sowny.net | The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum


You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?

May 24, 2020 11:50 am  #1


CNN Has Too Many Commercials

Recently for one month I was receiving MSNBC at no charge. Hadn't watched the network that much so I thought I would give it a try and compare it to CNN.  Both networks are centre-left and do not support Trump.

MSNBC is not bad, has some good and not so great commentators/reporters. CNN is slicker with better graphics,  modern sets and more appealing visual and audio bumpers.

I don't think MSNBC goes after Trump quite as hard and persistent as CNN, but they definitely aren't fans either.  MSNBC commentators tend to have more fun than CNN and generally are more relaxed and natural.  

One glaring difference was the fact that CNN has a lot more commercials than MSNBC.  Mornings on CNN are crazy with long commercial breaks and it seems like the programming is almost crammed in between all the commercial/promos.
 
I watched MSNBC one morning last week from 7:35 until 8:22 with no commercial breaks. Great content, a few panels, some news reports, everything wasn't about Trump, and the hosts were natural, even funny and entertaining.   So 47 minutes with no commercials in the morning.  Also noticed that in the evenings with the popular Rachel Maddow her program doesn't have as many commercial breaks as Anderson Cooper or Chris Cuomo.

MSNBC beats CNN in the ratings, so it is not a question of not being able to sell the time.  The network will charge more per ad and they have made the decision to have fewer breaks.  Good on them if this is true, and probably a factor why they consistently beat CNN in the ratings. 
 

 

May 25, 2020 8:52 pm  #2


Re: CNN Has Too Many Commercials

MSNBC does not try to hide the fact they are the choice for the leftists. CNN does try, poorly I might add. They really should try more hard news and less political conversation, like the old days.

 

May 25, 2020 9:05 pm  #3


Re: CNN Has Too Many Commercials

CNN makes me vomit

They should be ashamed of the product they spew out daily

2nd rate outfit

 


  
 

May 25, 2020 11:27 pm  #4


Re: CNN Has Too Many Commercials

unclefester wrote:

CNN makes me vomit

They should be ashamed of the product they spew out daily

2nd rate outfit
 

& you think Covid-19 is a Democrat Hoax as well ..

 

May 26, 2020 9:45 am  #5


Re: CNN Has Too Many Commercials

Rachel Maddow on MSNBC is must see for us.  Well researched, interesting angles on stories and a touch of humour.

 

May 26, 2020 10:31 am  #6


Re: CNN Has Too Many Commercials

To be honest... I'm not a fan of any of the American networks... they look too inward to America and very little if any to the world.  Talk endless about the same things over and over.

BUT.... CNN does have a little more broad appeal in my view than MSNBC.   It also has more reach, as MSNBC is not always available on all cable packages without paying extra.   I think this is shown via their commercial load.    I have to agree the opinion based programming would be nice to see balanced out with some HARD NEWS, but sadly ratings tend to prove that in America opinion sells, which is why they do it.   MSNBC to me is a LEFT version of FOX that is on the right.     I have found MSNBC as moved more to the center in recent years.   I still find myself going to CNN for most things I want a more balance coverage on and not tell me just info I agree with.    MSNBC does at times show their LEFT side too much.. and FOX...   There is more spin on most topics to be taken seriously at all.   I'm happy to see a more world view and this only happens because I have Canadian Media that looks a little more internationally and less just on Canadian issues.   Perspective is more important than just looking at the issue standing in front of you.  

Last edited by radiokid (May 26, 2020 10:33 am)

 

May 26, 2020 10:46 am  #7


Re: CNN Has Too Many Commercials

First of all, the vitriol and implied language in this thread is borderline unacceptable.

Secondly, you're looking at an American cable service from outside their country. CNN does run a second channel called CNNi that contains more international coverage. But to cite the former for being too "American" is curious. It's a bit akin to saying the comedy channel is a bit too "haha".

 

May 26, 2020 10:48 am  #8


Re: CNN Has Too Many Commercials

radiokid wrote:

To be honest... I'm not a fan of any of the American networks... they look too inward to America and very little if any to the world.  Talk endless about the same things over and over.

