Skipping Commercials Is Stealing According To Turner Ceo


Recommended Posts

Posted 1 May 2002 11:05:57 UTC on 2600.com

It was inevitable. The broadcast industry is now describing people who skip over commercials as thieves! And with new technology like HDTV and insane laws such as the DMCA, they may very well make it stick in the future.

Jamie Kellner is the chairman and CEO of Turner Broadcasting, which encompasses everything from CNN to TNT and is a part of AOL Time Warner. On Monday, an interview with Kellner appeared in CableWorld.

In response to a question on why personal video recorders (PVR's) were bad for the industry, Kellner responded: "Because of the ad skips.... It's theft. Your contract with the network when you get the show is you're going to watch the spots. Otherwise you couldn't get the show on an ad-supported basis. Any time you skip a commercial or watch the button you're actually stealing the programming."

While most programming on American TV is so insultingly bad that nobody would ever need to steal it in the first place, there is great danger in permitting this line of reasoning to become accepted. If this is seen as a "problem," expect legislation forbidding any device that allows consumers to skip the sacred commercial. Kellner, however, is not completely unreasonable. When asked if he considers people who go to the bathroom during a commercial to be thieves, he responded: "I guess there's a certain amount of tolerance for going to the bathroom. But if you formalize it and you create a device that skips certain second increments, you've got that only for one reason, unless you go to the bathroom for 30 seconds. They've done that just to make it easy for someone to skip a commercial." Heaven forbid.

The text of the entire interview can be found at

http://www.inside.com/product/product.asp?entity=CableWorld&pf_ID=7A2ACA71-FAAD-41FC-A100-0B8A11C30373. ://http://www.inside.com/product/produ...-0B8A11C30373. ://http://www.inside.com/product/produ...-0B8A11C30373.

Yeah right... It really does seem like we can't do anything nowadays without being accused of stealing.

/me wipes my backside after a good long hard dump on the head of Jamie Kellner (chairman and CEO of Turner Broadcasting).

Does this mean i'll be accused of stealing his air?

heh

Why can't it be made LEGAL to shoot people like this?

Sigh... where in the TV licence agreement state that you have to watch the comercials.

DCMA and other **** like this needs to be voted out and new laws that PROTECT US FROM STUFF LIKE THE DCMA from being made should be put in its place.

The DCMA and its newest encarnation only hurt consumers and developers.. Large companys abuse it to crush even small little developers that just want to find out how something works.. Why can't people in high places see that?

Jesus christ. I am learning Japanese and moving to Japan.. that seams to be a MUCH better place to live then America.

That's got to be the silliest thing I've ever heard.

"Because of the ad skips.... It's theft. Your contract with the network when you get the show is you're going to watch the spots. Otherwise you couldn't get the show on an ad-supported basis. Any time you skip a commercial or watch the button you're actually stealing the programming."

You have to watch the spots eh? What if I want to get off my ass during a break and get some nachos or go take a pee? It's the same reasoning cos either way you aren't watching the advert.

They are getting paid the same amount whether you choose to watch the advert or not so they should quit their bitching.

I think he/she/it is just looking for a scapegoat for lost revenue and doesn't want to blame AOL

"Because of the ad skips.... It's theft. Your contract with the network when you get the show is you're going to watch the spots. Otherwise you couldn't get the show on an ad-supported basis. Any time you skip a commercial or watch the button you're actually stealing the programming."

You gotta be sh*tting me. I am paying for that station(s) as it is through my cable bill, now I am forced to watch the crap commercials they air? How can skipping ads be stealing? I didn't purchase a license to watch the program so what am I actually stealing? Like what Wickedkitten said, they get paid regardless if we watch the ads or not. They are such lame retarts, they need a good beating. I betcha this person gets to watch all the shows he want with the ads removed.

(looking through my cable bill for and EULA)

I think he's missing the point that if you (the viewer) are paying for your TV (through a license or Pay TV) then you can watch what you want, as you are still paying for it even when you're not watching. Perhaps we should try to claim back money for when we're not watching? That's about 20 hours unwatched a day for me, rebate should be in the post Mr. Kellner?

