As the number of tv channels grows I think it becomes more important for THEM to publish when and what adverts are shown. We've all done it... started to surf the channels inbetween programs only to be confronted by 80% of the channels showing the adverts. Why shouldn't the advertising agencies be as accountable as the broadcasters? If I don't want to watch commercials, I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO! I realise that this would lead to phonebook size TV guides but not on digital tv...-- ponda_baba, Jun 29 2000 Renault Clio Ads http://www2.prestel...b/Mahieu_frames.htmThe only reason to switch over from the Beeb... [macm, Jun 29 2000] Television is supported by advertisements. If ads did not pay most of the cost of broadcasting, TV would cost a fortune. <Cable and satellite does not provide programming, it provides ACCESS to programming.>
Might be cool to have 'shareware' TV, pay for commercial free programs one at a time or something, especially if you wanted to record a movie...-- StarChaser, Jun 29 2000 Actually TV wouldn't cost a fortune. The licence fee in the UK, which supports the BBC, costs about 90 quid a year (I think). A bargain.-- hippo, Jul 06 2000 It's 104 pounds now - still a bargain. The three commercial channels generally put out unwatchable and/or plagiarized CRAP ... Channel 4 used to be good, until it decided to dedicate 90% of its output to advertising its digital/satellite spin-off stations which are both crud, and the other 10% to ripping off BBC2 ideas wholesale. Adverts are c00l however, and should go into the TV guide so that we know when our favourites are going to be aired. Especially the ones for the Renault Clio.-- macm, Feb 13 2001 The reason that commercials coincide (at least on American TV) is that the programming across networks is similar at most times of the day (soaps and talk shows during the day, half-hour sitcoms at 8, hour-long dramas at 10). These shows tend to have logical breaks between "acts."
As for putting them in TV guides, the problem is that commercials vary to a much greater degree than programming, as it varies by signal provider rather than content producer.-- bookworm, Feb 13 2001 Right. The networks sell feeds to the local affiliates, who put their own local commercials in over the national ones. You can often see inept editing, where you get a second of one commercial before it switches to another.-- StarChaser, Feb 16 2001 random, halfbakery