Dumb and Dumber

My friend Ian Kirk, sent me the link to this story.

His words

An interesting story about a silly man

And having read the piece, We want to watch commercials, we just don't know it yet I was inspired to write the headline for this post

So here goes

ABC is talking about employing a technology that would prevent DVR owners from doing what they presumably bought the device for: skipping commercials.

If Mike Shaw, ABC president of advertising sales, gets his way, cable companies would force us to watch ads.

Dumb and Dumber

I would love it if the MSOs (multi-system operators), during the deployment of the new DVRs they're putting out there, would disable the fast-forward (button)," he said in an interview Wednesday, according to MediaPost

But it gets better!

In fact, there are companies out there cooking up ways to do that. Philips recently received a patent for a device that would disable a video recorder from switching channels during a commercial break. There would be an option for viewers to watch the ad or pay a fee to unfreeze the fast-forward capability.

Get the punches in first

Shaw said he hopes the networks, advertisers and local cable operators will agree on something soon, while DVR penetration is still relatively low--around 10 percent.

Arrogance breeds contempt

Whether he gets his wish remains to be seen, but ABC's ad sales chief sounds pretty convinced that consumers will go along quietly. "I'm not so sure that the whole issue really is one of commercial avoidance. It really is a matter of convenience--so you don't miss your favorite show...People can understand in order to have convenience and on-demand (options), that you can't skip commercials."

Go quietly, GO QUIETLY. I think Shaw needs to go and get a reality check, or some help, or audition for the next Jim Carey movie. There is enough evidence that shows that we increasingly do not appreciate living in a world of commercial interruption.

We are migrating to a world of pull not push, where the notion of the mass media becomes an oxymoron, where niche markets wil find niche audiences, and new commercial markets.

This is perhaps the most stupid thing I have read in some time. It breaks your heart to think that this guy ABC's head of ad sales is still attempting to exert control 'YOU WILL WATCH THE ADS" - when his audience has already stormed the Bastille.

We live Mr Shaw in a world of information empowerment. ABC needs to work out how it delivers value to its customers, and where advertising is thhe content and content is the advertising. Advertising is the conversation and conversation is the advertising. Where control is about better improving the dialogue, not by pissing people off by trying to control them.