This seems uber-stupid

[anarky]

I've been researching stuff on various options for getting television in my house (as I mentioned in another thread). One thing I always thought was annoying about cable was that we get about 200 channels (about 30 of which we actually watch), and most of them are infomercials from roughly midnight to 9 AM. Since this seems mega-retarded, I assumed it was Time Warner Cable selling ads and pre-empting the channels programming.

I just found out this morning that this is standard. It's the networks selling infomercials, not the cable provider.

Is it really advantageous to air nothing in the middle of the night? I know for a fact that people are up at 3 in the morning. Do they expect them to turn to infomercials? Or am I wrong and people do?

Wouldn't it be beneficial for some of these companies that run fifty channels on similar subjects (like how one company runs Discovery, Discovery Health, ID Discovery, Military, Military History, History, History International, Science, and, despite how they try to make it look different, National Geographic) to air infomercials on only one or a few, and air something else that insomniacs or those on graveyard shift might want to watch? Really, wouldn't the small handful of channels airing real programming, even if it's ten-year-old reruns, at that time have much less competition and get a bigger share of the viewers at that time?

Worst is how this goes on so late in the morning. You wake up, and your options are fucktarded morning show, fucktarded morning show, and fucktarded morning show. Every cable company is still infomercials. Why not have a Food Network show entirely about breakfast? Or show something like Mythbusters that's entertaining, marginally educational, and doesn't require full attention?

Maybe we should all (and I mean a huge number of people, not just us here) start a petition to the providers and channels, saying we feel we should only pay half the amount that we're being charged, since we only get half a day's worth of programming. I shouldn't have to pay for ads.

[Ran]

I don't know if its because I have DirecTV or what, but the channels I watch (many of which you mention) typically turn to infomercial around 1 am. For the most part, they are back on by 6 am. Now, living in the Pacific time zone with DirecTV, a lot of is on still airs at it's normal East Coast time, so certain shows can be on way early, like South Park. Most channels will loop it and everything will be on again at its "normal" time.

[RoIIo Tomassi]

If they're getting paid by the infomercial people, do they give a shit if anyone is watching? The money is already in their pocket. It's like Hasbro gets Target and Wal-Mart to order their shit. It they accomplish that, its all good, they could give a shit if they have to clearance it out three months later.

[kidhuman]

Exactly what Rollo said. They get paid for airing commercials, who gives a fuck if pole watch it.

[anarky]

Yeah, but it's a lousy long-term strategy. Companies pay to air infomercials all night long. As a result, no one watches TV at night. The ratings go way down over time. When the Nielsen reports come out, it reflects this, and advertising rates have to drop, too. So the company makes less money in the long run.

[Ran]

With the large numbers of infomercials and home shopping channels, there must be enough people watching it to keep them running. There are probably enough stupid people in this country that I suspect some of them watch the home shopping network because there are no commercials.

[RoIIo Tomassi]

Yeah, but it's a lousy long-term strategy. Companies pay to air infomercials all night long. As a result, no one watches TV at night. The ratings go way down over time. When the Nielsen reports come out, it reflects this, and advertising rates have to drop, too. So the company makes less money in the long run.

Oh, come now. You should know by now that Corporate America is run on the Quarterly cycle. This quarter's revenue up over last quarter's revenue? If it is, then good job...

[anarky]

I know that. It scares me. Our economy is in the toilet, spiraling ever downward, and it seems no one is smart enough to take a longer view.

It already killed Wendy's.

[kidhuman]

Ratings are going down anyway at night. They might as well make some money thatn spend money showing repeats and having to pay for those as well. I am sure they get a portion of the sales from it also.

[Seven]

Give infomercials a chance. One night, Bumcake and myself had a sleepover at KillerPromQueen's and while KPQ went off to bed, Bumcake and myself stayed up until past 6 am watching the home shopping network. We were laughing our asses off all night, keeping poor KPQ awake.

This chick was selling purses and she'd shove her hand in the purse pockets like she was fisting a chick or something. We were in tears we were laughing so hard.

It's still a long running joke to this day.

I've long since gave up on cable tv. I had all the cool new fixings, paying over 200 bones a month and then, I realized I wasn't watching any of it, so I canceled everything but basic cable for granny cuz she likes the Wife Beating channel (Lifetime) and the wheel and jeopardy. However, I still pay over 50 bones for that shit and it pisses me off!

[vynsane]

Give infomercials a chance. One night, Bumcake and myself had a sleepover at KillerPromQueen's and while KPQ went off to bed, Bumcake and myself stayed up until past 6 am watching the home shopping network. We were laughing our asses off all night, keeping poor KPQ awake.

This chick was selling purses and she'd shove her hand in the purse pockets like she was fisting a chick or something. We were in tears we were laughing so hard.

i had a similar experience with the guys who sell knives and swords. i wrote a short story in college about them for a fiction writing class where one of them slowly goes insane over the course of the program and ends up donning a t-shirt ninja mask and going apeshit on the entire crew, including the other guy on the "show" with him.

I've long since gave up on cable tv. I had all the cool new fixings, paying over 200 bones a month and then, I realized I wasn't watching any of it, so I canceled everything but basic cable for granny cuz she likes the Wife Beating channel (Lifetime) and the wheel and jeopardy. However, I still pay over 50 bones for that shit and it pisses me off!

sounds like someone needs to join in on the "cable is expensive" thread...

[kidhuman]

I've long since gave up on cable tv. I had all the cool new fixings, paying over 200 bones a month and then, I realized I wasn't watching any of it, so I canceled everything but basic cable for granny cuz she likes the Wife Beating channel (Lifetime) and the wheel and jeopardy. However, I still pay over 50 bones for that shit and it pisses me off!

For those channels alone you can get DishNetwork for 35 bucks a month

[BumCake]

One night, Bumcake and myself had a sleepover at KillerPromQueen's and while KPQ went off to bed, Bumcake and myself stayed up until past 6 am watching the home shopping network. We were laughing our asses off all night, keeping poor KPQ awake.
This chick was selling purses and she'd shove her hand in the purse pockets like she was fisting a chick or something. We were in tears we were laughing so hard.

I almost forgot about that!!! And remember that lady's acrilic nails that were painted with flesh-colored nailpolish? What a freak. I was just waiting for them to get a pink pocketbook that had a black fur trim so the lady could shove her hand in and out of it and go, "Just look at all the room in there!"

[Sleazer]

"Wife Beating Channel" = QOTD

[jjreason]

Ratings are going down anyway at night. They might as well make some money thatn spend money showing repeats and having to pay for those as well. I am sure they get a portion of the sales from it also.

TiVO has murdered the late time slots. No one "needs" to stay up to see shows at this time of night anymore.