Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn (L) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen help Sesame Street muppets Elmo, Jesse and Rosita host a preview of the PBS special "When Families Grieve" at the Pentagon on April 13, 2010. UPI/Chad J. McNeeley/U.S. Navy |
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WASHINGTON, May 31 (UPI) -- Decades of uninterrupted programming on U.S. public television may be ending, as PBS officials said they plan to include promotional breaks within programs.
During a recent annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., PBS officials said that, beginning this fall, the science series "Nature" and "Nova" would include four in-program breaks of corporate and foundation sponsor spots, promotional messages and branding, instead of longer blocks at the beginning and end, The New York Times reported Monday.
The plan indicates the longest period of uninterrupted programming would be just under 15 minutes, compared with the current 50 minutes or more.
The change has stirred debate among PBS producers and executives, the Times said. Many said they support testing the new model, but others said they were concerned about reaction from viewers and financial supporters.
"One of the biggest things they [PBS] have to sell is that they are non-commercial," said David Oxenford, a partner with the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine who represents some public broadcasters.
Officials said the change is meant to address a serious problem, the Times said. Currently, the messages that a PBS station broadcasts are packed into a block at the end of each show, which sometimes stretches to nearly 8 minutes for 60-minute programs.
Under the new plan, there would be no break between shows, the Times said. Instead, sponsor messages, PBS branding spots and show promotions would run within programs in a block of less than 2 minutes.
