Tivo can't save you now!
In a story on yahoo titled: WGA seeks code of conduct for TV product placement, there are talks about suing advertiser for placing subliminal commercials in the shows they sponsor. Maybe a well placed soda can or a movie poster. These ads are not fairly identified as such so they become TV spam! We all remember Wayne's Worlds satire of product placement but I was just watching Medium on NBC and the character wanted to go to a movie, they showed the movie poster on the wall and then the following commercial was for the actual movie. Wow, talk about blatant, the show is actually saying go see this movie! Now, I don't really mind but if people feel they are being pushed too hard by these ads its only going to hurt the show and not likely sell any additional products. To me, advertising only serves the purpose to introduce new products. We all know Coke, they don't have to show their ad every 15 minutes, now Fresca is ok because I thought they stopped selling that stuff years ago. Point being as people Tivo and skip commercial the marketing people will find another way. The internet has already figured it out with streaming video commercials before you can watch the content and not providing a way to bypass these ads. Its just the price we pay for "free" music videos or news clips. Once TV converts to HD in 2006, most people won't have a HD DVR and VCRs will be completely obsolete. But you just wait Microsoft Media Centers will be right around the corner (two or three years) and then you can record your show and email it to a friend from your couch.