THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING TV PICTURE
August 2007
Have you noticed lately that the bottom third of your television screen is starting to look busier and more crowded than a New York City traffic Jam? In television parlance this part of the TV screen is known as the “lower third”, and it’s full of information that no one really wants to see.
Just about every network, local and cable station is making the most of this prime piece of TV real estate. It all started about 15 years ago with what’s known as the “bug”. As you face your TV screen the bug is the small graphic symbol that appears on the far lower right corner.
The bug serves two purposes. First it identifies what channel or network you are watching, as if we really need reminding. Second and more importantly to the station owners, it prohibits a competing station from recording and re-broadcasting another station’s programming. While the bug may be annoying, research has shown that most people don’t even notice after a while as they are focusing on the center of the TV screen.
With the cost of programming and the competitive environment in the TV business you can almost excuse this invasion of your picture. What I can not excuse however is all the video crawl garbage that now occupies the lower third of the screen just to the left of the bug. Every network, cable and local station is guilty of overcrowding that picture space with unnecessary information.
I don’t know about you, but I feel a bit invaded by all of this information, the vast majority of which is completely useless. For some reason the TV operators must think their audience is pretty stupid. How many times have you seen something flash up on the bottom of your screen that says “You’re watching Law & Order”. I already know what I am watching, that’s why I tuned to your station in the first place. You do not have to remind me.
TV execs also use this space to promote upcoming programming. While this is being done partly for the audience’s benefit, it’s really being done to attract and keep the advertisers happy. It’s all about money in the TV business. This constant promoting of new or upcoming shows is basically given to the advertisers for free.
However some stations or networks are taking advantage of this space. While watching a program on TNT (Turner Network Television) the other night, Kyra Sedgwick, the star of TNT’s “The Closer” all of a sudden appeared on the lower third kneeling by a piece of crime scene tape shining a flashlight. Recently VH-1 during several of their programs showed a promo of the new Andrew Dice Clay Show. The problem was that Andrew took up the entire left hand side of the screen from top to bottom. I think that’s a bit overdoing it, especially to promote a guy like Andrew Dice Clay. I have the feeling that we are going to see more and more of this in the years to come.
A horrible thought occurred to me while flipping through the channels. How far are we away from commercials being shown while we are watching a program? Don’t laugh, but this is a distinct possibility. All they would have to do is to show a can of diet Coke for ten seconds, they don’t need audio to get out their message.
Speaking of commercials have you noticed that the sound on commercials is between ten and twenty percent louder than the audio of the program you were watching? Even though the FCC actually prohibits this practice it has been done for years without as much as a slap on the wrist to the guilty.
Are you aware of the commercial conspiracy that exists on both the local and network level? Let me explain. For example, if you have ever watched the local news shows that air between 5:00 PM and 6:30 pm, all of these news programs more often than not air commercials at the same time.
In fact, this practice extends far beyond the local news. The cable network programmers have figured out that if they all air their commercials at the same time it will lessen the chances of you channel surfing away to another program. While it’s a pain in the clicker for viewers, it makes perfect sense from the standpoint of the cable programmers.
There are clearly more important problems plaguing us in these complex times and I probably watch too much TV anyway. However, I know I am not alone in feeling somewhat put upon by all of this. I have a lot more to say on this issue but I will have to cut it short because my favorite Geico commercial is on!
Lee Degenstein has covered the financial markets for print and broadcast media for more than 15 years. Mr. Degenstein was also the news director and morning anchor at two major radio stations in New Jersey. He has been a reporter/contributor to United Press International, The Associated Press, The Mutual Broadcasting System and New York 1 News. A winner of the Associated Press award for 'best business story' he lives and works in New York City. Mr. Degenstein can be reached by email at: lee723@verizon.net
© Copyright 2007
Lee Degenstein.
All rights reserved
www.leereports.blogspot.com
Have you noticed lately that the bottom third of your television screen is starting to look busier and more crowded than a New York City traffic Jam? In television parlance this part of the TV screen is known as the “lower third”, and it’s full of information that no one really wants to see.
Just about every network, local and cable station is making the most of this prime piece of TV real estate. It all started about 15 years ago with what’s known as the “bug”. As you face your TV screen the bug is the small graphic symbol that appears on the far lower right corner.
The bug serves two purposes. First it identifies what channel or network you are watching, as if we really need reminding. Second and more importantly to the station owners, it prohibits a competing station from recording and re-broadcasting another station’s programming. While the bug may be annoying, research has shown that most people don’t even notice after a while as they are focusing on the center of the TV screen.
With the cost of programming and the competitive environment in the TV business you can almost excuse this invasion of your picture. What I can not excuse however is all the video crawl garbage that now occupies the lower third of the screen just to the left of the bug. Every network, cable and local station is guilty of overcrowding that picture space with unnecessary information.
I don’t know about you, but I feel a bit invaded by all of this information, the vast majority of which is completely useless. For some reason the TV operators must think their audience is pretty stupid. How many times have you seen something flash up on the bottom of your screen that says “You’re watching Law & Order”. I already know what I am watching, that’s why I tuned to your station in the first place. You do not have to remind me.
TV execs also use this space to promote upcoming programming. While this is being done partly for the audience’s benefit, it’s really being done to attract and keep the advertisers happy. It’s all about money in the TV business. This constant promoting of new or upcoming shows is basically given to the advertisers for free.
However some stations or networks are taking advantage of this space. While watching a program on TNT (Turner Network Television) the other night, Kyra Sedgwick, the star of TNT’s “The Closer” all of a sudden appeared on the lower third kneeling by a piece of crime scene tape shining a flashlight. Recently VH-1 during several of their programs showed a promo of the new Andrew Dice Clay Show. The problem was that Andrew took up the entire left hand side of the screen from top to bottom. I think that’s a bit overdoing it, especially to promote a guy like Andrew Dice Clay. I have the feeling that we are going to see more and more of this in the years to come.
A horrible thought occurred to me while flipping through the channels. How far are we away from commercials being shown while we are watching a program? Don’t laugh, but this is a distinct possibility. All they would have to do is to show a can of diet Coke for ten seconds, they don’t need audio to get out their message.
Speaking of commercials have you noticed that the sound on commercials is between ten and twenty percent louder than the audio of the program you were watching? Even though the FCC actually prohibits this practice it has been done for years without as much as a slap on the wrist to the guilty.
Are you aware of the commercial conspiracy that exists on both the local and network level? Let me explain. For example, if you have ever watched the local news shows that air between 5:00 PM and 6:30 pm, all of these news programs more often than not air commercials at the same time.
In fact, this practice extends far beyond the local news. The cable network programmers have figured out that if they all air their commercials at the same time it will lessen the chances of you channel surfing away to another program. While it’s a pain in the clicker for viewers, it makes perfect sense from the standpoint of the cable programmers.
There are clearly more important problems plaguing us in these complex times and I probably watch too much TV anyway. However, I know I am not alone in feeling somewhat put upon by all of this. I have a lot more to say on this issue but I will have to cut it short because my favorite Geico commercial is on!
Lee Degenstein has covered the financial markets for print and broadcast media for more than 15 years. Mr. Degenstein was also the news director and morning anchor at two major radio stations in New Jersey. He has been a reporter/contributor to United Press International, The Associated Press, The Mutual Broadcasting System and New York 1 News. A winner of the Associated Press award for 'best business story' he lives and works in New York City. Mr. Degenstein can be reached by email at: lee723@verizon.net
© Copyright 2007
Lee Degenstein.
All rights reserved
www.leereports.blogspot.com
posted by Lee Degenstein | 8:57 AM
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