Enough with the on screen clutter
Ah, how I long for the days of clutter free television. Back to the days when all you saw on the screen during a show was the show. Fast forward to the present and take a look at cable television today. A perfect example of what I am talking about is the Lifetime Movie Network (LMN). Try to find the show behind the on screen logo and the on screen ads for upcoming shows. Good luck. And it that wasn’t enough, throw in a few animated ads that cover damn near the entire screen.
It all started with a discreet channel logo inconspicuously placed on the screen. When the networks saw that they could get away with that, they plotted their next move. How dare you record our shows and then fast forward past the commercials. We’ll show you! How about a not so inconspicuous onscreen ad for upcoming shows that is onscreen during the entire show. Take that!
Still no outcry? Lets see if they notice animated ads for upcoming shows every five minutes or so during the show. Ready to cry uncle yet? If not, we have more things planned. How about a transparent ad that cover the entire screen? He he he!
The worst culprits seem to be the network news channels. How many scrolling tickers, labels, titles, and inserts can you put on the screen before you go screaming back to the good old newspaper? Apparently not enough.
It seems to me that there is a heated contest between the networks to see who can come up with the next obnoxious, obtrusive gimmick to make viewers lives miserable. Sure, the networks have a right to make money from the content they provide. But I also have a right to enjoy the shows that I watch. There has to be a balance between the networks right to make a profit and my right to enjoy watching that content. I think the networks are precariously close to upsetting that balance.
This may be a battle that neither side can win. A similar battle is being fought on the internet. Advertisement has become increasingly annoying to the point that I avoid some sites altogether. Consumers are fighting back by installing ad blockers and other software to block some of the advertising. Is it possible that some technology will come along that will allow viewers to block on screen ads on television?
In the meantime, I will be watching networks that seem to be attempting to find that balance and avoiding those that obviously are not.
That is all.
