This monday, Gossip Girl that is my favorite drama started its season 5. Because of it, I watched TV for the first time in USA. I was really excited and concerntarted on TV. However, My Gossip Girl was often interrupted by commercials. I already knew that there are some commercials in one show in USA but it was too much! I didn't know which one was longer, the drama? or commercials? The commercial breaks came around 4 times during watching the drama. I could watch the drama for 4 minutes and had to watch commercials for 3 minutes.
During a program on American TV...
A program 4 min. -> Commercials 3 min. -> A program 4 min.
In korea, commercial breaks during one program show on the public broadcasting channel is prohibited. They can emit commercials only before and after the program. On cable channels, commercials are inserted in the middle of a program but the length and the number of times depending on the length of programs are limited by regulations.
Few years ago, there were vocies to introduce commercial breaks in the middle of a program for profit of advertisers. They insist the income of advertisers is getting reduced so the introduction of commerical breaks is needed for the efficiency of advertisement. The government and broadcast stations also agreed with them and they pushed ahead to do it.
However, public people didn't want to accept it. They were opposite against it because of right of wathing. They said people have a right to watch TV without interruption of commercials. So Korea can't bring commercials in the middle of a program.
In my opinion, I understand this system can promote industry of advertisement and help them to live more but commercial breaks in programs annoys me. Under korean system, viewers can control channel when commercials come out and go back to the cannel when the program that they want to see starts if they don't want to watch commercials. But in America, it is hard to change channel when commercials are on air because they don't know when the program start again. It's really inconvenient for viewers and just good for advertisers.
In most ways, I support American's free-regulation system but when it comes to commercials, I think proper regulating is not bad and needed.
I love the idea of regulating commercials!
ReplyDeleteWe also have a public broadcasting channel that cannot interrupt programs with commercials, and only lists supporters before or after a program.
It seems though that you have more public channels? And do these include the popular American dramas?
Thank you for sharing Jenna!
-Rachel