Is it just me, or does it appear that Mike Shaw is squeezing the life out of a kitten?!
Media Daily News – July 6, 2006:
ABC HAS HELD DISCUSSIONS ON the use of technology that would disable the fast-forward button on DVRs, according to ABC President of Advertising Sales Mike Shaw, with the primary goal to allow TV commercials to run as intended.
“I would love it if the MSOs, during the deployment of the new DVRs they’re putting out there, would disable the fast-forward [button],” Shaw said.
Shaw also threw cold water on the idea that neutering the fast-forward option would result in a consumer backlash. He suggested that consumers prefer DVRs for their ability to facilitate on-demand viewing and not ad-zapping–and consumers might warm to the idea that anytime viewing brings with it a tradeoff in the form of unavoidable commercial viewing.
“I’m not so sure that the whole issue really is one of commercial avoidance,” Shaw said. “It really is a matter of convenience–so you don’t miss your favorite show. And quite frankly, we’re just training a new generation of viewers to skip commercials because they can. I’m not sure that the driving reason to get a DVR in the first place is just to skip commercials. I don’t fundamentally believe that. People can understand in order to have convenience and on-demand (options), that you can’t skip commercials.”
What an asshole!
30 Sec Skip is the BEST thing about my Tivo. š This guys needs a LARGE clue. As in I don’t want to see the same commercials over and over and for the 1000th time. š
It’s sad to see how people can pervert their own thinking to meet the ends that they desire. Remember though, this could happen to you, too. (speaking of which Cubs Rule! Sox Suck! see what I mean?)
hmm. why not disable the mute and off switches on the TV itself, so viewers can enjoy the convenience of having TV on all the time? and since consumers enjoy ads so much, program the DVR to jump to whatever channel is showing an ad at that time!
after all the programming itself is just filler between commercials …
**********sorry…
The message from ME, to the network TV execs is…
You get the idea
“Networks believe ads are the price we pay for the entertainment they provide. well,…”
I’m not disagreeing with you, I’m just using your quote as a starting point. The problem with the “broadcast TV is free” argument is that over 80% of the country pays for TV either through satellite or cable. And with satellite you are actually paying to get local channels. So it doesn’t feel free to the end user anymore.
Broadcasters are going to have to stop living in the past when there were only three networks and we watched whatever shit they tossed at us. No only are there hundreds of other channels to watch on TV, there are million of things to do online.
If I were a broadcaster I’d put ads directly in the shows using computer technology. Even the local affiliates would have spots to put their ads. And for ads between shows I’d demand that they be entertaining. Let’s face it, ads can be fun to watch. Look at all the millions who watch the Super Bowl merely for the ads!
DVR’s are killing the old advertising model. No wonder the networks wants to grasp onto the old ways. Their favorite demographic group is the most likely one to own/use DVR’s also.
If they can’t make a new business model then they should just go out of business. I don’t care what kind of company you are or how big you are. Just leave, go out of business and some other company will be right behind you with a better business model.
Personally, I would not mind “target marketing”. Maybe I would watch commercials.
6. “he problem with the ābroadcast TV is freeā argument is that over 80% of the country pays for TV either through satellite or cable. And with satellite you are actually paying to get local channels. So it doesnāt feel free to the end user anymore.”
100% agree. I mean, I don’t mind TV advertising, but I do resent both being bombarded with ads AND paying my cable bill for the privilege of viewing those same ads, just like I don’t particularly care for paying for a movie ticket AND being hit with a bunch of Coke or Toyota ads before the show.
Does anyone really watch ABC? Reminds me of the music industry. Desperately clinging to their old business model and instead of looking for ways to change and inovate, they want to supress and legislate. These excecs are as braindead as their programing. Someone should also tell this tool that his hair style went out in the 80’s, just like he way of thinking.
You guys are right. Your cable bill, just like your ISP bill (which is the same bill for many of us) is just the ticket to the circus. Once inside you can see most things free, but you pay for candy and soda and to see the bearded lady.
But I’m sympathetic to people who say, “hey, I paid to get in. This stuff should be free.” After all, the size of that cable bill is pretty big.
now a days they are doing product placement in shows. so lets get rid of commercials
All the Tivoing will mean more ads in the shows themselves. Have you been noticing the Dell or HP logos showing up right in the middle of the screen?
They’ve already eliminated fast-forward on DVDs.
