So...Im an American with Euro Cable tv

I dont subscribe to Direct Tv or Comcast and other TV providers. I stream TV from the internet. I get mostly channels from the Uk.

I have noticed that...

1. They dont show as many comercials there than they do here.

2. They dont push drugs from big pharma.

Anyone else notice this?

1) Commercials are becoming more and more prevalent in US TV

2) Because in the UK, the doctors tell you what medicine to take, instead of the medicine telling you to ask your doctor what medicine to take.

a reply to: BerenstEiner

In the UK we pay a flat fee pescription for our medication so there is no need other than over the counter non pescription pain killers.

American tv would drive me insane with the amount of adverts.

Rather than streaming TV from Europe and seeing the differences to American TV, why not actually go there and see the differences.


You'll be surprised just how suppressed the American media is as compared to European - and not just TV.

a reply to: BerenstEiner

I don`t know about the UK, but in The Netherlands you have laws about the max amount of commercial time in an hour and how may times it may happen. It`s less than 20 minutes and only two blocks an hour.

I've been to the states a few times and was always annoyed at the amount commercials there are. It's like you have twice as many adverts as we do. BBC TV channels don't have any commercials, so it's the best channel for watching sports IMO. We do however pay a tv licence, which means all bbc content in tv and radio is commercial free. It's like PBS in the states

a reply to: BerenstEiner
Commercials on UK Tv have always come in short bursts at approximately quarter-hour intervals. "The commercial break", well-known to the power industry as the period when half the nation leaves the room to put the kettle on. If you're watching an hour-long programme, you know to expect four of these breaks, including one just before the next programme starts.
Of course the B.B.C has none at all (except for their own super-irritating trailers) because they get financed by the licence fee instead.

As someone else has observed, there is no point in advertising medicine only available on prescription.
Things like non-prescription pain-killers, and cough/cold medicines, do get advertised.

originally posted by: DISRAELI
a reply to: BerenstEiner
Commercials on UK Tv have always come in short bursts at approximately quarter-hour intervals. "The commercial break", well-known to the power industry as the period when half the nation leaves the room to put the kettle on. If you're watching an hour-long programme, you know to expect four of these breaks, including one just before the next programme starts.
Of course the B.B.C has none at all (except for their own super-irritating trailers) because they get financed by the licence fee instead.

As someone else has observed, there is no point in advertising medicine only available on prescription.
Things like non-prescription pain-killers, and cough/cold medicines, do get advertised.

My father was a unit operator in a power station and they used to have to go on standby when there was a big storyline on coranation street or east enders as the amount of kettles going on caused a huge draw,

This is all different now with skyplus and such but was pretty important back in the day.

a reply to: nonspecific

American tv would drive me insane with the amount of adverts.

Believe me, it does. I have a mute button handy at all times. My family loves the commercials, thats even nuttier.

Are there self muting TVs where you are that auto-skip commercials?

originally posted by: nonspecific
a reply to: BerenstEiner

In the UK we pay a flat fee pescription for our medication so there is no need other than over the counter non pescription pain killers.

American tv would drive me insane with the amount of adverts.

This.

Answers everything.

originally posted by: nonspecific
a reply to: BerenstEiner

In the UK we pay a flat fee pescription for our medication so there is no need other than over the counter non pescription pain killers.

American tv would drive me insane with the amount of adverts.

that's why dvr is the best 10 buks a month ever

originally posted by: BerenstEiner
I dont subscribe to Direct Tv or Comcast and other TV providers. I stream TV from the internet. I get mostly channels from the Uk.

I have noticed that...

1. They dont show as many comercials there than they do here.

2. They dont push drugs from big pharma.

Anyone else notice this?

Well the drug one is easy to explain.

Most of us here in europe have some form of socilised medicine so marketing drugs on tv is pointless.

a reply to: DISRAELI

Shock horror, in the UK things are regulated. I have spent quite a bit of time in the States and TV is crap in comparison to the UK. The anti-TV license people are oft vocal on ATS, but to be honest I like commercial-free TV from the BBC. To add that US TV is crap, but they do produce some excellent programmes.

There are currently restrictions on the amount of advertising that any UK television broadcaster is allowed to show on its channels. These restrictions have been put in place to ensure that viewers are not exposed to excessive amounts of advertising, and that the quality of the viewing experience is maintained.

This sets a limit for all channels of 12 minutes on the amount of advertising which may be shown in one hour.

stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk...

Regards

Its so good to see that some Americans are getting their media from other sources as I try to explain the difference to my American friends and they can't understand it. As a British American I have experienced both countries tv offerings and formats and the uk is vastly superior. The commercials here are indeed filled with pharmaceuticals telling people they meet pretty much every symptom for every pill lol. I also work in a dr office doing some i.t. Work and there are drug reps in and out all the time peddling the next pill.

Anyways, my British wife could not stand to watch the tv here in the u.s. As we moved back here so she could experience life in the u.s., but we cancelled our subscription. We now use xbmc to get mx bbc player and ftv for other free view channels. I am watching match of the day right now.

originally posted by: DARKJEDIG
Its so good to see that some Americans are getting their media from other sources as I try to explain the difference to my American friends and they can't understand it. As a British American I have experienced both countries tv offerings and formats and the uk is vastly superior. The commercials here are indeed filled with pharmaceuticals telling people they meet pretty much every symptom for every pill lol. I also work in a dr office doing some i.t. Work and there are drug reps in and out all the time peddling the next pill.

Anyways, my British wife could not stand to watch the tv here in the u.s. As we moved back here so she could experience life in the u.s., but we cancelled our subscription. We now use xbmc to get mx bbc player and ftv for other free view channels. I am watching match of the day right now.

I try, I try.

Ok then. So. It seems to me, we, as americans, are being brainwashed, force fed this BS.

Its money.

Help me stop this.

originally posted by: BerenstEiner
Ok then. So. It seems to me, we, as americans, are being brainwashed, force fed this BS.

No, you're not being brainwashed. You just have low expectations of what you get from TV.

Regards

H

originally posted by: paraphi

originally posted by: BerenstEiner
Ok then. So. It seems to me, we, as americans, are being brainwashed, force fed this BS.

No, you're not being brainwashed. You just have low expectations of what you get from TV.

Regards

Dont say that. Never say that. Nevery say " regards"

Thats so gay.

How does one subscribe to UK cable....the tv ads here are suck worthy , and well....eastenders....

a reply to: zazzafrazz

Xbmc home boy. Or Iptv.

a reply to: BerenstEiner

I've traveled around and I can tell you that USA is like the King of bad, like the head of the snake

And while other western countries are copying US in pretty much everything, the big leagues of Evil are in the US