That's just the American attitude.  I remember back in the 80s trying to pitch some services to some buffalo radio stations and being told point blank they would rather go with a Dallas company despite the fact we were only a couple hours away if there were problems.

Even Buffalo news outlets treat Canada as some foreign country (ok, technically, it is) rather than the neighbour across the fence.

That is changing.  In 1990, only 4% of americans held passports.  According to the 2016 census, it has gone up to 42%.
 

 

May 26, 2020 11:14 am  #9


Re: CNN Has Too Many Commercials

  Actually, with all the simsub, I like it when I get a chance to see American TV commercials. But NOT the kind they show on CNN! It's not the quantity, it's the quality.  And the subject matter!  From diarrhea to constipation, to every conceivable cancer treatment; from psoriasis to psychoses, to COPD and ED.  Plus they're all TWO MINUTES LONG!! I get it:  news attracts an older demo. The Big 3 network newscasts are also full of cures for what ails ya.  But someone is sensitive to the issue:  NBC Nightly News, which is my choice, recently started billboarding their first break with "when we come back in 60 seconds..." AND they count down the seconds on screen.  Bell has already eliminated free MSNBC from my menu  (With a vengeance, btw. They just "disappeared" the channel, 1506, from the list last week.) So, I'm sure the CNN freebie is coming to an end soon, too. Meh, the nice weather is finally here and we all have better things to do. 

 

May 26, 2020 11:58 am  #10


Re: CNN Has Too Many Commercials

I would never fault a US network for covering US news and issues first and foremost.  All the US news networks were designed for the American market. Great if people in other countries want to watch and pick them up on cable, internet or whatever but they are there to serve the US audience, not Canada or any other country. 

Now you can argue they don't have enough international news and that may be the case , but as pointed out CNN also has an international service which is less US oriented.  BBC World is the best for unbiased international news in my opinion.

 In terms of running the same stories and talk over and over, I find Canadian news networks are just as guilty. . Right now CBC, CTV News Networks have been reporting in detail since Saturday about the crowds at Bellwoods Trinity Park. This is not really a national news story, and both networks have given it way too much airtime.  I am not saying the national media should ignore the story, but it doesn't need to be given so much prominence every hour for days.

Why would anyone in BC (with few COVID-19 cases and deaths) or Manitoba/Saskatchewan (even fewer), or the Maritime  provinces really care if a bunch of young people in downtown Toronto didn't practice social distancing in a park?  Both networks had it as the lead story or with live  reports this past  weekend and yesterday over and over on their news stations.

Other than endless Trump coverage, political posturing and a few other big news items, usually the US networks tend to report on something and move on. Here our news media seems to dwell a lot on relatively minor conflicts about individuals or small groups who feel that they have been hard done by government, business, society etc.

And all our national broadcast media seem to do the same thing and cover the same stories, even those that to me at least are more a local event and actually only impact a small number of people and not the general public. 

     Thread Starter
 

May 26, 2020 12:06 pm  #11


Re: CNN Has Too Many Commercials

CBC News Net and its CTV counterpart loop and repeat their flagship newscasts from their premiere airing right until 5:00am. How's that for repeats?

And, your MSNBC and the 100+ other channels on free preview since March are obviously ending/ended. You can't seriously fault a channel for getting "yanked" for you're not paying for it, can you?!

 

May 26, 2020 1:30 pm  #12


Re: CNN Has Too Many Commercials

Tickle Trunk wrote:

CBC News Net and its CTV counterpart loop and repeat their flagship newscasts from their premiere airing right until 5:00am. How's that for repeats?

And, your MSNBC and the 100+ other channels on free preview since March are obviously ending/ended. You can't seriously fault a channel for getting "yanked" for you're not paying for it, can you?!

I don't really follow your point. Never got anywhere near 100 free channels on preview. MSNBC was the only free preview news channel I was getting.  I subscribe already to the other news channels except FOX.  I don't recall faulting MSNBC for anything and certainly not because it was "yanked." 

