Fox Says ‘Cut’ on Commercials

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Fox Broadcasting Co. is shaking up the commercial TV model with “Remote-Free TV,” the Hollywood Reporter reports.


At its upfront presentation Thursday, the network announced it will air two new drama series, J.J. Abrams’ “Fringe” and Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse,” with dramatically reduced commercial breaks.


“It’s a simple concept and potentially revolutionary,” Fox Entertainment Chairman Peter Liguori said. “We’re going to have less commercials, less promotional time, and less reason for viewers to use the remote. We’re going to redefine the viewing experience.”


Both “Fringe” and “Dollhouse” would have network commercial loads of about five minutes per hour, about half the usual. The commercial pods would also be shorter and they would have about half the promo load as well.


In an interview after the presentation, Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly acknowledged that “Remote-Free TV” was a risk but there needed to be a “paradigm shift” in network TV.


Cutting down commercials will make the two already pricey sci-fi series even more expensive as they have to produce longer episodes. To offset that and the reduced commercial inventory, the network is planning to charge advertisers a premium.


Ad buyers were generally upbeat about the idea, and said they liked the two shows picked.


“We’re always clamoring for an uncluttered environment,” said Carat Media’s Andy Donchin. But he said that wanted to see how much of a premium would be placed on it.


“It would be nice if it was one (new) and one (existing),” another media buyer said, “but that may not be economically feasible.”


Read the full Hollywood Reporter story

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