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Author Topic: Why are infomercials only run overnight?  (Read 10358 times)

Jimmy Owen

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Why are infomercials only run overnight?
« on: February 25, 2004, 08:31:46 AM »
Couldn't GSN make more money if they ran the infomercials at a time when people are up to see them?  I know of no one who actually records them for later viewing, but it's possible that folks might keep the channel on if they saw them during the day.  GSN could probably charge the same for an hour during the day as three hours overnight.  How 'bout it GSN?
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DrBear

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Why are infomercials only run overnight?
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2004, 10:46:02 AM »
My guess is there's a large vampire demographic that needs exercise equipment and collections of 1950s hits.
This isn't a plug, but you can ask me about my book.

clemon79

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Why are infomercials only run overnight?
« Reply #2 on: February 25, 2004, 11:24:14 AM »
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Feb 25 2004, 06:31 AM\'] GSN could probably charge the same for an hour during the day as three hours overnight.  How 'bout it GSN? [/quote]
 Which is why the infomercial purchasers buy the overnight time: it's CHEAPER. Plus, GSN is prolly getting the same for the eight minutes of ads it runs during the day as it does for a half-hour of overnight time, so why piss off the people who ARE watching?
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kirkmorgan

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Why are infomercials only run overnight?
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2004, 03:00:02 AM »
My guess is there's a large vampire demographic that needs exercise equipment and collections of 1950s hits.


you mustn't forget those slimming pants!

whewfan

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Why are infomercials only run overnight?
« Reply #4 on: February 26, 2004, 06:00:54 AM »
There are some informercials on GSN I saw a couple minutes of (I guess for masochistic reasons) that really irked me...

There's one for some sort of mini blender/chopper. First, it's painfully obvious that the "observers" are all paid actors, but even more painful is that one of them resembles Chris Farley's "Lunch Lady" character on SNL. Infomercials should have REAL PEOPLE, not poorly played character actors!

The Alzair informercial really cracks me up. They're struggling to tell what the product does without getting TOO explicit. For those who don't know, Alzair is basically Viagara. They could save a full half hour by saying it's just like Viagara... after all, who DOESN'T know what Viagara is and what it does? Also, the participants are not discussing the product in a mature manner. It's like watching a bunch of 6th graders talk about it.

The Ionizer- I think that's what it's called. It's an air purifier machine that doesn't need filters and makes no noise. Unfortunately they spend the entire half hour repeating those two major points, so why make a half hour informercial for a product that only takes 15 seconds to explain?!

Chef Tony- Just what we need to be Chef Tony's spokesperson.... the "Shelley Hack" of Three's Company, Jennilee Harrison. (Shelly Hack was the Charlie's Angel that was fired after one season... she had no real acting talent, so the writers made her a more "reserved" Angel.... it didn't work)

Debbie and Kevin- Regis and Kelly, they're NOT. This Kevin guy started off with infomercials with an empty black wall set and black desk, but now that he's making money, he hired a cohost with a phony English accent and spruced up the set.
They have people that call the show... and it's obvious the calls are phony because the show is not live, and they don't GIVE a number to call.

The Greatest Vitamin ever- Is it me, or does this Don Dupree guy look more pathetic with each new infomercial? I guess he gave up his small ad business, so now he's selling VITAMINS?! Sad.

clemon79

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Why are infomercials only run overnight?
« Reply #5 on: February 26, 2004, 11:16:48 AM »
And yet, Mike, I would point out that you watched ALL of these, and now you're telling US all about them. The infomercial people must be THRILLED. ;)
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MikeK

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Why are infomercials only run overnight?
« Reply #6 on: February 26, 2004, 11:26:17 AM »
[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Feb 26 2004, 11:16 AM\'] And yet, Mike, I would point out that you watched ALL of these, and now you're telling US all about them. The infomercial people must be THRILLED. ;) [/quote]
 Sorry to correct you, Chris.  whewfan's name is Matt, not Mike.  How dare you confuse the two of us!

clemon79

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Why are infomercials only run overnight?
« Reply #7 on: February 26, 2004, 11:33:25 AM »
[quote name=\'hmtriplecrown\' date=\'Feb 26 2004, 09:26 AM\'] [quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Feb 26 2004, 11:16 AM\'] And yet, Mike, I would point out that you watched ALL of these, and now you're telling US all about them. The infomercial people must be THRILLED. ;) [/quote]
Sorry to correct you, Chris.  whewfan's name is Matt, not Mike.  How dare you confuse the two of us! [/quote]
Kicker is, I do that ALL THE TIME, even when I'm reading you guy's posts. And I KNOW who the two of you are. I don't know what it is that makes me do that.

