G8MNY BCAST 24.08.19 06:03l 71 Lines 3617 Bytes #90 (0) @ WW
BID : 18747_GB7CIP
Subj: Ever Growing TV Adverts
Path: OK0NBR OK2PEN GB7CIP
Sent: 190824/0857Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:18747 [Caterham Surrey GBR]
From: G8MNY@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To : BCAST@WW

By G8MNY (Updated Jan 09)
(8 Bit ASCII graphics use code page 437 or 850, Terminal Font)
In recent years here in the UK, with the advent of digital TV, with its higher costs & the increase in channels, it seems that this has greatly reduced the stations net income (ITV nearly went broke & CH4 is struggling?). The result seems to be a series of almost never ending adverts interrupted by mediocre & copycat programmes! Here are some of the possible causes..

Viewers Viewers
Per ch Per ch
10m ┤''''···.. Poor Program 5m ┤ .·'
3m ┤ Growth '·. Decline 4m ┤ .·'
1m ┤ in viewers ''·._ 3m ┤ .·'
300k ┤ '─._ 2m ┤ .·' Typical
100k ┤ ~-._ 1m ┤ .·' Ad Rev
0┼──┬──┬──┬──┬──┬──┬──┬──┬─Stations 0┼───┬───┬───┬───┬─ per min
1 2 4 8 16 31 64 128 256 0 40k 80k 120k 160k £

Initially with a few more stations there are worth while alternate programmes to watch & there are more viewers in total. But as the choice gets to great the viewers per channel thins down past a point where the income from advert revenue can no longer support new good programmes. Like Global Warming, this could be a catastrophic decline with NO recovery!

Attempts to shore up station's income with more adverts (permitted by Ofcom regulator) have lead to this sort of thing..

Viewers
100%┤····... Switching
│ ''··. Ch Viewer
50%┤ '·. Loss Advert &
│ '··..._____ Trailers
0┼──┬──┬──┬──┬──┬──┬──┬──┬──┬
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 Min/Hr

As the adverts brakes get longer there is more viewer channel switching (indeed the national power supply grid has to predict kettle loads on TV ad breaks), Channel hopping during adverts is reduced as most commercial channels run synchronised breaks, to reduce the chance of viewers finding a better programme to watch. As this is so anoying, there are now real time video recorders the can hop over adverts etc. not helping the commercial channels at all.

From the above predictable graphs, it does not matter what the stations do, there is only so much cake, (indeed a similar ploy was done by the UK Post a few years back & put up stamps only to find it lead to drop in net income) & the policy of more stations, will always lead to poor cheaper programmes, full of low revenue adverts.

The regulator Ofcom who should be setting policy & standards on behalf of the UK viewers, but it has a visible vested interest in station licence income for its masters (hidden tax), so viewer satisfaction & programme quality will always be a background aim in reality, no matter what is said publicly.

Is it any wonder that many free to air commercial stations only put out ex BBC programmes (already paid for by the licence fee 1st time around) or cheaper American stuff. Indeed many channel owners now offer a +1hr channel rather than an alternate channel to keep cost down. (Is this really worthy of a 2nd channel licence? Should'nt the spectrum/bandwidth be give to someone else instead?)

Also alternative station income from expensive phone in or almost gambling quizzes (& law breaking) to the many all night gambling programmes are a clear example of desperation faced to make money anyhow by stations.


Why Don't U send an interesting bul?

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