I kept noticing the odd anouncements on FOX during Fringe:
...."Fringe returns in x seconds", and thought how odd... that's barely enough time to get to the beer fridge and back.
Then I came across this article last week:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/06/AR2008100602895.html
Turns out, when a network puts fewer, and shorter, ad breaks in a TV series, you like it, and tend to be more inclined to sit through those commercials.
...<snip>...
"We're going to have less commercials, less promotional time and less reason for viewers to use the remote," Fox entertainment division Chairman Peter Liguori said. "We're going to have more character, more content, more value."

The network even gave it a name: Remote-Free TV.
...<snip>...
Even more pleasant, the average "Fringe" commercial break is 1 minute 18 seconds. The average commercial break in those other dramas is a hair-tearingly long 3 minutes 16 seconds.
...<snip>...
According to Magna, Remote-Free TV already is paying dividends. About 88 percent of people watching Fox's other dramas sit through the ad breaks, but 92 percent of people watching "Fringe" stay tuned. The ad agency pronounced this "a major improvement in audience retention."


I guess FOX is trying to fight the PVR, and appears to be winning, at least for now.

It might work for the non-pvr owner but I will still ff'd through it on my PVR.

A couple of notes: Is a jump from 88% to 92% statistically significant in a random sample? and will the trend continue for long periods of time? Maybe people will just learn to run to the kitchen quicker or flip back to the hockey game for less time?

I find it real handy when they announce how many seconds until Fringe returns. Now I know exactly how many times to push the 30sec skip button. :D

The 60 second and 90 second announcements are nice. The 70 seconds or the other odd numbers are a bit of 30 second skips and 15 second replays. I like this system, hope all shows in the future focus more on content and instead of having a bunch of stupid ads, have just 2 or 3 really good ones.

I wish they would do this for pro sports broadcasts... those NFL or NBA timeouts can stretch on for ages. Better yet, they should just place a little timer right beside the network logo on the corner of the screen counting down to the return of the program! :)

I find I've been staying for commercials now. Usually I watch hockey or something during breaks, but I found I was missing important parts of the show.

Tezster, I agree completely.

I think those without PVR's would rather have fewer, shorter, high impact ads thrown at them, than long frequent commercial breaks.
I think it is moot anyway. As people stop seeing the ads due to PVR's, downloads, and DVD's, the move will eventually be to more and more product placement inside the programming.
Better yet, they should just place a little timer right beside the network logo on the corner of the screen counting down to the return of the program!
Are you actually endorsing the use of on-screen Bugs ? ;)

Are you actually endorsing the use of on-screen Bugs ?

Only for commercials :p

@hugh

Statistical significance depends on the size of the random sample, not whether the sample is random or not.

Not like it matters to us, "A" blocks out FOX's signal of Fringe anyway, and they show normal crap Canadian commercials for the normal alotted time.

^^
CrazyInSane,
Are you positive about that, or are you speculating. The reason I ask, is if A-Channel is not showing the identical content as FOX, the BDU's (Broadcast Distribution Undertaking) that are distributing A-Channel's signal can not simsub the FOX signal according to CRTC regulations (as I understand them, it doesn't matter if FOX is not available locally OTA). IF they are simsubbing and cutting out content you should report this to your cable/sat provider, and the CRTC.

See this link from the CRTC's site:
How to file a broadcasting complaint - What's the first step? (http://crtc.gc.ca/eng/INFO_SHT/G8.HTM)

Although it may not seem like it at first, it is not actually that difficult of a process. Several members here at DHC have filed broadcasting complaints.

'A' is showing the same amount of commercials as Fox.

A doesn't broadcast in HD, so the HD signal of Fringe is unimpacted.

Hmm, I never knew what this thread was about. I thought it had something to do with This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

Anyways, I've been watching Fringe since the beginning and I have the 30sec skip on my PVR. It's been awesome. You just need to be vigilant to start skipping just as the commercials are starting.

And one episode of the Terminator was brought to us by Dodge, and they did the same thing, where they announced they'd be back in 60sec, etc. But this week was back to normal.