Nick Graham
Screenwriter
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2001
- Messages
- 1,406
This is one of the saddest things I have ever heard. Apparently we all are locked into some sort of unspoken contract with the networks that requires us to watch the commercials....otherwise we are stealing!
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Turner Broadcasting chief Jamie Kellner claims that personal digital recorders such as Tivo and the recording systems employed in new satellite settop boxes pose a threat to commercial cable companies and broadcasters. In an interview with Cableworld, Kellner said that what troubles him is "the ad skips" -- the ease with which viewers can eliminate commercials by hitting a button on their remotes when watching programs recorded on the devices. "It's theft," said Kellner. "Your contract with the network when you get the show is you're going to watch the spots. Otherwise you couldn't get the show on an ad-supported basis. Any time you skip a commercial ... you're actually stealing the programming." Asked about viewers who go to the bathroom during commercial breaks, Kellner responded, "I guess there's a certain amount of tolerance for going to the bathroom. But if you formalize it and you create a device that skips certain second increments, you've got that only for one reason ... to make it easy for someone to skip a commercial."
Link Removed
Turner Broadcasting chief Jamie Kellner claims that personal digital recorders such as Tivo and the recording systems employed in new satellite settop boxes pose a threat to commercial cable companies and broadcasters. In an interview with Cableworld, Kellner said that what troubles him is "the ad skips" -- the ease with which viewers can eliminate commercials by hitting a button on their remotes when watching programs recorded on the devices. "It's theft," said Kellner. "Your contract with the network when you get the show is you're going to watch the spots. Otherwise you couldn't get the show on an ad-supported basis. Any time you skip a commercial ... you're actually stealing the programming." Asked about viewers who go to the bathroom during commercial breaks, Kellner responded, "I guess there's a certain amount of tolerance for going to the bathroom. But if you formalize it and you create a device that skips certain second increments, you've got that only for one reason ... to make it easy for someone to skip a commercial."