Good news for TV watchers who grumble over heavy interruptions via abundant commercials cluttering programs: Fox Network Group is aiming to slice its television spots time to only two minutes an hour, notes Grumpy Editor.
The goal to accomplish this is by 2020. Accomplishing this would be a significant change heartily welcomed by TV watchers.
Current commercials per hour now average a little over 13 minutes on broadcast TV --- just short of one quarter hour, according to Nielsen. On cable TV, it’s a bit more, 16 minutes.
To compensate for the revenue drop, it means charging more for advertisers to get messages beamed.
Inspiration for the reduction in ad pitches is attributed to ad-free streaming platforms such as Amazon and Netflix.
IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…
HIGH PRICE TAG FOR DOORS. Doors to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's office are getting a $138,670 upgrade with installation set for summer. The Interior Department says it is necessary to replace old doors that are in "disrepair" and attributes the high cost to the historical nature of the building while noting current doors from a hallway to the sixth floor office do not lock.
NAVY PLANS TO MODERNIZE SUPER HORNETS AIRCRAFT FLEET. Boeing is being called on to modernize the Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornets to extend their life by at least a decade and improve cockpit, communication and fuel systems.
MORE WOMEN READERS SOUGHT. London-based The Economist, a weekly aiming to attract more readers, is targeting women — an underrepresented demographic in its audience. Less than 30 percent of its 1.4 million print and digital subscribers are women, finds the publisher. The publication started in 1843.
BAY STATE HATES GUNS, BUT PRODUCES THEM. Massachusetts, which has strict gun-control laws and the lowest shooting-death rate, also accounts for one fourth of the 11.9 million guns produced each year, centered around Springfield.
EVENING NEWSCASTS TARGET TRUMP. A Media Research Center analysis of ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts in January and February finds 10 times more negative comments about President Donald Trump than positive statements as the ongoing Russia investigation swamps all other topics. In the study, MRC analysts looked at 505 evening news stories that mentioned the President or his administration and tallied out of 851 total minutes of airtime devoted to the administration, the networks spent almost one-fourth of it (204 minutes) on the Russia investigation, eclipsing other major topics such as the economy, immigration reform and the gun debate.
TOP CITIES FOR EARLY RISERS FOR WORK. A Census Bureau survey from 2009 to 2015 to determine key locations of early risers finds top cities where commuters leave for work before 5 a.m. include: Elkhart-Goshen, Indiana: 13.3 percent; Pascagoula, Mississippi: 11.9 percent; El Centro, California and Stockton-Lodi, California: 11 percent; Hammond, Louisiana: 10.9 percent, and Merced, California: 10.1 percent.
U.S. SET TO OVERTAKE RUSSIA IN OIL PRODUCTION. Within five years the U.S. is aiming to overtake Russia as the world’s largest oil producer with 12.1 million barrels a day, predicts the International Energy Agency.
WORKPLACE DRUG TESTS FADING. As the job market tightens and more states legalize marijuana, a growing number of American employers is dropping drug tests as hiring prerequisites, notes Bloomberg. With employers accepting drug use more, testing is no longer worth the expense.
Comments