More Commercials on TV -- Especially for Kids

Written by PTC | Published August 5, 2015

pctimg173A recent article from Advertising Age reports that TV networks are stuffing more ads than ever into TV shows...espcially programs aimed at kids. According to the article, TV networks – both on broadcast TV and on cable and satellite – are stuffing more commercials into each hour. AMC Networks (home to programs like The Walking Dead) is now showing 10% more commercials in each hour than they did last year, while Viacom’s networks (MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, and others) are up 7%. As each network’s ratings decline, the network desperately shoves more commercials on the air, hoping that, by showing more ads, they can charge sponsors more, and thus make up for the revenue loss caused by declining viewership. Says one media analyst quoted in the article, "The continued ad stuffing is an obvious and unsustainable (some would say 'desperate') action [against] viewers made numb by the absurd amount of ads." But the biggest victims of this new strategy are children. “Kids' networks led the way in ad stuffing, with Nickelodeon increasing its commercials by 6% and TeenNick and NickToons up double digits. Cartoon Network raised its commercial time by 4%,” noted the article.

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