Should advertisements be taken out from television programmes?
What are advertisements? They are a form of communication intended to persuade an audience to take some action. These colourful animations are aired between television shows. More often than not, they are aired at the exciting moments of a television series and viewers get very frustrated when the programme they are watching is disrupted. Imagine the show is reaching its climax and advertisements interrupt, replacing the show for the next three to four minutes. Now, wouldn’t it be a bliss if they be taken out from television programmes? No, I feel they should not. There are pros and cons about taking advertisements out of television programmes, but I personally feel that the bad outweighs the good.
Firstly, advertisements are usually aired when the programmes reach their climax. The viewers then feel very frustrated. The advertisement usually lasts three to four minutes. During this time, it may be torturous for viewers to have to wait for the advertisements to be over. Taking advertisements out of television programmes would mean no interruption during the programme. The programme would just continue until the end.
Secondly, advertisements usually have catchy tunes. Some have more catchy ones than others. These advertisements come in a large variety. Such advertisements may become tiring to watch after numerous repetitions, and may start to bore the viewer. Those with very catchy jingles may get stuck in one’s head, like for example the Harvey Norman jingle. Viewers may experience difficulties falling asleep with this jingle “buzzing away” continuously in their heads at night. As for people who are working or students who are doing their homework, they may experience difficulties concentrating. Taking advertisements out of television programmes would mean no more of such catchy jingles, no more tiring and boring advertisements to look at, but just the programme.
All of the above may appeal to one, but there is a downside to everything that appears good. A television programme without advertisements would lose viewers at a considerably fast rate. Imagine watching two movies in a row. It may be as exciting as Spiderman would be to a kid. However, there are no advertisements to intervene, which mean no “breaks”. Therefore, it is tiring to watch two movies in a row. One may say, “Then take breaks in between!” This is possible, but the question is, when? You could take breaks during the show itself or during the start where the music plays. This is possible, but these theme songs are largely designed to catch people’s attention, like the SpongeBob Squarepants theme song. These songs may be rather short at times, which means these breaks are also short. Furthermore, a one-minute break is very little in comparison with three to four minutes of break. As such, television programmes without advertisements become tiring to watch, instead of being fun and exciting.
A television programme without advertisements would mean no separation between two different shows. Advertisements usually come on around every fifteen minutes. In between shows, there is also another round of advertisements. Without these advertisements, a viewer may experience difficulty keeping track of time. Also, without the advertisements in between shows, it is difficult to tell when one programme is over and when the other is starting. Imagine the credits of a drama serial are being displayed on screen, with the closing song. Viewers would then know that the show has come to an end. The instant the song is over, another song plays. This time, it is the opening song of another serial. Viewers may be stunned. They may be wondering why there is another opening song playing. The previous show had only just ended! They would also be wondering what show it is and what is going on.
Finally, a television programme without advertisements would put viewers at a disadvantage. Advertisements sometimes have details on sales and promotions. A television programme without advertisements would mean its viewers would be unaware of such events, thus causing them to miss out on such sales. Also, advertisements sometimes show offers on the latest mobile phones, television, computers and so on. Others inform viewers about the existence of several products, ranging from leisure to daily necessities. Viewers of the television programmes are likely to miss out on such offers and as a result, would be unable to enjoy discounts on various products.
I feel that it is best if a television programme has little advertisements during its airtime, and some in between programmes. This would allow viewers to have ample breaks, have a little suspense and at the same time, be informed of the latest news and offers.
No comments:
Post a Comment