Is it just me or are TV commercials getting out of hand? (Page 2): Commercials do come in handy though - · Go to the bathroom · get a drink · make a sammich · get a snack

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Commercials do come in handy though -
· Go to the bathroom
· get a drink
· make a sammich
· get a snack
· check on the crock pot
· get the mail
· take the dog out

dancers Loc: melbourne.victoria, australia

we record everything we like then watch and zap out the comms.............works like a charm

Bison Bud

Yeah, I'm going to have to get better at setting the DVR to have something to watch and be able to fast forward through the commercials. However, I do like to watch sports live and will just have to deal with it when doing so.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Longshadow wrote:

Commercials do come in handy though -
· Go to the bathroom
· get a drink
· make a sammich
· get a snack
· check on the crock pot
· get the mail
· take the dog out

I'd rather just pause the DVR. If whatever you're trying to do takes longer than the commercial, you'll miss part of the program.

sjb3

Like Repleo posted, I too cut the cord so no more Network TV, just my Roku from which I get plenty of good stuff via Prime, Tubi TV and the Roku Channel. There's a lot less commercials than the networks, and I long ago found out any way that simply hitting the mute button makes the ads a lot less annoying. YouTube Premium has no ads, though some channel holders have "commercials" of a sort where they do a minute or so promoting the sponsor who provides some or all of their production expenses, usually midway through the video.

Bill 45

Thank you, I though it was me, who was see longer commercials.

cameranut Loc: North Carolina

Bison Bud wrote:

First off, let me state that I was a Television Broadcast engineer for 20 years starting back in the late 70's. I've been out of it for quite awhile, but man how things have changed. Anyway, back then a LONG commercial break was 2 minutes and there was generally at start-break, a mid-break, and an end-break (which was shared with the start break for the following program). A special note here, in that most of these were network breaks and our station only made direct income on the local breaks we ran and still turned a reasonable profit. We actually had to pay the network to carry their programming including all their breaks and ads!

Anyway, to get to the point, today's breaks are far more frequent and much, much longer. So much so that I think it's getting absurd! Last night, my wife and I watched an approx. 2 hour movie that took 3-1/2 hours to air and I counted and average of 8 commercials, two promos, and/or PSA's in each break. Some had even more (especially promos), but not one break was less than 5 minutes and a couple were a full 8 minutes long! I wish I had also counted the actual number of breaks, but I was having trouble keeping up with the movie already. Top that off by the fact that most of us pay to have this programming brought into our homes with cable, satellite, and/or streaming fees and subscriptions and I simply have to wonder how many jillions of dollars these channels are making on all these ads and double dipping on their subscriptions and/or fees as well.

While I realize that money is the driving factor here and we will never get around the corporate greed for more and more income, I think it's high time we began to rebel against this situation or at least put the powers that be on notice that we are fed up with this situation. I'm not sure what we can effectively do about this, but I'm certainly open to your suggestions and I will be writing my cable company and local stations about this, as well as posting this topic in multiple venues to see if there is any real response from the public in general. I am also considering going back to "Off Air" TV only. While they still run too many ads, at least they don't double dip by also charging me for their overall programming. Anyway, I'd love to start a reasonable discussion on this subject and would appreciate your input. I'd really like to start some grass roots support and give them as much negative feedback as possible. Thanks for reading this far and please "Enjoy the Season and Celebrate the Reason!"

First off, let me state that I was a Television Br... (show quote)

I seldom bother to watch TV except an occasional game show. When I do, I've noticed that most of the commercials are for a "new" prescription medicine and you are supposed to "ask your doctor if ____ is right for you. Then the following commercial is a lawyer saying that if you or a loved one took_____ and did this, that or died, you may be eligible for compensation. Now let me ask you----- who do you think profits from these ads?

Bison Bud

cameranut wrote:

I seldom bother to watch TV except an occasional game show. When I do, I've noticed that most of the commercials are for a "new" prescription medicine and you are supposed to "ask your doctor if ____ is right for you. Then the following commercial is a lawyer saying that if you or a loved one took_____ and did this, that or died, you may be eligible for compensation. Now let me ask you----- who do you think profits from these ads?

Man, I know what you mean about the prescription drug ads. I bet the broadcasters love them, but it never did make any sense to me to advertise so heavily for something that can't even be sold without a doctor's prescription. The lawyers looking for clients to collect on big settlement cases has become a big issue as well.

Bill_de Loc: US

Bison Bud wrote:

First off, let me state that I was a Television Broadcast engineer for 20 years starting back in the late 70's. I've been out of it for quite awhile, but man how things have changed. Anyway, back then a LONG commercial break was 2 minutes and there was generally at start-break, a mid-break, and an end-break (which was shared with the start break for the following program). A special note here, in that most of these were network breaks and our station only made direct income on the local breaks we ran and still turned a reasonable profit. We actually had to pay the network to carry their programming including all their breaks and ads!

Anyway, to get to the point, today's breaks are far more frequent and much, much longer. So much so that I think it's getting absurd! Last night, my wife and I watched an approx. 2 hour movie that took 3-1/2 hours to air and I counted and average of 8 commercials, two promos, and/or PSA's in each break. Some had even more (especially promos), but not one break was less than 5 minutes and a couple were a full 8 minutes long! I wish I had also counted the actual number of breaks, but I was having trouble keeping up with the movie already. Top that off by the fact that most of us pay to have this programming brought into our homes with cable, satellite, and/or streaming fees and subscriptions and I simply have to wonder how many jillions of dollars these channels are making on all these ads and double dipping on their subscriptions and/or fees as well.

