# Is there some rule against advertising shows on a competing network? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 5, 2007, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-some-rule-against-advertising-shows-on-a-competing-network/390971 "2007-02-05T19:33:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-some-rule-against-advertising-shows-on-a-competing-network/390971/1 "2007-02-05T19:33:20Z")
I’ve been wondering this for a while. Why doesn’t NBC advertise “The Office” or this week’s stunning, very special “ER” on, say, CBS or FOX? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-some-rule-against-advertising-shows-on-a-competing-network/390971/2 "2007-02-05T19:34:12Z")
CBS or Fox would have to agree to show those ads, and I can’t imagine why they would. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-some-rule-against-advertising-shows-on-a-competing-network/390971/3 "2007-02-05T19:37:35Z")
There is no law against it. They are not going to promote a show that competes against their show, since they get paid less by other advertisers, when their veiwership lessens. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-some-rule-against-advertising-shows-on-a-competing-network/390971/4 "2007-02-05T21:10:09Z")
But guests on talk shows promote their own shows, even on competing networks. While not paid ads, it is a form of advertising. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-some-rule-against-advertising-shows-on-a-competing-network/390971/5 "2007-02-05T21:30:24Z")
On cable you will sometimes see ads for shows on a different cable channel than the one you are watching, although it will usually be for another channel with the same ownership. On radio, however, I have frequently heard ads for shows from stations/networks that are direct competitors to the TV station/network affiliated with the radio station. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-some-rule-against-advertising-shows-on-a-competing-network/390971/6 "2007-02-05T21:35:30Z")
Didn’t NBC do just that several years ago? Advertise their shows on CBS and ABC? ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-some-rule-against-advertising-shows-on-a-competing-network/390971/7 "2007-02-05T22:42:53Z")
[QUOTE=Sean Factotum] But guests on talk shows promote their own shows, even on competing networks. While not paid ads, it is a form of advertising. [/QUOTE] If CBS brings Steve Carrell on Letterman, but says “don’t mention The Office”, then Carrell probably doesn’t go on the show. Then CBS loses a big guest that would get people (fans of a show on another network) to tune in. People are tuning in to see the guest, so if (s)he’s going to bring enough eyeballs, a little leeway will be given. People don’t tune in to see the commercials, so advertising for a competitor is not in the best interests of the network. CBS is not so hard up for money as to accept a check from NBC and run an ad suggesting you should watch something other than Survivor, Amazing Race, or 60 minutes. I have noticed a sly trick going on on cable networks, though: A few commercial breaks are set aside so that the cable provider may sell ads during this time; I have seen commercials for shows on competing stations (different ownership groups and all) air during these circumstances. Your local network stations have ad blocks that they can sell, too - this is when you see ads for your grocery store or the local car dealer. I suppose NBC could buy up one of these ads from a CBS affiliate that was strapped for cash, but it’s likely that CBS would then pull that affiliate’s contract. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-some-rule-against-advertising-shows-on-a-competing-network/390971/8 "2007-02-05T23:27:18Z")
On talk shows they used to say “stars on the hit show Working Ghouls which airs on a different network”. I don’t watch talks shows so much, so not usre if they syill do that. Brian ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-some-rule-against-advertising-shows-on-a-competing-network/390971/9 "2007-02-05T23:34:51Z")
[QUOTE=N9IWP] On talk shows they used to say “stars on the hit show Working Ghouls which airs on a different network”. I don’t watch talks shows so much, so not usre if they syill do that. [/QUOTE] Every once in a while it seems that they try to revive this practice on _The Tonight Show_. Jay Leno always ends up reading the card “…and it premiers Thursday at nine PM on a different network. Oh, come on, fellas. It’s on ABC. Jeez!” ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-some-rule-against-advertising-shows-on-a-competing-network/390971/10 "2007-02-06T03:36:03Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Lendervedder] I’ve been wondering this for a while. Why doesn’t NBC advertise “The Office” or this week’s stunning, very special “ER” on, say, CBS or FOX? [/QUOTE] Happens all the time. Especially with radio, where I hear ads for ER (NBC) on Fox Sports Radio (Fox). ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-some-rule-against-advertising-shows-on-a-competing-network/390971/11 "2007-02-06T08:17:36Z")
[QUOTE=FatBaldGuy] On cable you will sometimes see ads for shows on a different cable channel than the one you are watching, although it will usually be for another channel with the same ownership. . [/QUOTE] Right, I see it all the time, even on channels I don’t think are owned by the same dues, but are both cable. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-some-rule-against-advertising-shows-on-a-competing-network/390971/12 "2007-02-06T14:00:26Z")
The local ABC and CW do a lot of cross-promotion, because the local ABC station handles the CW administration and even broadcasts it on a digital subchannel. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-some-rule-against-advertising-shows-on-a-competing-network/390971/13 "2007-02-06T18:13:01Z")
[QUOTE=N9IWP] On talk shows they used to say “stars on the hit show Working Ghouls which airs on a different network”. I don’t watch talks shows so much, so not usre if they syill do that. Brian [/QUOTE] I remember Johnny Carson, in his last few days, asking an actress where her show aired. She said, “On another network.” Carson said, “Oh come on! Let’s just say it. It airs on ABC!” That was the start of the end of that practice.