"The current data on clutter is disturbing," stated Debbie Solomon, group research director at MindShare and author of the report, which MindShare has been conducting ever since the American Association of Advertising Agencies abandoned its own annual analysis several years ago. "It highlights the continuing concerns about the messaging and communications value of the TV environment caused by the increasing number of distracting elements present in prime-time."
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However, Solomon noted that "not all broadcast and cable networks are to blame, some - and we praise them - have held their clutter in check."
ABC's commercial time, in fact, was flat at 12 minutes and 44 second per average prime-time hour, while NBC actually declined five percent to 12 minutes and 5 seconds per hour. NBC's declines, however, may reflect waning demand as the network continues to plummet in prime-time ratings.
While Fox added the most commercial minutes - rising 7 percent to 12 minutes and 55 seconds per hour - it cutback on total non-programming time, making it the only broadcast network to do so last year.
One factor that should help mitigate prime-time broadcast commercial clutter, is the consolidation of UPN and WB into CW, though News Corp. simultaneously will ad My Network TV.
On the cable front, MTV continued to be the worst offender, squeezing 21 percent additional commercial minutes per prime-time hour, and raising its total non-programming time 18 percent to a record 16 minutes and 13 seconds per hour - about two-and-a-half minutes more than 2004, according to the MindShare analysis.
Broadcast Prime Time Network Commercial Minutes | |||
2004 | 2005 | INDEX | |
10:21 | 10:12 | 98 | |
9:45 | 8:54 | 91 | |
9:16 | 9:43 | 105 | |
8:49 | 9:47 | 111 | |
8:43 | 8:55 | 102 | |
7:15 | 7:52 | 101 | |
Total Commercial Minutes | |||
12:46 | 12:44 | 100 | |
12:40 | 12:05 | 95 | |
12:03 | 12:13 | 101 | |
12:05 | 12:55 | 107 | |
12:23 | 12:49 | 104 | |
11:06 | 11:40 | 105 | |
Total Non-Program Minutes | |||
15:21 | 15:26 | 101 | |
15:01 | 15:01 | 100 | |
14:15 | 14:52 | 104 | |
15:06 | 15:00 | 99 | |
14:34 | 15:10 | 104 | |
13:49 | 14:26 | 104 |
Source: MindShare analysis of 2005 TNS data.
Cable Prime Time Total Commercial Minutes | |||
| 2004 | 2005 | INDEX |
CNN | 9:56 | 11:25 | 115 |
DISC | 9:58 | 11:07 | 111 |
ESPN | 9:41 | 12:38 | 106 |
FNEW | 9:41 | 11:32 | 119 |
LIFE | 12:18 | 13:37 | 107 |
MSNB | 12:00 | 12:13 | 102 |
MTV | 9:53 | 11:57 | 121 |
TNT | 10:09 | 10:38 | 105 |
USA | 12:03 | 12:33 | 104 |
SPK | n/a | 12:20 | n/a |
Total Non-Program Minutes | |||
CNN | 13:22 | 13:50 | 103 |
DISC | 14:48 | 15:28 | 104 |
ESPN | 11:45 | 12:15 | 104 |
FNEW | 12:25 | 13:26 | 108 |
LIFE | 14:45 | 15:42 | 106 |
MSNB | 14:45 | 14:58 | 101 |
MTV | 13:46 | 16:13 | 118 |
TNT | 13:43 | 13:48 | 101 |
USA | 15:06 | 15:43 | 104 |
SPK | n/a | 15:28 | n/a |
Source: MindShare analysis of 2005 TNS data.