Small market stations showed more commercially influenced material, either connected with or not connected with paid advertising, the researchers found. Small and medium markets also showed more explicitly commercially influenced promotional content.
"News is the big income generator for television stations," Upshaw said. "Something like 40 percent of a station's advertising sales revenue comes from ads running during newscasts or news-related presentations. Big markets do this too but often in other ways and different time slots."
Is "News" Big Business?
Upshaw spent 22 years as a television journalist. From 1982 to 1992 he was a reporter for the NBC-owned station in Washington, D.C. He retired from full-time teaching in June 2006. Upshaw and colleagues noted that commercial TV stations are indeed businesses.
Previous studies have found that local small-market stations broadcast a variety of news and news-like materials that appear to have advertiser influences. The purpose of the UO study was to provide a national content analysis that moves researchers into "an unprecedented exploratory effort to understand this apparent threat to the long-term credibility of television news."
The researchers explored promotional tone or content, product placement on the screen within stories or even on the desks of anchors, sponsored segments within newscasts and news framing, in which a legitimate story quietly raises positives images of companies or brands. They also noted anecdotal examples of commercial influence at many TV stations.
In addition, the UO study explored recent trends that may be driving advertisers and television stations, respectively, to find new ways to reach the public or raise revenues.
Some Ways to Bypass Stealth Advertising?
New technologies, they noted, have allowed the public to bypass commercial radio and television stations through satellite radio, downloadable music and digital recording. A 2001 study found that owners of digital recording devices (in 5 percent of U.S. homes) spend 60 percent of their time watching recorded or delayed programs and skip 92 percent of commercials. A study in 2004 projected that that by 2010 some 41 percent of U.S. households will have such devices and advertising skipping may cost the television industry $27 billion in lost revenue.
The study's objective was to gauge the extent of material that may have commercializing effects on newscasts, and thus potentially on viewers, the authors wrote. The study did not directly question the motives and intents of news professionals, station managers and advertisers, they added.
"Further research should broaden scholarly understanding of the complex relations between television advertising and television journalism," they wrote. "One aim should be to expose decision-making factors that can allow unlabeled commercial elements to bob in a stream of 'objective' news content."
How to Persuade Using Covert Images, Stories & Messages
Covert Subliminal Influence
with Kevin Hogan, Psy.D.
6-DVD with complete Manual on CD
"LIVE" SEMINAR ON COVERT HYPNOSIS, SUBLIMINAL PERSUASION AND SUBTLE INFLUENCE
One "live" seminar with NOTHING edited out. Learn the secrets of
covert hypnosis, subliminal persuasion (including HOW to make
subliminal dvd's!) and subtle forms of influence I've never talked about
anywhere before.
Almost all of the information you experience in this all-day seminar
is NEW. It's not in any of my books. It's not in the Covert Hypnosis
CD program. It's not in the Science of Influence.
And, where I didn't know all the answers (like ALL the specifics in
making a subliminal dvd) I brought in the subliminal video expert
Mark Ryan. More on this in a minute (I know...it's so cool...)
This DVD program is hot-off-the-presses and contains demonstrations
of nonverbal and verbal communication that you haven't seen or
experienced before.
You will learn how to tell a story with Covert Hypnosis. This necessary
skill set is what separates those who are good at subtle influence...
and those that are truly masters. And I walk you through it, demo it
and even have the class participate. You will be blown away. Promise.
Turn the DVD program off after just this DVD and you will have one
heck of a return on your investment. (I promise, almost no one can tell
a story well and it is stories that sell. Stories that market. Stories make
money.)
You'll learn how to embed false memory in others in seconds.
You'll learn how to change memory.
It's subtle.
It's powerful.
Oh...and I'll tell you why you want and need to know this....
:-)
Next you're going to find out the seemingly magical use of energy
around you to create incredible comfort and trust or discomfort and fear.
I would argue that it isn't magic, that it's science but no time for that.
The skills are all transferable. You'll see audience members interact
with me and in minutes learn how to do this most important skill.
You're going to find out how to shape beliefs with single words or
images.
I'm going to show you how simply tearing a piece of paper can cause enormous
pain inside of someone. And what you can learn from this!
You''ll find out the secrets that Mark Ryan and I use to create what
may be the only commercially available subliminal DVD's that work.
We will both explain why and then....you're going to find out why we
are hesitating before releasing more.
You are going to learn how to get from "no" to "yes."
You are going to watch me work.
You are going to see the energy vibrate off of me and feel it enter your
mind as you learn Covert Subliminal Influence.
You will learn how to send covert verbal messages with far more power than
you ever learned in NLP. (Yeah...really.)
*EVERYTHING* in this seminar has been scientifically tested. No guess
work. No BS. No time wasters. It's 100% proven technology.
And it's 100% heart.
You will have fun and learn at the same time.
Unlike most programs you watch, I explain EVERYTHING I DO LIVE.
Questions are taken and answered from the audience. It's all here for you.
This program, newly released, comes on six DVD's. It's everything that those
who attended got INCLUDING the manual which is rich in research and information on subliminal messaging.
You are one of the first to have this incredible program and I am proud that you will.