# Are TV networks allowed to advertise their shows on rival networks?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tv-networks-allowed-to-advertise-their-shows-on-rival-networks/52289>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 29, 2001, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tv-networks-allowed-to-advertise-their-shows-on-rival-networks/52289 "2001-01-29T18:10:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tv-networks-allowed-to-advertise-their-shows-on-rival-networks/52289/21 "2001-01-31T14:56:08Z")

</div>

Yep, NBC does buy time on ABC, it’s just that they do so on the \*\* radio \*\* network of their rivals. This week, NBC News with Tom Brokaw is running ads in ABC radio network news slots. (ABC Radio has a heck of a lot more affiliates than the NBC Radio network, which is funny to historians, since the whole ABC network was once the NBC Blue network. See this site [url [http://www.oldradio.com/archives/prog/nbc.htmfor](http://www.oldradio.com/archives/prog/nbc.htmfor) the details.)\

* * *

The difference between snot and broccoli? Kids won’t eat broccoli.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tv-networks-allowed-to-advertise-their-shows-on-rival-networks/52289/22 "2001-01-31T15:47:16Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Homer \*  
> \*\*
> 
> > [@](#):
> >
> > \*Originally posted by pldennison \*  
> > \*\*  
> > . . . at which point the host announces, “She is currently appearing in ‘Program X,’ which airs on another network. Please welcome . . .” Mentioning the competition’s name in an entertainment context is a no-no. \*\*
> 
> Dude, you see Letterman say stuff like “Let’s all welcome David Duchovny, from Fox’s hit show, The X-Files!” all the time!\*\*

I stand corrected! (Honestly, I haven’t watched Letterman or Leno in several years.) It used to be strictly _verboten_.

Now I feel old.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tv-networks-allowed-to-advertise-their-shows-on-rival-networks/52289.md?page=1)