ABC wants to disable the fast-forward button on DVRs

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Glenn Tenney CISSM CISM <gt_IP060701 () think org>
Date: July 7, 2006 11:54:23 AM EDT
To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: ABC wants to disable the fast-forward button on DVRs

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm? 
fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=45264

ABC Looks Beyond Upfront To DVR, Commercial Ratings Issues
by David Goetzl and Wayne Friedman, Thursday, Jul 6, 2006 8:45 AM ET

ABC HAS HELD DISCUSSIONS ON the use of technology that would disable
the fast-forward button on DVRs, according to ABC President of
Advertising Sales Mike Shaw, with the primary goal to allow TV
commercials to run as intended.  "I would love it if the MSOs, during
the deployment of the new DVRs they're putting out there, would
disable the fast-forward [button]," Shaw said.

While MSOs risk losing some of their DVR customers if fast-forwarding
were blocked, Shaw said the cable operators--who are beefing up their
own local ad sales operations--"are in the same business we're in."
"They've got to sell ads too," he said. "So if everybody's skipping
everybody's ads, that's not a long-term business model for them
either."

Shaw also threw cold water on the idea that neutering the fast-forward
option would result in a consumer backlash. He suggested that
consumers prefer DVRs for their ability to facilitate on-demand
viewing and not ad-zapping--and consumers might warm to the idea that
anytime viewing brings with it a tradeoff in the form of unavoidable
commercial viewing.

"I'm not so sure that the whole issue really is one of commercial
avoidance," Shaw said. "It really is a matter of convenience--so you
don't miss your favorite show. And quite frankly, we're just training
a new generation of viewers to skip commercials because they can. I'm
not sure that the driving reason to get a DVR in the first place is
just to skip commercials. I don't fundamentally believe that. People
can understand in order to have convenience and on-demand (options),
that you can't skip commercials."
...




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