Skip ads? what this sounds like the holygrail of TV

Im in Australia, you know how behind in technology we are, so whats this about skipping ads, please explain?

You mean we have the technology to skip ads, Ive heard of it but never thought it would ever come in.

I'm not stealing a damn thing. All of my television is digitally broadcast, and I pay a hefty bit of my hard earned (lol) payroll each month to Time Warner for it.

Just because I have no desire to see whats been added to Cheer detergent (now thats a cool product...doesnt it seem like they add some new chemical to it ever month? I bet it eats chrome off of bumpers) or how I'll be a better person for buying from Sears, that doesn't give anyone the right to call me a theif.

If they don't like the way their networks operate, maybe it's time for them to stop broadcasting over the free airwaves and look at another business model instead of placing blame on their customer base.

it's funny... it really is... I never once signed any contract or anything requiring me to watch ads.... acording to what's said, something as simple as flipping through channels are going to the bathroom during a commercial break is "stealing"

How about .... dont watch TV. Seriously. Everything you would want to watch is on the web. Any information you need, you can find better, more reliable sources on the net. TV is just for stupid people anyway. ;) [ouch -- I can see the bricks flying already]

Originally posted by primortal

I am paying for that station(s) as it is through my cable bill

Well you don't actually pay for the channels; you pay for the privilege to have them in your home. If you paid for every station they wouldn't have the ads at all, just like HBO. I wouldn't want to pay a few extra dollars per channel per month with 120+ stations.

What about websites? Are you stealing if you quickly scroll down, or look away, before the banner ad loads? If you close the popup before looking at it? If you tear out those annoying letter ad things in magazines? I think this guy should think things through before making an idiot of himself :ermm:

so is he saying if we turn on the TV during a comercial wer are required to watch that particular set of comericals even though we didnt watch the show? is that still stealing? Big companies are really starting to **** me off, they think only about profits and not about there customers. If we had a law against everything big companies thought was stealing we'ed all be in jail...

