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NBC announced on Monday that it would join ABC and offer their prime time series free on Video on Demand (VOD) for a test on Cox cable system in several cities. Now the catch is that Cox will be disabling the fast forward button so that the same commercials that ran during the initial broadcast of a show will run again for anyone who wants to watch it on VOD.
This type of announcement just makes me crazy to be honest. I cannot believe that we are in 2007 and still these suits from the networks still just don’t get it! They have been living in their ivory towers for so long that they are under the ridiculous impression that they are in control. Hey Hacks, here is a bulletin for you. Please read it as you send one of your fourteen assistants to get you a Grande Latte, you are not in control. I along with every individual consumer is in control and there is not a damn thing you can do about it.
You really think disabling the fast forward button is going to accomplish anything? You really are under the impression that forcing or putting restrictions on users is anyway to treat your customer base? What the hell is a matter with you and what planet have you been living on for the last several years? Networks, you are losing market share every single year. Between cable, internet, Tivo and DVR, your ratings are at all time lows. People are watching shows when and how they want to watch them. But instead of understanding that and actually embracing it, you decide to continue your ridiculous tactics that has not worked for years by forcing users to do things that you want them to do.
Before you spend the millions on running this test, let me tell you the results. Your target demographic of 25-45 year olds will fall into one of two categories. Either they are technologically savvy enough to either have a DVR/Tivo and be able to fast forward through your commercials or they know where to go online to view the episode they missed. If they are not savvy enough, more than likely they already watched the show when it ran in prime time and you still lose.
Wake up network hacks and begin working on how you can provide us with entertainment the way we want to watch it and not the way you wish we would watch it.
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Technorati Tags: NBC, ABC, Video on Demand, Cox cable system
Amen.
That is all.
For you few sad people who dont know where to go the link is tv-links.co.uk
also Im interested if hulu.com is going to be awesome or its going to have crap like this in it and suck.
I agree with your opinion. Power to the people! =)
Great point. The truth is the “networks” will not “get it” until their sponsors start jumping ship looking for a better ROI. But as long as the sponsors are belling up to the bar with $$$ it will be business as usual.
Don’t get distracted by the delivery system. Instead, give us programming worth watching.
Hey, Nathan…
I’m proud of you. You really “get it” when it comes to the head honchos of the Networks.
There are only about five network shows that I ever watch… And my viewer-ship does not hinge on when the networks deliver the show. I watch the shows via DVR (skipping past all commercials) and via downloads online.
The networks don’t tell me when and how to watch; I make those decisions. Oh… and I’m 44 years old.