BBC Playout

Perhaps now Murphy has left the building, they are testing the water to see the public reaction towards the DOG?

I remember years ago there was a complete uproar when BBC1/BBC2 tried to introduce DOGs on their digital feeds. They got a shedload of complaints and swiftly removed them.

Because the audience don't watch very junction?

The public in general. Look at the Points Of View message board - plenty of people posting there who don't post here share the same viewpoint.

And since my last posting, Balderdash and Piffle (ironic title) was trailed twice in one junction. Now what's on ITV?

Sorry - I'm afraid that argument really doesn't wash!!

If your average viewer sticks with one channel for even a few hours in any one evening - say BBC ONE - they will probably be subjected to the same three or four trails about three or four times.

The real issue here is that these trails can be running for about a week in many cases. So, even if you don't catch them again and again on one particular evening, you're sure to be sick to death of them by the end of the week.

It wouldn't be so bad if they were short and sweet. But the same 30 or 40 second trails - and even longer in some instances - are used over and over. And as Simon has also commented, end credits are obliterated with promotional material in order to keep the viewer's attention only to be followed by another two or three minutes of promos that viewers have probably seen countless number of times already.

I'm sure this practice leaves some programme makers seething too. You'll typically have around three or four programmes promoted to death in any one week with hardly a word about the rest of the schedule.

Much more use should be made of the likes of programme menus - doesn't have to be a still slide - include clips by all means - but not the same damned clip for most of the week (as with some daytime menus) - the viewer becomes bored with this - you need something to entice the prospective viewer. And PLEASE PLEASE, if you must promote things to death - at least revert to trails of shorter duration - particularly closer to the actual transmission date.

People on here are far too quick to criticise others for making constructive comment on current broadcasting practice. These views should not be dismissed as simply being the thoughts of an anorak(s).

It seems the problem here is people being lazy, they make a few trails, and re-use them until you want to smash your screen. I would like to see some dynamic on-screen systems, akin to Channel 4, the automated manus, the cross-promotions with e4, film4 and more4, and they keep a consistancy to how they function. ECP on all junctions, NEXT caption flashing on screen, unlike BBC One and Two which are a hodge podge and so boring and old-fashioned...

It's not down to being lazy .. there is a lot of research done into how many promos etc people see. The BBC did away with lots of different promos ages ago. They now - as they do with the poster adverts you see - have a few themes/programmes that get blanket coverage, in theory no one in the country whether they listen to, watch the BBC or see a poster know that the show/theme is on the BBC. An example from last year was the FA Cup or BBC Digital. There is one of those type of things each month. Then there are a few key programmes that are also pushed - hence why you see them everywhere across all channels. Then each of the channels have a few things they want to push. This is worked out across radio and TV ... radio run promos (or cross trails) for stuff on the TV. Radio also have priority shows which are cross promoted as well. A lot of work goes into the marketing so that it hits the target audiences at the right time - believe me.

I remain unconvinced that marketing is as much of a science as those involved in it would have us believe. I fear much of their time is spent creating pointless reports and graphs which justify their own existence.

Media Planning
The science of Pin the tail on the Donkey .

Beg pardon?

The Points of View messageboard is not the general public. People who go to internet sites to discuss television are in a tiny minority. If you want to know what 'normal' people think, try section 5 of this Ofcom report.

And if that is the general public, albeit only 1096 of those people, 75% agreed that certain promotions are repeated far too much, and 59% felt that there are too many promotions being showed on TV. Which sort of explains why people want to hurl a brick at their TV everytime they hear that sodding BBC digital radio trail again, for the umpteenth time.

In large organisations such as the BBC, it is not unusual for millions of pounds to be squandered on pointless bureaucracy and nonsense. This is a prime example. Marketing is not a science. Isn't it amazing how many people make money out of all this crap!?! All of this is just common sense.

If you set up your own company, would you hire people like this?? Damn sure you wouldn't. You wouldn't throw your money down the drain like that.