just my 2 cents

Greenmuncher

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Windows 10 quietly gets one more year of support and updates by Taras Buria Windows 10 reached its end of life at the end of 2025. Microsoft kicked off the Extended Security Updates program, aimed at giving regular consumers one more year of security-only updates. By doing so, Microsoft gave users more time and money to update their computers to a newer operating system or compatible hardware. Now, with the end of the Extended Security Updates program quickly approaching, Microsoft is making an important adjustment. Users discovered that the official support article for the program now lists a new end-of-support date: The Extended Security Updates program is not a new concept. It has been an official way for business consumers to continue receiving critical updates for unsupported Microsoft products for many years. However, all this time, it was a business-only, paid feature. With Windows 10, Microsoft brought ESU to regular consumers, allowing them to get security updates for Windows 10 past October 2025 essentially for free. When Windows 10 was approaching the end of support, many guessed that Microsoft might adjust its support timelines, and this is exactly what seems to be happening. Of course, Microsoft would love everyone to switch to new computers, such as its latest Surface devices, but in the days of ever-growing hardware prices, not everyone is lucky enough to have money for a new PC. Leaving hundreds of millions of customers with a Windows version that no longer receives security updates is a major risk that Microsoft is not willing to take. If you have a Windows 10 PC to enroll in the Extended Security Updates program, check out this guide to learn how to do so.
    • Sony announces Bungie layoffs that will affect "significant number of employees" by Pulasthi Ariyasinghe Sony today announced that major layoffs are happening at its first-party studio Bungie, the developer that has spawned series like Halo, Destiny, and Marathon over the past decades. The news arrives just weeks after Bungie delivered the final update to Destiny 2, and it's that team being hit with the layoffs the most. CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment Hermen Hulst revealed the staff reduction today, calling it "painful news." "Over the past several months, together with Bungie leadership, we reviewed the studio’s long-term direction, development priorities, resource needs, and role within our broader portfolio strategy," said Hulst, explaining the decision. "We explored multiple alternatives before concluding that a reduction was necessary to align the studio’s resources with its current priorities and long-term goals." The layoffs will be hitting "a significant number of employees" across most of the Destiny franchise development team. It doesn't look like Sony is planning to continue the series following Destiny 2's sunsetting update. The studio is said to be in early stages of looking at other projects to pivot to, but it's said that keeping the size of the team at current levels is no longer feasible. "We know this decision has a profound impact on the people affected, their families, friends, and teammates," said Bungie leadership in a separate message on social media. "While these changes are necessary to best position the studio now and for the future, that does not lessen the difficulty of this moment or the impact it has on those affected." At the same time, "some" of the Marathon development team are also affected by the layoffs. The recently released multiplayer-only extraction shooter title hasn't seen a big boom of players either, but the company is reportedly hoping that the live service experience will pick up players with future updates.
    • Microsoft adds reusable skills and finance data connectors to Copilot in Excel by Karthik Mudaliar Microsoft is giving Copilot in Excel a collection of new features aimed squarely at finance teams. The update introduces reusable instructions for common tasks, connections to services such as FactSet and Morningstar, and a better way to review what Copilot intends to do before it starts changing a workbook. The most interesting addition is 'Skills' finally coming to Copilot in Excel. Skills let companies teach Copilot how to handle a recurring process, so employees do not need to write the same detailed prompt every month. Users can create skills that can specify the steps Copilot should follow, along with the required layout, formulas, and formatting. Microsoft says users can create their own skills by saving a SKILL.md file in OneDrive. The file is written using Markdown and tells Copilot when and how to perform the task. Once it is available, a user can select the skill in the Copilot pane or mention it in a prompt using the @ symbol. There is also a library of prebuilt finance skills for customers who do not want to create their own. Microsoft plans to let developers distribute additional skills through the Microsoft Marketplace and the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, with LSEG, Ramp, Rogo, samaya.ai, Velixo, and Vena among the first partners involved. The company says that it is also expanding the external data that Copilot can access from inside Excel. New connectors are being added for CB Insights, Daloopa, FactSet, Morningstar, PitchBook, and S&P Global data through technology developed by Kensho. There is a catch, however. Accessing these services may require a separate subscription from the relevant data provider, so a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence will not necessarily unlock all of them. FactSet is also only available in preview for now, with general availability planned for July. Microsoft is also trying to make Copilot’s workbook edits easier to inspect. Users can switch to a planning mode that shows which sheets, cell ranges, formulas, and assumptions Copilot intends to work with before it begins making changes. Once the work is complete, the Show Changes pane can distinguish edits made by Copilot from those made by human collaborators. The update continues Microsoft’s push to turn Excel Copilot from a chatbot into an agent that can carry out longer tasks. The company previously added an Agent Mode capable of planning and completing multi-step Excel work. Microsoft also recently acquired financial AI startup Fintool, another indication that finance is becoming a key target for its Excel AI strategy. Prebuilt skills, personalization, workbook rules, external connectors, planning mode, and Copilot attribution in Show Changes are generally available to Microsoft 365 Copilot customers using Excel on the web, Windows, and macOS. Custom skills are initially available to Microsoft 365 Insiders on Windows and Mac starting today. Microsoft plans to make them generally available across Windows, Mac, and the web over the next month. Partner-built skills are expected during the third quarter of the year. Availability may still differ depending on region and licensing.
    • Exactly. They serve different (although related) purposes.
    • Do not enter the code under any circumstances, or you will be sorry. It's definitely and most likely a hacking attempt.  That happened to me a couple of years ago, and I kept receiving those prompts for months. It's simply the attacker trying to get you tired of the constant requests, so you just give up and enter the code, so they can log in to your account. 
  • Recent Achievements

    • First Post
      kinowa earned a badge
      First Post
    • Rookie
      krychek57 went up a rank
      Rookie
    • Grand Master
      Jaybonaut went up a rank
      Grand Master
    • One Year In
      Philsl earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Dedicated
      Scoobystu earned a badge
      Dedicated
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      438
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      169
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      134
    4. 4
      Xenon
      77
    5. 5
      Michael Scrip
      75
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!