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This puts an actual smile on my face:
Media companies, including Time Warner Inc., 21st Century Fox Inc. and Viacom Inc., have started cutting back on commercials after years of squeezing in as many ads as possible.
The new strategy is an attempt to appeal to younger viewers, who are more accustomed to watching shows ad-free on online streaming services like Netflix Inc., and to advertisers concerned their messages are being ignored amid all the commercial clutter.
Time Warner's truTV will cut its ad load in half for prime-time original shows starting late next year, Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bewkes said last week on an earnings call. Viacom has recently slashed commercial minutes at its networks, which include Comedy Central and MTV. Earlier this month, Fox said it will offer viewers of its shows on Hulu the option to watch a 30-second interactive ad instead of a typical 2 1/2-minute commercial break. Fox says the shorter ads, which require viewers to engage with them online, are more effective because they guarantee the audience's full attention.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Ethanol-fueled on Thursday November 12 2015, @04:34PM
Well, that's a really condescending way to put it. It's called "choice," but since you decided to put it that way, I think I'm going to pirate some Adult Swim shows...starting with Minoriteam. Thanks for the contempt, asshole!
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Phoenix666 on Thursday November 12 2015, @04:42PM
Even when Netflix pays them for the content, they are conditioned to think of viewers who watch that content without commercials as thieves.
But On-Demand is killing cable for sure. I have a buddy who's Director of Programming at Starz and he says he runs hard every day to limit the bleeding. I suggested developing franchises with branching plot lines, with subplots that are shunted into based on viewer response, to maximize engagement, interactivity, and repeat viewing, sort of like a video version of Choose Your Own Adventure, but I think it went over his head. TV guys really don't have time with their crazed timelines to do a lot of out-of-the-box thinking.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 1) by nitehawk214 on Thursday November 12 2015, @06:34PM
You should have said "tv execs are trained to think of the viewers as theives." :)
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Thursday November 12 2015, @07:01PM
Well, no, I employed the right verb. "Trained" means someone sat them in a room and pounded it into their heads with repetition and/or shock therapy. "Conditioned" means they picked it up via osmosis, which is by far the more accurate descriptor. That is, even in the highest echelons of business and government (at least, as seen from NYC) nobody has time, attention, or recall to absorb a body of rules or attitudes that "training" implies. They only get their attitudes from off-hand remarks in countless meetings and incidental conversations over the course of years in their office environments, which "conditioning" means.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by moondoctor on Thursday November 12 2015, @07:40PM
I worked at an on-demand iptv service, and you'd be amazed at how much work it is just keeping a library of networks and shows live. Aside from the technical challenge (pretty huge) there's a ridiculous amount of contract stuff meaning things have to be made available or unavailable constantly. Yes: The planning and logistics necessary to get "Choose Your Own Adventure" style content going would blow the 'producers' minds, and the budget would be beyond absurd using standard industry practices.
(Score: 1) by Francis on Thursday November 12 2015, @08:32PM
Not to mention the fact that you've got an exponential decrease in ratings per branch as you go. Even if there are only 2 options per branch within 3 branches you're down to an eight of the viewership. And probably less as people will choose not to watch. But to get that eight of the viewership each, you're now financing something that's going to be at least 4 times as expensive and getting more and more expensive as the plots diverge and you're able to reuse less of the episodes.
It's kind of a cool idea, but you're absolutely right about the logistics of it.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Thursday November 12 2015, @11:54PM
No, you guys are wrong. Think about it as a project manager. You already have the studio and talent booked. The time required to shoot "B" roll (as it's known) in that setting is far less costly than doing a separate, fresh shoot. Thus the marginal cost of producing that 3 minutes of sub plot is quite low.
Economies of scale is what it's about.
Repeat viewing plus engagement are arguable, given the loss in general audience and engagement.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 12 2015, @04:56PM
Why did you bold the guy's last name?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 12 2015, @06:09PM
So you'd notice he is a jew?
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 12 2015, @09:23PM
Why are jews named after plants?
baum
zweig
Shimmel (ok, technically a fungus is maybe a different phylum from plants)
Spinoza (spinach?)
Maimonides (I give up. apparantly I was overgeneralizing)
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 13 2015, @01:36AM
> So you'd notice he is a jew?
Absent any other explanation and given e-follower's well-known racism it sure looks that way.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by bob_super on Thursday November 12 2015, @05:07PM
I went to a professional trade show (NAB), where a guy was demoing his weather animations designed to keep the viewers engaged.
He was talking about the viewers in about the same way you'd talk about someone's out-of-control four year-old.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Thursday November 12 2015, @06:35PM
I went to a professional trade show (NAB), where a guy was demoing his weather animations designed to keep the viewers engaged. He was talking about the viewers in about the same way you'd talk about someone's out-of-control four year-old.
When did it get too expensive to hire a weather girl?
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Thursday November 12 2015, @06:54PM
Apparently, women would be amongst the weather-watching public.
Having both a babe and a hunk sharing the weather stage is a recipe for disaster.
(Score: 2) by That_Dude on Friday November 13 2015, @12:33AM
Hear the screams and cries of those caught in the swirl as the toilet flushes!
I hit the handle years ago.
It's a damn shame what gets advertised on public TV - lawsuit ads for bad pills and medical devices, yet the next set of commercials sell more of the same. It's not enough that pain pills work - ask your doctor or pharmacist if chemical castration is right for you!