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Time-Managing TV
By John W. Kennedy | February 24, 2009
I occasionally hear friends discuss what they watched on TV last night. And they sometimes talk about commercials that struck their fancy. I never know what they’re talking about.
That’s because I haven’t watched a commercial for years. It’s not that I don’t watch television. But I’ve invested in one of the greatest inventions in history: the digital video recorder (TiVo is the most notable name, but there are others that do the job as well.)
DVRs are a multiple blessing. Not only do I avoid obnoxious, banal and sometimes vulgar commercial pitches, I’m replacing that previously lost time for other activities, such as reading, conversing with my wife and going to sleep.
The DVR process, thanks to a few clicks of the remote, cuts a half-hour show to 22 minutes. I’ve even taken up the practice for sporting events. Typically I will set up the timer to record the game, then start watching about an hour into it. About the time the game is over it’s real time — and I’ve spared myself an hour of hearing plugs for beer, cars and products to fix male “dysfunction.”
According to the Television Bureau of Advertising, the typical adult watches
3.71 hours of TV a day, which translates into 1,354 hours per year. Most of that is commercial television, which now has an advertising frequency of 15 minutes per hour.
So that means TV audiences (if not on pay channels or non-commercial networks) spend a full two weeks annually doing nothing but viewing commercials. There is a better way.
Topics: television |
March 3rd, 2009 at 11:42 am
This is a . . . revelation.
Can’t wait to try it.