June 1st, 2011
PBS Shows Will No Longer Be Ad-Free
Slate
PBS will soon end its long-standing practice of airing entirely commercial-free programming, one of its largest selling points to both viewers and sponsors.
At the network’s annual meeting held this month in Orlando, executives told member stations that shows like Nature and Nova will feature four commercial breaks beginning this fall, with the longest uninterrupted stretch of programming coming in at just under 15 minutes, the New York Times reports.
The switch is intended to combat the problem of viewers “fleeing” to other stations during the network’s blocks of commercials between programs, which can last up to eight minutes. Under the new model, PBS will adopt a “hot switch,” with no break between programs. John F. Wilson, PBS’s chief programmer, told the Times that viewers will never be more than 100 seconds from actual content. (The Atlantic Wire, meanwhile, has a nifty graphic that shows the plan in detail.)
The change will present obstacles to writers accustom to producing content watched in uninterrupted blocks, the kind of viewing many say is vital for in-depth documentary work like Frontline and dramas like Masterpiece Theatre. PBS’s Wilson said that some programs may be spared from commercial breaks, but that many producers will be forced to adapt.
The change comes at a tumultuous time for the network. The Times recently reported that at least half a dozen member stations are considering leaving PBS, citing funding concerns. Orlando’s major public network says they are unable to pay their approximately $1 million in PBS dues and will end their contract with the network on June 30. A station in Los Angeles quit PBS on January 1, and a station in Waco, Texas, closed last year.