Is this guy for real? People don’t want a fast fwd button? Try telling that to my wife…
I think the networks will increase their use of the “product placement” style of advertising. I know it would work well in the news division, where they could sell favorable news coverage to politicians and government officials. I’m sure the Administration would have paid handsomely to have CNN keep Anderson Cooper and others from reporting on some of the more tragic conditions in the aftermath of Katrina. Surely they would have paid many millions to have the networks portray Michael Brown as a hero.
I think networks have overlooked, or at least neglected, an important business model. They need to work harder to disguise advertising and other targeted messages to look like content.
Dear Big Media Conglomerates,
Please report to the nearest disintegration chamber.
Thank-You
No consumer backlash is expected? How about this for backlash, I would boycott ABC just based on this guy’s idle comments…if only I watched a single show on ABC.
Not having a fast forward button would really suck when your power goes out with 5 minutes left in a show you were watching. The only way to get back to that point would be to watch the entire episode all over again. Woo hoo!
(Cubs rule… just not this year)
ad-zapping is most of the point of using DVRs.
No consumer backlash? Is he nuts?
The networks want to have product placement in shows, Baksheesh from the cablecos and commercial. They also would charge us for breathing if they thought they could.
One thing you’ll never hear a public corporation say is, “We’re making enough money.”. In point of fact playing poor and playing the victim is their only image these days.
āIām not so sure that the whole issue really is …. Iām not sure that the driving reason to get a DVR …. I donāt fundamentally believe that People can understand…ā
Executive summary: I’m not sure, I’m not sure, I think DVR users are stupid…
Dan ends with a good question. I wouldn’t have had ABC-HD passing through the OTA tuner on my TiVo except for 5 or 6 of the World Cup matches not carried on ESPN or ESPN2.
Once we get past the 3/4-place match, today — and the final, tomorrow — I imagine I won’t hit those numbers on the remote for a minimum of another 4 years.
SN…what do you mean? You mean people actually sit through the Superbowl just to watch ads? That’s like saying men flip through the photos of quasi naked women to read the articles in skin mags. I don’t think so.
However, some of us do go online and checkout the ads that were played on the Superbowl. But, for me…the BEST use of the time that most are sitting around engrossed in “the game” is to go out shopping! No crowds!
As for this executive weenie……. another cog in the corporate mindest. …Just wait, they’ll find a way to force the moron’s opinion on us.
Perhaps we need to fast forward past the ABC Television Network.
don’t tell me that commercial-skip is not the prime function of DVR’s – I routinely give TV shows a 5-10 minute head start so I can ff through the commercials. and watching shows on DVD or HBO is much more enjoyable than commercial TV.
what are the odds that they are going to have this built into the broadcast flag?
“And quite frankly, weāre just training a new generation of viewers to skip commercials because they can.”
Where has this guy been? Skipping ads started with DVRs? People never did that with VCRs?
And on the other side of the coin are the advertisers developing 1 and 5-second commercials.
http://tinyurl.com/gmxh2
An article I read yesterday mentioned they were great for getting seen by TIVO users – because when TIVOs jump ahead to skip a section of ads, they roll-back about 5-seconds so that your re-entry into the progam isn’t so jarring… leaving just enough time for a 5-second commercial, intentionally placed at the end of a normal commercial-break, for that very reason.
Now that is adapting & over-coming! [grin]
Mike, I’ve heard that commercials lasting only 1/30 of a second have been pretty successful as well š
Like everything else, commercials will continue to evolve.
#28, you’re right.
There are commercials posting messages in forums, talking to you in the street under pretense, backpacking onto your legitimate dealings and basically cluttering modern life. I’d like the strategists to die in a fire.
This is an example of the changing dynamic of content delivery. People don’t want to pay for watching an episode and enjoy zapping the commercials. Who can blame them. But the people who make the shows have to pay for the shows somehow.
Personally, I think a reasonable amount of commercials contained within a free program are a fair trade–beats paying $1.99 an episode. I just watch the ad if it’s good or grab a beer or take a leak while it’s on if I can’t skip them.
ABC had the full season of Commander and Chief with three 30 second non-skipable ads embedded in the shows online until the end of June. That was more than fair. And some of the ads-promos for Pirates of the Caribbean and the new cartoon about a car–were really good and I enjoyed watching them. Some of the ads were boring and repetitive. Trip to the fridge.
I think the ABC model of putting shows available online and on demand for free with a few 30 second uninteruptable ads is the best way to go.
Blipverts!