It's not just a river in Burbank:
Personal digital video recorders like TiVo, Replay and those provided by some cable and satellite companies have yet to pose a threat to commercial television, according to a study conducted by CBS. Speaking at a media conference in New York Monday, David Poltrack, the network's chief audience researcher, observed that even when DVR viewers fast-forward past commercials, many still recall the names of the sponsors whose ads they're skipping. He also estimated that if the number of people who watch the 20 top-rated shows on a delayed basis was added to the number who watch them in real time, the ratings for those shows would nearly double.
It's funny he'd say that, because I feel certain that if you added the number of people who scroll past my link on the various blogrolls upon which APCB is listed with the six of you who actually read this, my readership would nearly double as well. Someone e-mail one of those stupid blog rankings systems and tell them I need to be promoted from "Earthworm You Squish After a Heavy Rain" level to "Housefly Caught in Grille of Good Times Van" level.
"May recall the name of the sponsors whose ads they're skipping?" Is this reverse psychology? Do you know how fast I can fast forward past that crap? Dish Network's PVR goes at 300X speed, which means I barely have time to scratch myself between segments of CSI: Gary, Indiana.
TiVo and its ilk are only one of the threats facing broadcast television. If I were an audience researcher, I'd be more worried about the fact that the networks are throwing crap like The Biggest Loser and The Rebel Billionaire up against
The Sopranos and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Well, I've scrolled past your link on various blogs numerous times. And I've read you twice now, yesterday and today, after following a link from ... Whizbang is it? where you're up for an award? And I am now ready to add you to "Housefly Caught in Grille of Good Times Van" level.
And I am now ready to add you to "Housefly Caught in Grille of Good Times Van" level.
Excellent. All is going according to plan.
Baghdad Bob, meet Black Rock Bob.
"I deny that I have ever met Baghdad Bob!"
Excellent.
You've moved beyond "horsefly" level and onto the exciting "popcorn kernel stuck between molars" plateau. Remember, even if you were the "#1 non-porn site on the internet that makes you 3 millionth overall."
How amazing is it that the geniuses who stock The Glass Teat with milk, that we may suck on it and grow stupid, have not figured this out.
I'll put up with commercials if there's good programming. Up to a point, that is.
But on HBO, I can see stuff that is a little deeper than, say, The Most Obese Human Who Loseth Sufficient Ass-Fat To Make Up A Normal Human, or perhaps We Are Trying To Find Our Widowed Dad A Honey With A Poonani.