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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: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 12 2015, @05:19PM
They are cutting minutes... OK fine. But does that mean they are still going to overlay ads on top of the show like some channels do more and more? It's completely obnoxious - 33% of the screen has an animated elephant or something bouncing around while you are trying to see the show or read the subtitles underneath. I have to remember which channels do that so I can not even bother starting to watch them - too annoying.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by SrLnclt on Thursday November 12 2015, @05:38PM
Ever notice what networks showing reruns do between episodes? As soon as the credits begin they will do a split screen, squash down the credits so you can't even read them, and begin showing the next episode on 2/3 of the screen. This must look like crap for anyone still using a SD TV. Or sometimes with movies they will do this and speed up the credits - five minutes or more of movie credits scrolling by in about 30 seconds. Again unreadable without a DVR. I don't mind credits, and can't believe the actors guild wasn't up in arms over this nonsense. Why even show the credits if you can't read them. The length of the movie/episode hasn't changed, they simply do this so they can "invent" another minute or two each hour they can sell ads for.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 12 2015, @06:43PM
Or really old shows where they speed it up to get more commercial time crammed in there.
(Score: 1) by nitehawk214 on Thursday November 12 2015, @10:11PM
Or do a split screen and show credits while the next program starts, fucking with people doing timeshifting.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 2) by Bogsnoticus on Friday November 13 2015, @12:30AM
And then there is also the bad habit of actually cutting away to commercial breaks half a second early, and coming back half a second late, thus allowing them to squeeze on extra ad in every couple of hours.
Genius by birth. Evil by choice.
(Score: 2) by quacking duck on Friday November 13 2015, @05:01AM
Same reason for showing disclaimers and other fine print on certain ads: It's there, even if it's barely legible without freeze-framing it on a 65" TV. The legal bases are covered.