While I realize that money is the driving factor here and we will never get around the corporate greed for more and more income, I think it's high time we began to rebel against this situation or at least put the powers that be on notice that we are fed up with this situation. I'm not sure what we can effectively do about this, but I'm certainly open to your suggestions and I will be writing my cable company and local stations about this, as well as posting this topic in multiple venues to see if there is any real response from the public in general. I am also considering going back to "Off Air" TV only. While they still run too many ads, at least they don't double dip by also charging me for their overall programming. Anyway, I'd love to start a reasonable discussion on this subject and would appreciate your input. I'd really like to start some grass roots support and give them as much negative feedback as possible. Thanks for reading this far and please "Enjoy the Season and Celebrate the Reason!"

First off, let me state that I was a Television Br... (show quote)

I watch a lot of 1 hour shows after they air. Without commercials they run about 43 minutes. 3 1/2 hours for a 2 hour show seems excessive. Are you sure your wife wasn't hitting the pause button every time you left the room to relieve yourself.

---

Ollieboy

Bison Bud wrote:

First off, let me state that I was a Television Broadcast engineer for 20 years starting back in the late 70's. I've been out of it for quite awhile, but man how things have changed. Anyway, back then a LONG commercial break was 2 minutes and there was generally at start-break, a mid-break, and an end-break (which was shared with the start break for the following program). A special note here, in that most of these were network breaks and our station only made direct income on the local breaks we ran and still turned a reasonable profit. We actually had to pay the network to carry their programming including all their breaks and ads!

Anyway, to get to the point, today's breaks are far more frequent and much, much longer. So much so that I think it's getting absurd! Last night, my wife and I watched an approx. 2 hour movie that took 3-1/2 hours to air and I counted and average of 8 commercials, two promos, and/or PSA's in each break. Some had even more (especially promos), but not one break was less than 5 minutes and a couple were a full 8 minutes long! I wish I had also counted the actual number of breaks, but I was having trouble keeping up with the movie already. Top that off by the fact that most of us pay to have this programming brought into our homes with cable, satellite, and/or streaming fees and subscriptions and I simply have to wonder how many jillions of dollars these channels are making on all these ads and double dipping on their subscriptions and/or fees as well.

While I realize that money is the driving factor here and we will never get around the corporate greed for more and more income, I think it's high time we began to rebel against this situation or at least put the powers that be on notice that we are fed up with this situation. I'm not sure what we can effectively do about this, but I'm certainly open to your suggestions and I will be writing my cable company and local stations about this, as well as posting this topic in multiple venues to see if there is any real response from the public in general. I am also considering going back to "Off Air" TV only. While they still run too many ads, at least they don't double dip by also charging me for their overall programming. Anyway, I'd love to start a reasonable discussion on this subject and would appreciate your input. I'd really like to start some grass roots support and give them as much negative feedback as possible. Thanks for reading this far and please "Enjoy the Season and Celebrate the Reason!"

First off, let me state that I was a Television Br... (show quote)

That's why I record my shows since I can skip the long commercials.

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

Here, in the home of the BBC, we also have commercial television. We also have a regulator who lays down the law about what they can and cannot do. It states;
Amount of Advertising
1.1 Amount per day
(Channels 3-5 only)
1.1.1(A)
(a) The total amount of advertising in any one day must not exceed an average of
seven minutes per hour of broadcasting.

Channels 3-5 are the main terrestrial alternatives to the BBC. I mostly watch BBC (and it costs me £157.00 per year for advert free content and programming that many outside the U.K. comment favourably on) but the other channels have some O.K. stuff on as well. I don't watch them as much.

Catch up channels, repeat channels etc. seem to show more adverts. Subscription channels come under different rules and as I don't subscribe to them I can't comment.

We do have a new subscription service offering all of the main channels content, current & past, advert free.

Maybe one day, when the Panasonic CRT gives up the ghost I'll look into the options again.

I do watch some American programming carried by our main services but it gets annoying when an engineered ad-break doesn't occour with one of our timings.

Don, the 2nd son Loc: Crowded Florida

Starting in 2016 the amount of screen time occupied by commercials increased dramatically. I strongly suspect that since this was limited/governed by the FCC there has been an executive order (remember them?) removing the limits.

HamB

The broadcasters are deaf to complaints.
The network Execs think you still have to get out of your Barcalounger to change channels.

PWL46 Loc: Michigan

Earlier this year, I decided to do some “timing’” of program vs. commercials. I found there are many 10 - 15 second commercials - allowing more per break. There are some 30 second, fewer 60 second and a couple of looong commercials - 2 min. The looong one are almost always drug promotions - I guess they need that to get in all of the “side effects!” Usually there are breaks of 3.5 - 4.5 minute breaks. Another trend is to go the first 18-20 minutes of a movie without any breaks and then starting shorter and shorter segments of “content” between commercials. Some times the content segments are less than the commercial breaks. Really breaks up the flow of a movie’s story line. Very frustrating. The “norm” seems to be 3 minutes for the major networks (ABC, CBS & NBC) and 4 minutes for the others. Sports are something else!
When I was growing up, there used to be a national association of radio & TV stations (NARB?) that had mandates on the number of minutes vs. content per 30 minutes. (Remember when programs used to be 30 minutes! and then came Bonaza at 60 minutes!) Yup, show theme song & intro, 1 minute commercial, opening segment, 1 min. com., story development, 1 min. com., conclusion and end credits - all in 30 minutes. The good ‘ole days.

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

And it also annoys me that the volume of the ad is much higher than the show! Now I just record everything I want to see so that I can fast forward through the ads.