As TV networks promise to reduce ads, an unexpected nostalgia for commercials of old
Our relationship to television commercials is one of avoidance. We fast-forward our DVRs or sidestep ads altogether with streaming services like Netflix or Amazon. TV networks are looking for ways to claw back (or simply retain) audiences. Which brings us to a recently stated goal from Fox's ad chief: The network that airs "The Simpsons" and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" will aim to snip the amount of time given over to ads in each prime-time hour down to a total just two minutes - two minutes! - by 2020.
That would be a major pruning but Fox isn't alone, other networks are cutting back as well. According to the Wall Street Journal, last