Also I wasn't referring to CTV and CBC overnight repeat coverage of the National and CTV National news. I was talking about daytime when they do update all day long. I just noticed that both networks gave the Bellwood/Trinity story an awful lot of coverage with live reports and updates throughout the day. To me it wasn't really worthy of all day coverage since it wasn't a national story and more a Toronto or GTA story.  CP24 fine, but not so much nationally on CTV and CBC news networks all day long Saturday, Sunday and yesterday.

     Thread Starter
 

May 26, 2020 2:20 pm  #13


Re: CNN Has Too Many Commercials

The heading was are there  too many commercials; but instead everyone chimed in with the format they like or don't like.  So let me keep to the heading.  Yes I think they have too many commercials.  Especially CNN in the morning.  Enjoy the morning team; but whenever I tune in they are in a commercial cluster.  Decided to spend more time on CP 24 in Toronto.

 

May 26, 2020 2:54 pm  #14


Re: CNN Has Too Many Commercials

paterson1 wrote:

Tickle Trunk wrote:

And, your MSNBC and the 100+ other channels on free preview since March are obviously ending/ended. You can't seriously fault a channel for getting "yanked" for you're not paying for it, can you?!

I don't really follow your point. Never got anywhere near 100 free channels on preview. MSNBC was the only free preview news channel I was getting.  I subscribe already to the other news channels except FOX.  I don't recall faulting MSNBC for anything and certainly not because it was "yanked." 

Frankly, you didn't scan your providers website, app, community channel, social media, mailer, email, etc. Cogeco, Bell, Rogers all had 100+ free preview channels in Mar/Apr with some extending into the end of May and June.

 

May 26, 2020 3:09 pm  #15


Re: CNN Has Too Many Commercials

I guess, but I already get over 100 channels anyway. I was getting a fair number of freebies but not 100 more..  Besides with the nicer weather, I don't have time to watch most of them and if I record something it will be weeks/months before I get around to looking at it.  I am not really into TV that much and only give it a few hours a day.. 

     Thread Starter
 

May 26, 2020 3:47 pm  #16


Re: CNN Has Too Many Commercials

I must give credit to the cable/satellite companies. As soon as North America went into quarantine mode, they offered up well over 100+ news, movie (including SuperChannel, for what that's worth), kids, music, lifestyle (I love the Food Net), zombie channels and a ton of ethnic language stations. In fact, at one point, I had more free channels than subscribed ones.

And get this, I politely and playfully called my cable co CSR and asked "why pay if you're giving it free", and she gave me a $60 credit! It was as if Justin Trudeau was giving grants away and not caring about the payback.

Sure the cable cos get their fair share of spankings here, but when they put out, they really put out.

Also, to be clear, only a very small fraction of the individual channels opted to forgo their sub fees; most of the freight was swallowed by the big 3+.

(and cue the litany of cable complaints)

 

May 27, 2020 6:10 pm  #17


Re: CNN Has Too Many Commercials

Yes, a lot of commercials, but what drives me crazy are those insidious Rogers on Demand commercials. That repetitive looping music bed with the same movies over and over is nauseating. I've never liked Rogers advertising but this is one of the worst.

 

May 27, 2020 6:34 pm  #18


Re: CNN Has Too Many Commercials

alangee wrote:

the same movies over and over is nauseating. I've never liked Rogers advertising but this is one of the worst.

Blame the CRTC for that. During local U.S. avails, Canadian systems aren't allowed to air paid ad spots. So they're limited to PSAs and/or cable co interstitials.

 

May 27, 2020 7:24 pm  #19


Re: CNN Has Too Many Commercials

Rogers could do a much  job however by just running a better variety of PSA's or other show promos. Bell isn't too bad and they will have the same limited amount of time to fill as Rogers on CNN.  Regardless, CNN has too many and too many long commercial breaks as compared to MSNBC, especially in the morning and early evening. 

     Thread Starter