A Malat Musing: Insufferable Friendship

Commercials are our friends.

Those who have toiled in the broadcast industry know this as the battle cry of all who serve in sales and management at their respective radio and television stations. Those who gave their hearts and souls to the programming departments could find this battle cry most cumbersome and, at times, most unreasonable. Nevertheless, they understood a cooperative effort between excellent programming and sales was necessary to keep everyone employed. This cooperative effort appears to have diminished to the point where said friendship has become, or, at the very least, is becoming insufferable.

The struggle has always centered around defining the priority. Which comes first; the cart and or the horse?

Those in programing always argued that the entertainment and information value is the only reason an audience has an interest in tuning in. THEREFORE, PROGRAMING MUST BE THE PRIORITY. No audience – No station.

Sales argued that their interest must be the number one priority. Without income and profit there wouldn’t be any jobs – no entertainment or information to provide. MONEY MUST BE THE FIRST CONSIDERATION. No revenue – no station.

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) once provided guidelines and recommended limitations on commercial announcements. The NAB promoted the concept that commercials should act as filler between programs and program segments. While the directive was not always adhered to, it established a benchmark or standard as to the proper balance that should be maintained in broadcasting. Common sense dictated this balance. If the audience becomes irritated by interruptions they perceive to be too often and/or too long, they will stray and, in all likelihood, not return. They do NOT hunger for commercial messages. Therefore, if limitations are not imposed, a station could be destroyed by alienating their audience.

It has become a mystery as to whether such limitations exist today. What has become more common, and in many cases apparent, is that the program is now the filler between the commercials. What deepens this mystery is that heavier commercial loads have occurred despite the advent of technology that makes it far easier to avoid watching these messages. Rest assured, as broadcasters continue to ignore the obvious wishes of their audience even more convenient and creative technology will appear allowing for even greater freedom to expunge the annoyances.

Which begs the question; is there a solution to increasing revenue without alienating the audience? Baseball is a good example.

One of the games biggest irritants to fans is the length of the game. It once took only 2:33 (2 Hours – Thirty-Three minutes) to settle a contest. A decade late the average rose to 2:48. In 2021 the average – AVERAGE - game took 3:07 to play. The reasons offered for this insipidness always centers around how the nature and quality of game has dramatically changed. While there is some rational for this thinking, the many the new rules instituted to speed up play has had no effect on shortening them. 2021 hit a new record high in the time they take to be played.

The average commercial break during a baseball game is 2:30 (Two Minutes and Thirty Seconds). Two minutes thirty seconds times just 18 (2 breaks per inning) totals 45 minutes. If just One (1) minute of time were eliminated from a commercial break that would save 18 minutes per game. Just this alone would reduce the average time to roughly 2 hours and 45 minutes placing making that average time very close to what it was decades ago.

As money in sports has now become obscene, there is little to no doubt that the rate paid for these spots could be doubled. That would generate even greater revenue than what they are now producing. It ain’t rocket science.

Also, a legitimate argument can be made that commercials fail to demonstrate any real vitality thus making them monotonous and annoying. Very, very little initiative is put forth requiring greater entertainment value in commercial productions - no demand that commercials be more creative and imaginative to be worthy of, or to earn, air time. This is particularly troubling in that this talent and creativity exists and is demonstrated from time to time. This occasional burst of energy unfortunately is the exception rather than the rule. Those paying for ads certainly could demand more enthusiasm and imagination - more creative energy - from the production companies they hire to create the advertisements. If an audience found the interruptions to be more enjoyable, they would be far less annoyed by all the intrusions. While they have deteriorated in recent years, some still believe the Super Bowl is worth watching to view the commercials.

Unless or until television and radio executives begin to rethink the proper role for commercials, they will continue to jeopardize, not just the advertisements, but the desire to watch, in some cases, worthwhile and talented laden programs. How many of us are still watching the commercial interruptions during a movie???? Those days are over.

The above recommendations will create a balance necessary for success and to once again create a viable rather than insufferable friendship. To continue to ignore these realities and treat their audiences with indifference will accelerate the destruction of traditional commercial broadcast advertising – a loss that would be most unnecessary and very sad.