[Speed Gibson,
Sunday September 12, 2004 at 10:29am]
Two Minutes and Two
The host of TV's "Love Connection" Chuck Woolery often went to commercial by saying they'd be back in "2 minutes plus 2". In those days of 25-30 years ago, that meant 122 seconds total. Nowadays, however, it means 2 minutes plus another 2 minutes, and maybe more. Go back another 15 years and the breaks were more on the order of 60 to 90 seconds.
Four minutes now seems to be the focus group determined maximum commercial break that broadcasters think you and I will now tolerate. That's what most of the talk radio I listen to uses. I listen to two hosts commercial free by subscribing to their web sites. Each hour of Dennis Prager is about 35 minutes, Rush Limbaugh about 36 minutes. I find NASCAR on Fox and NBC in about the same proportion. Law and Order reruns on TNT use four minute breaks, sometimes more.
Herb Carneal, who has been broadcasting the Minnesota Twins since 1962, remembered when it was just one minute between innings. Now it's two minutes and 15 seconds he said. I wouldn't be surprised if that isn't longer, and now when they rejoin the broadcasts, the announcers get in a little more ad copy. Salem Radio is doing this, too.
Folks, there has to be some limit to this, doesn't there? We are approaching the 50:50 ratio of content to commercials. That's bad news, but the good news should be that market forces may do something about this. Actually, there is one such solution already in wide use and gaining: TIVO.
TIVO is basically a computer that can record, play and buffer television broadcasts. You have to pay for the equipment ($100-300) and the service ($12.95/month), but I have yet to meet a dissatisfied customer. If anything, it's outright love at first sight.
So why not RIVO for us talk radio junkies? I basically have that for Prager and Limbaugh, but a TIVO-like device for radio would work for all broadcast programs, including sports.
Trouble is, if we all start doing delayed broadcast and therefore not watching the commercials, where does the revenue come from? Again, I think the markets can answer that. Salem Radio, for example, could make its formidable lineup available as a subscription package. Talk Radio Network could do the same with Ingraham and Savage. And the Northern Alliance could similarly expand their empire.
I think the days of free broadcasting are numbered. Much of it is already not free because it's cable or satellite provided, or in radio's case, internet provided. The broadcasters think it's wonderful, having more income minutes and less production cost. But ultimately, we will decide, via the free market.
Four minutes now seems to be the focus group determined maximum commercial break that broadcasters think you and I will now tolerate. That's what most of the talk radio I listen to uses. I listen to two hosts commercial free by subscribing to their web sites. Each hour of Dennis Prager is about 35 minutes, Rush Limbaugh about 36 minutes. I find NASCAR on Fox and NBC in about the same proportion. Law and Order reruns on TNT use four minute breaks, sometimes more.
Herb Carneal, who has been broadcasting the Minnesota Twins since 1962, remembered when it was just one minute between innings. Now it's two minutes and 15 seconds he said. I wouldn't be surprised if that isn't longer, and now when they rejoin the broadcasts, the announcers get in a little more ad copy. Salem Radio is doing this, too.
Folks, there has to be some limit to this, doesn't there? We are approaching the 50:50 ratio of content to commercials. That's bad news, but the good news should be that market forces may do something about this. Actually, there is one such solution already in wide use and gaining: TIVO.
TIVO is basically a computer that can record, play and buffer television broadcasts. You have to pay for the equipment ($100-300) and the service ($12.95/month), but I have yet to meet a dissatisfied customer. If anything, it's outright love at first sight.
So why not RIVO for us talk radio junkies? I basically have that for Prager and Limbaugh, but a TIVO-like device for radio would work for all broadcast programs, including sports.
Trouble is, if we all start doing delayed broadcast and therefore not watching the commercials, where does the revenue come from? Again, I think the markets can answer that. Salem Radio, for example, could make its formidable lineup available as a subscription package. Talk Radio Network could do the same with Ingraham and Savage. And the Northern Alliance could similarly expand their empire.
I think the days of free broadcasting are numbered. Much of it is already not free because it's cable or satellite provided, or in radio's case, internet provided. The broadcasters think it's wonderful, having more income minutes and less production cost. But ultimately, we will decide, via the free market.