Dear Producer,
When was the last time you evaluated your contributions to the No Agendashow? The show is an experiment in listener support in an era where everyone thinks advertising is better because big companies pay for the show and you get to watch or listen free. And the idea is fabulous except for a few major problems.
The first problem is that unlike advertising in most of the world -- where the sponsors are only at the beginning and end -- US, Canada and Oz advertisements are scattered throughout the show interrupting any flow and interfering with any story-telling.
The second problem is the sheer number of ads. There is about one minute of advertising for every two minutes of show. This means that watching or tolerating advertising amounts to a waste of your time. For what amounts to a 40 minute drama, but you have to use a full hour of your time.
The third and biggest problem is the influence that advertisers have on the content. Advertising immediately requires that content be what is termed “brand safe.” This simply means nothing offensive, controversial or politically charged. This causes immediate self-censorship.
This problem has a secondary effect when pressure groups threaten to boycott or condemn advertisers who sponsor a show that the pressure groups do not like. This is how Bill O’Reilly got kicked off the air. |
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