NEWS RELEASE
For More Information Contact: Robert Weissman (202) 387-8030
For Immediate Release: July 10th, 2007
Commercial Alert Message to BART: Give Peace a Chance
"BART should give peace a chance, and abandon immediately the idea of placing televisions on public transit,” said Robert Weissman, managing director of Commercial Alert, a Washington, DC-based advocacy group that aims to keep the commercial culture within its proper sphere.
BART is reportedly considering placing televisions on trains or in stations.
“Bay area residents have plenty of opportunities to watch TV,” said Weissman. “They need an opportunity to converse, read, listen to their own music, or just think in peace, and without the distraction of television.”
According to Nielsen Media Research, the average American household watches 8 hours and 14 minutes of television per day. The average American over aged two watches four hours and 35 minutes a day.
BART officials have suggested adding TV would be a revenue earner, with no cost to the system.
In fact, said Weissman, “the expected revenues would be relatively tiny—1 percent of the system’s annual budget, at the upper end.”
“And the costs would be enormous: a huge imposition of video advertising on BART riders. BART riders, who pay to get on trains, shouldn’t be turned into a captive audience for advertisers.”
News reports indicate that BART officials are considering permitting up to one-third of TV airtime to be devoted to ads.