Did you ever wonder how long an hour television program really is? During 60 minutes the actual programming rarely runs more than 40 - 42 minutes. The other 20 or so minutes are ... you guessed it ... commercials. Advertisements that can cost well over a quarter of a million dollars each to air one time.
Since I've been accused on more than one occasion of having a warped mind, I've often thought how much fun it would be to add to the copy for a more informative sales presentation.
One example might be for a popular prescription medication that treats what is euphemistically referred to as "erectile dysfunction." When one drug was being touted on TV a disclaimer was added it may cause urges such as gambling. What a boon that would be for a Las Vegas tourist ad. Today, in the disclaimer it warns "do not drink alcohol in excess." How about adding the tag line: "Do not drink alcohol in excess .... you might regret who you wake up with."
I've never counted the number of ads being aimed at the American public for various ailments but it seems we must suffer from every know malady known to man. Assuming 20 minutes of every hour are devoted to commercials then it feels like 17 minutes are aimed at our health concerns. And, listening to the disclaimers, one would almost debate if the side effects aren't worse than the cure.
Insurance companies are another huge source of television revenue. Insurance for cars, health and life. The insurance company I'm searching for is the one that when you take out a life insurance policy for a half-million dollars they give you the money right then. After all, I can't spend it I'm dead ... and whoever I name as beneficiary has to pay it back.
Perhaps we should take a lesson from our allies across the Atlantic. European Union legislation limits the time taken by commercial breaks to 12 minutes per hour (20%) with a minimum segment length of 20 or 30 minutes depending on the program content.
The one thought that calls to mind is: Is a 30 minute infomercial required to set aside 6 minutes for advertising?
Have a great week.
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