Commercial break backlash in the UK?

[23skidoo]

Being in Canada, my first reaction to reading this, of course, was "welcome to our world".

But still, when it's reported that The X Factor, arguably one of the biggest shows on UK TV right now, lost a million viewers apparently due to an overload of commercial breaks (which as described by the Daily Mail sounds excessive even by North American network standards), someone's gotta sit up and take notice. (Someone else can work out the math, but I think if one were to work it out proportionately that's probably the equivalent of a US network show dropping 5 million viewers, which would probably be enough to trigger an insta-cancellation these days.) Interestingly this comes out a few days after the taxpayer-supported BBC announced major cuts leading some to wonder if the days of commercial-free programming on the Beeb are numbered.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbi...loses-1m-viewers-tired-ad-break-overload.html

Apparently Downton Alley was overloaded with ads as well.

Thing is, yes, ads pay the bills unless you get your money from other sources like the BBC. But in this era of downloads and DVD/Blu-ray releases of TV shows, etc. the networks need to find a balance, otherwise people will turn off the broadcasts and either obtain commercial-free downloads (legality be damned) or in the case of something like Downton Alley, wait for the DVD release later. And it's not as if they were selling products for advertisers - based on that article it sounds like many of the ads were in-house promos for other programs rather than cars and hamburgers, especially in the case of Downton.

PS: Yes I know it's the "Daily Mail" this comes from - not exactly the Times. But still... and I did find it amusing to see that now Doctor Who is done for the season the UK media is turning its "fading fortunes" radar onto another show.

Alex

 

[wamdue]

I can only assume that people watching Downton Abbey are new to commercial TV, or dont have a PVR.

 

[HappyDayRiot]

(which as described by the Daily Mail sounds excessive even by North American network standards), someone's gotta sit up and take notice.

Absolutely anything reported by the Daily Mail/Fail/Heil is excessive. I'd really, really find another source if I were you.

Certainly no one takes a blind bit of notice about anything it reports, beyond the vigorous nod of the head and momentary outrage. It's all that 'paper' exists for.

ITV's advert breaks are no better or worse than Channel 4, Five or any given Sky channel.

 

[Sandoval]

Apparently Downton Alley was overloaded with ads as well.

or in the case of something like Downton Alley, wait for the DVD release later.

Downton Alley, the popular Edwardian ten-pin bowling drama.

 

[Deckerd]

Well spotted. Well fielded.

 

[FreezeC77]

There were a total of eight promotional breaks during the two-and-a-half-hour show, which meant viewers had to put up with more than 30 minutes of adverts and trailers between 7.30pm and 10pm.

Considering a 1 hour television show in the US usually clocks in around 44-45 minutes nowadays with 15-16 of commercials. That would make it 30 mins per 2 hours. So 30 mins for 2.5 hrs is less than American standards IMO.

I have no idea how long that episode of the X-factor was, but it was commercials filled 1/5 of the broadcast. Well 1/5 of an hour is 12 minutes. 12 minutes per hour is also less than American TV.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I believe OFCOM rules limit commercial TV to an average of 8 minutes, with a maximum of 12 minutes, of ads per hour with a space of 15 minutes between ad breaks across a 24 hour period. Channel 4 have been in trouble for the spacing and number of ads in Lost when they tried to keep them in the same place as ABC, and ITV have had complaints.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Don't they have DVRs in the UK?

Apparently Downton Alley was overloaded with ads as well.

or in the case of something like Downton Alley, wait for the DVD release later.

Downton Alley, the popular Edwardian ten-pin bowling drama.

Understandable Freudian slip. Bowling is excrutiatingly boring too.

 

[Sean Aaron]

Considering a 1 hour television show in the US usually clocks in around 44-45 minutes nowadays with 15-16 of commercials. That would make it 30 mins per 2 hours. So 30 mins for 2.5 hrs is less than American standards IMO.

