Annoying credit squeezes (was: Re: [BC] Match Game)

[Robert Orban]

At 06:38 PM 2/3/2006, you wrote:
>From: "Rachel Ehrenberg" <ehrenberg at fastmail.fm>
>Subject: Re: Annoying credit squeezes (was: Re: [BC] Match Game)
>To: "Broadcasters' Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
>Message-ID: <1139006929.26494.253508678 at webmail.messagingengine.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
>
>We at KTLA dropped the credit squeezes (for now) and have been going
>with banner style ads at certain points in the shows.  They are
>annoying, but generally less so that the hateful squeezies.

I suppose that some sort of research justifies animated promos' being 
inserted into the middle of entertainment programming (something 
particularly annoying on the late WB network). Speaking for myself, I can say:

1. I have trained my eyes to purposely ignore the promos by concentrating 
on other parts of the image. If I fail in this endeavor (which happens 
occasionally), I remind myself to avoid watching the programming being 
promoted, lest some suit decide that this kind of promotion is actually 
working and that the television industry therefore needs even more of it.

2. Every time this kind of thing comes up, it takes me out of the flow of 
the show and reminds me that I am watching second-rate, non-premium 
programming from a second-rate distribution channel whose managers have no 
respect for the creative aspects of their programming or for their 
audience. I gladly pay extra for HBO HD, and one of the reasons is that 
they don't even have bugs (Hallelujah!), let alone low-rent promos inserted 
into the middle of entertainment programming.

OTOH, I do not find product placement within entertainment shows irritating 
at all as long as it is subtly done and does not detract from the flow of 
the show.

Bob Orban