More ad clutter on the boob tube

Even with TiVo and other digital video recorders now holding out the promise of a commercial-free viewing experience, the leading broadcast networks continue to pack more and more advertising spots into each hour of television, according to the latest MindShare Clutter Watch report, released this week.

ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox all aired more commercial time per hour in the first quarter of 2002 than during the same period last year.

Fox increased its commercial time the most, averaging 8 minutes 39 seconds per hour, 10 percent more than in first quarter 2001.

Even with the increase, however, Fox averaged the fewest commercial minutes per hour of any Big Four network.

ABC had the dubious honor there, averaging just over 10 minutes of commercial time per hour, up 4 percent from last year.

NBC was next with 9 minutes 45 seconds per hour (up 5 percent), followed by CBS with 9 minutes 31 seconds (up 1 percent).

These data are in keeping with a trend that began in the early 1980s when the National Association of Broadcasters did away with the voluntary code that limited commercial time, says Debbie Solomon, senior partner and group research director at MindShare, who wrote the report.

"Every quarter when we look at the data it's a few percentage points higher than the quarter before," says Solomon.

Moreover, these numbers don't reflect the full extent to which advertising and promotional messages are proliferating in network TV, she says.

Broadcasters are experimenting with a variety of ways to carry such messages alongside programming, including the animated bugs that appear in the corner of the screen, split screens that allow credits to roll simultaneously with commercials and "snipes," text messages that scroll across the bottom of the screen.

More stations are now using the so-called time machine that imperceptibly compresses programming so as to create more time for commercial spots.

"This is even more insidious than adding more commercials," says Solomon. "My guess is we’ll see a lot of this as the new TV season starts."

The picture of the networks is largely the same looking at total non-program minutes, which include public service announcements and promotions for the network's other shows as well as commercials.

ABC still leads, with more than a quarter of each average hour, 15 minutes and 10 seconds, taken up by non-program matter in the first quarter (up 2 percent).

NBC, with 14 minutes and 39 seconds, and CBS, with 14 minutes and 9 seconds, kept pace with the previous year, while Fox's non-programming time was up 10 percent, to 14 minutes and 33 seconds.

But clutter proliferation is not universal rule, as can be seen by a cursory look at cable.

On four cable networks -- ESPN, Lifetime, TNT and USA -- commercial minutes and total non-programming minutes were actually down in the first quarter. The effect was most dramatic on Lifetime, where commercial minutes (9:59) and non-programming minutes (12:35) were both down more than 10 percent.

"Clutter on cable is a lot more volatile," she says. "You see a lot more variation from quarter to quarter."

Advertisers and media buyers rail against it, observing, as Solomon does: "Virtually every study on the issue has demonstrated that increases in clutter hurt advertising and media effectiveness."

But while the networks and station owners listen, if politely, they show little inclination to put a cap on the number of ad minutes per hour. Ads are dollars and therefore an immediate benefit; the potential of losing advertising sometime in the future in response to clutter is a worry for another day.

At issue is if and when that day might come. Solomon has little doubt that it will.

"We’re not saying broadcasters shouldn’t have a fair opportunity to make money, but at some point you’re going to turn the viewers off so much that they’re not going to watch TV."

"We’re not saying broadcasters shouldn’t have a fair opportunity to make money, but at some point you’re going to turn the viewers off so much that they’re not going to watch TV."

Methinks the time has come.

It has certainly come for the politicians.

The time has come? You are correct sir!! I never watch movies or many other forms of entertainment on commercial stations as they are being televised unless it's sports. I tape just about everything. (Thank god for the VCR, one of the greatest inventions ever). Even when I do watch something live or as it is being broadcast, I immediately switch to other stations when the ads come on.

We've come a long way down the hill.

In another life time I was the traffic manager at a local independent TV station. We religously followed these FCC rules:

No more than 12 commercial minutes in a clock hour during prime time (8-11pm local time).
No more than 16 commercial minutes in a clock hour outside of prime time.
A commercial break can be no longer than 2 minutes.
A commercial break cannot contain more than 4 commercials.

Like I said, we've come a long way down the hill.

In some recent emails with the FCC, they have said the only restriction today is in certain children's programming. Here is what they said:

Commercial TV stations must identify programs specifically designed to educate and inform children at the beginning of the program, in a form left to their discretion, and must provide information identifying such programs to publishers of program guides. Additionally, in TV programs aimed at children 12 and under, advertising may not exceed 10.5 minutes an hour on weekends and 12 minutes an hour on weekdays.

I wonder how much further down the hill we'll go? FWIW, I watch maybe 2 hours of TV per week.

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