Published in Adbusters, (Winter 1998, No. 20)

More than a few eyebrows were raised when the Academy of Arts and Television - the organization that hands out Emmy awards - decided to add a best commercial category.

In a move that further blurs the distinction between traditional TV programming and commercials, the ATAS now considers programming to be "anything that airs".

Meryl Marshall, the Treasurer and President-elect of ATAS says the new category makes perfect sense, "because the art and science of television is often exemplified in commercials". Commercials, she adds, are now often at the cutting edge of the television industry in camera angles, editing, special effects, and other technical and artistic areas.

Ironically, Steven Kline, a professor of communications at Simon Fraser University and an outspoken critic of the commercialization of TV, is happy to see the new category. The award, Kline hopes, will bring attention to the fact that ads are the most expensive productions per minute on television and have the most talented people in the industry creating them.  read more »

Published in Adbusters, (Winter 1998, No. 20)

In your channel surfing to you ever pause at PBS and let out a large sigh of relief knowing that you've finally found a commercial free oasis? If you do, you're not alone.

Earlier this year, your oasis was jeopardized when public TV stations considered commercializing their airtime.

It seems that faced with serious federal funding cuts for a fourth consecutive year, the lobby group for public broadcasters in the US was poised to ask Congress to modify the underwriting guidelines so that public television would be more attractive to potential corporate sponsors.

Under existing guidelines, the underwriting credits for a public broadcasting TV program can include the name of a corporation, its line of business, its location, and a product it sells. Full blown commercials are not allowed.  read more »