http://www.templetons.com/brad/tvfuture.html
In the narrow sense, this is not about IT at all, but it raises interesting issues which are certainly relevant to digital rights management. The fact is that commercials on broadcast TV have become so obtrusive that people will pay to have recorders which allow them to skip over the ads.
The corporate response is predictable: find ways of proscribing use so as to force people to watch the ads. One can only imagine the extent of public gratitude which will result. This article suggests some more useful and less restrictive alternatives.
One point the advertisers have missed, of course, is the amount of time taken by commercials -- as this has steadily escalated, people are voting with their feet. Once again, a practical initial arrangement is undone by greed. The alternative is at least interesting to contemplate.
Posted by jho at October 8, 2003 04:29 PM