Sorry about that, gentlemen.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2004, 11:33:51 AM by clemon79 »
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Kevin Prather

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Why are infomercials only run overnight?
« Reply #8 on: February 26, 2004, 06:38:31 PM »
The only infomercial I got a laugh out of when I saw part it was for Focus Factor. It's sort of a Gingko Biloba drug. The "president of the company" came on and said "I started taking Focus Factor when we first developed it two and a half years ago, and I wouldn't work a day without it."

Hmm, can somebody say "dependent"?

davemackey

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Why are infomercials only run overnight?
« Reply #9 on: February 28, 2004, 07:08:23 AM »
I fell asleep watching "Password" this morning and woke up to hear Lucinda Bassett's infomercial on preventing anxiety.

The creepy music constantly running under that one is enough to give anyone an anxiety attack.

PeterTomarkensGal

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Why are infomercials only run overnight?
« Reply #10 on: February 28, 2004, 08:15:18 AM »
I REALLY think GSN should only air infomercials that are hosted by current and former game show hosts.....

joe_capitano

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Why are infomercials only run overnight?
« Reply #11 on: February 28, 2004, 11:20:00 PM »
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Feb 25 2004, 05:31 AM\']Couldn't GSN make more money if they ran the infomercials at a time when people are up to see them?[/quote]
You CANNOT BE SERIOUS!!! (John McEnroe)

We already have too darn many of them clogging up schedules on local stations at all hours. Here in Western Washington we lost a CBS NETWORK college basketball game or two to a block of garbage time just in the last two weeks (Blasphemy!). The last thing we need is to encourage more hours of them.

What needs to be done is to cut back on them. One hour a day or less is more than plenty. You want more? TiVO 'em.

'nuff said.

(I know, your intent was "tounge-in-cheek", but I had to vent. I hate these things.)
« Last Edit: February 28, 2004, 11:30:54 PM by joe_capitano »

JVatPSU

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Why are infomercials only run overnight?
« Reply #12 on: March 05, 2004, 07:12:21 AM »
What's really annoying is when your local ABC affiliate (WTNH-8 / Hartford-New Haven) decides to randomly dump Wheel of Fortune for an infomercial here and there.  #1 syndicated game show in the country needs to be bumped for infomercial time?  Gimme... a break.

-- JV

clemon79

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Why are infomercials only run overnight?
« Reply #13 on: March 05, 2004, 12:20:11 PM »
[quote name=\'JVatPSU\' date=\'Mar 5 2004, 05:12 AM\'] What's really annoying is when your local ABC affiliate (WTNH-8 / Hartford-New Haven) decides to randomly dump Wheel of Fortune for an infomercial here and there.  #1 syndicated game show in the country needs to be bumped for infomercial time?  Gimme... a break.

-- JV [/quote]
 I would imagine that the people sponsoring the infomercial paid a pretty penny, if they ponied up enough to knock WOF off for a day. I would further suggest that you write a letter to this station and attempt to explain that there is not just a cost in real dollars involved, but in viewer loyalty, and that if they are taking that into account with these decisions, fine and great, but they would do well to keep that in the back of their minds.
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uncamark

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Why are infomercials only run overnight?
« Reply #14 on: March 05, 2004, 04:11:13 PM »
And when the CBS O&Os ran infomercials in prime access instead of regular programming a couple of years ago (not during sweeps), Les Moonves raised holy hell with Karmazin--and justifiably, since infomercials before prime time means fewer potential bodies for his shows.  If I were a station executive, the station I ran would have to be chronically hard up to even *consider* running an audience chaser like infomercials in *any* high profile time slot.