I have no idea how long that episode of the X-factor was, but it was commercials filled 1/5 of the broadcast. Well 1/5 of an hour is 12 minutes. 12 minutes per hour is also less than American TV.

True, but the number of ads shown on American TV today is ludicrous; especially when you factor in channels that have pop-ups during the programme! I honestly find tv totally unwatchable in the States; especially for films since, unlike the UK, they'll edit the movie for content or to fit a specific time slot, ugh.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Of course we have DVRs/PVRs/TVRs/Sky+/TiVo whatever you wanna call them. Also streaming and illegal downloads too. Doesn't mean people don't actually, you know, watch TV as it's scheduled.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

If they get sick of the ads, they switch to methods that allow them to avoid the ads, and the problem solves itself.

However, since we're specifically talking about reality TV, I'll bet there's less DVR/torrent/etc usage among that audience vs, say, a sci fi show. Reality TV, news and sports do seem to be the most DVR resistant show types.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

^More ads means less content, skipping the ads doesn't solve that and probably means more ads to compensate because of there being "fewer" viewers or shows being cancelled. And you're right, shows like Doctor Who's viewing figures go up by about 2 million or more in the final numbers compared to the overnights.

 

[Pingfah]

Someone else can work out the math, but I think if one were to work it out proportionately that's probably the equivalent of a US network show dropping 5 million viewers, which would probably be enough to trigger an insta-cancellation these days.

The last season of X-Factor averaged 14 million viewers, so unless equivalent US network shows are averaging 70 million viewers, your math does not work out.

 

[Rarewolf]

Commercial breaks are just a chance to channel hop as far as I am concerned. I can't remember the last time I watched an ITV station.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I honestly don't notice when a show is 40 minutes vs 60 minutes. Whatever they didn't get to in the 40 minutes this week, they can get to next week.

I don't like episodic shows so every show I watch is just one big story, artifically broken up into weekly chunks. Sometimes I use the DVR to weave them into longer stories, like with The Clone Wars, which I think is too short at 30 minutes (less, with ads). They structure the series as 2- or 3-episode stories, so I just wait till I've got the whole story on my DVR and watch it all at once.

The ads aren't for me, anyway, since I'm not 8 years old.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Commercial breaks are just a chance to channel hop as far as I am concerned. I can't remember the last time I watched an ITV station.

Last time I watched ITV was for the Fred Wast drama, which was pretty good, but yeah, ITV is few and far between. Besides when I watch it's recorded anyway.

 

[Rarewolf]

I don't like episodic shows so every show I watch is just one big story, artifically broken up into weekly chunks. Sometimes I use the DVR to weave them into longer stories, like with The Clone Wars, which I think is too short at 30 minutes (less, with ads). They structure the series as 2- or 3-episode stories, so I just wait till I've got the whole story on my DVR and watch it all at once.

The ads aren't for me, anyway, since I'm not 8 years old.

It's about 22 I think.

Funny enough in the UK it debuts on Sky MOVIES, so no ad breaks.

I like the length. It's a much a nostagia kick from watching cartoon series 25+ years ago. It takes me right back.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I find it very different from other cartoons aimed at kids because it's so obviously being written to be appreciated by adults as well. The show it reminds me of is TOS (which was aimed at the whole family, once upon a time when shows could be aimed at the whole family...)

 

[Sean Aaron]

I kind of like the fact that an hour-long show in the UK is often, *surprise* an hour long, myself.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I use my DVR to make episodes as long as I like em to be. I'm watching the season finale of Breaking Bad as a two-hour special event, even though the show producers were inconsiderate enough not to schedule it that way.

Times are long past when we were at the mercy of TV programmers to dictate how long an episode should be. 20 minutes or 20 hours, I'm the one who decides!!!

(And no, I've never done a 20-hour show watch but I do know people who have started watching 24 or Prison Break in the evening and still been at it when the sun rose the next morning...)