# Ads that run all during a show
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-that-run-all-during-a-show/602948
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 14, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-that-run-all-during-a-show/602948 "2011-11-14T23:08:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-that-run-all-during-a-show/602948/1 "2011-11-14T23:08:40Z")
Anyone else tired of a show that has an on screen ad during the whole show? I think TBS, TNT and TLC are the worst at this. I have to see “New crappy show tonight at 9!” during the whole show. I simply don’t watch shows that pull that stuff.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-that-run-all-during-a-show/602948/2 "2011-11-14T23:14:46Z")
Then you don’t watch TV; every network is doing it.
I don’t mind it if it’s unobtrusive, but not when it covers the credits I’m trying to read, or when it take up more than 15% of the bottom.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2011, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-that-run-all-during-a-show/602948/3 "2011-11-14T23:18:04Z")
(former ad researcher here)
I find them annoying (though they tick my wife off even more…or, at least enough that she vocally complains). It doesn’t seem to keep her from watching, however.
\*\*Bijou Drains’ \*\*boycott aside, I can guarantee you that the networks in question have tested these things. While they’ve undoubtedly found that the “banner ads” annoy a fair number of viewers, they have also undoubtedly found that they do lead to increased ratings for the advertised programs, while only causing a small number of people to become annoyed enough to change the channel.
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### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-that-run-all-during-a-show/602948/4 "2011-11-14T23:26:55Z")
Speaking of credits, I guess they are required to run them? Of course I guess the requirement can be met by running all 1000 credits in 2 seconds on 1/10th of the screen.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2011, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-that-run-all-during-a-show/602948/5 "2011-11-14T23:29:27Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#):
>
> Speaking of credits, I guess they are required to run them? Of course I guess the requirement can be met by running all 1000 credits in 2 seconds on 1/10th of the screen.
Yes, I believe that they are contractually obligated to run the entirety of the credits for a TV show or movie…though, as you note, some cable networks have started to run the lengthy credits for movies at super-high-speed, and / or run them in a split-screen, using the majority of the screen as a promo for another show.
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### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-that-run-all-during-a-show/602948/6 "2011-11-14T23:32:05Z")
Maybe I have missed it but I don’t think ABC, CBS, NBC or FOX do much if any of the 60 minute ads. Of course I mainly watch sports on those channels.
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### Author:  [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-that-run-all-during-a-show/602948/7 "2011-11-14T23:48:08Z")
I hate those ads. I don’t know if it’s because we have small, old-timey televisions, but the ads obscure up to a third of the picture. I especially hate the flashing ads.
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### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-that-run-all-during-a-show/602948/8 "2011-11-15T00:40:34Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> Yes, I believe that they are contractually obligated to run the entirety of the credits for a TV show or movie…though, as you note, some cable networks have started to run the lengthy credits for movies at super-high-speed, and / or run them in a split-screen, using the majority of the screen as a promo for another show.
That’s why God invented IMDB.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-that-run-all-during-a-show/602948/9 "2011-11-15T01:32:59Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#):
>
> Maybe I have missed it but I don’t think ABC, CBS, NBC or FOX do much if any of the 60 minute ads. Of course I mainly watch sports on those channels.
I don’t believe that they do (though I believe that they all will do the intrusive promotions at the bottom of the screen in mid-program).