!!!
B
bub
Guest
And there are stations out there that wish they had your problem. I only hope your "excellent weekend programming" you're alluding too are not LOCALLY PRODUCED, live in the studio, talk-show type infomercials. Those can be a nightmare, especially when the clients run out of content to talk about.DoubleC said:
Like I said, as long as the client/media buyer pays on time, generally speaking I don't have a problem with infomercials. But if I can find something better, as Double C apparently has, well...
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DoubleC
Guest
we are music stations and one show tookus from #22 in the market in that time slot to #11
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