Series 2 in May

[stiggie]

Originally Posted by Bomber

To everyone, make sure you watch the new season on tape (or hard drive) as SBS's advert lengths are now climbing towards 3 minutes, I timed one on Monday's showing of S3 Top Gear and it was 2 minutes 40 seconds (plus or minus a few seconds).

Oh please.

SBS show five minutes of ads per hour. They are prohibited from showing any more than that by section 45 of the Special Broadcasting Services Act (Cth). That is considerable less than most networks.

[Bomber]

Originally Posted by stiggie

Oh please.

SBS show five minutes of ads per hour. They are prohibited from showing any more than that by section 45 of the Special Broadcasting Services Act (Cth). That is considerable less than most networks.

Ah yes, I forgot that you're an apologist for SBS's advertisers. Why don't you back up that claim by timing the amount of ads in an hour yourself.

SBS is TAXPAYER FUNDED and and any excuses that you or they give about the need for interrupting programs with the shite we call ads (eg. 20% more revenue) merely serves to give an air of legitimacy.

I don't know why you so staunchly defend ad breaks on SBS but I must assume you have some connection to the advertising or marketing industry.

Let your ill-tempered "defence" begin.

[whitehornmatt]

Well, for the episode that aired on 6th April (03x01):

The total length was 58:53 from opener to the end of the closing credits, including ads.

There were 6:45 worth of those ads, however, when you take out SBS promos, there were exactly five minutes of ads.

Based on the Melbourne broadcast the ads were:
First break (2min):
30 second Mad Men promo
1 minute McDonalds Ad
30 second TAC Powernap ad
Second break (2min):
30 second David Ogilvy: the first mad man (doco) promo
30 second Falcon ad
30 second Quit ad
30 second Foxtel ad
Third break (2:45):
15 second Coming Up promo
30 second Saved (film) promo
15 second Honda Jazz ad
30 second Telstra NextG ad
15 second Commonwealth bank ad
30 second "Go Veg, Be Green, Save our planet" ad
30 second Navy Ad

[bolly]

Referring to Stiggie...

Originally Posted by Bomber

Ah yes, I forgot that you're an apologist for SBS's advertisers.

I suspect Stiggie is actually a marketing man, and that his part-time job is to defend anything to do with Top Gear Australia, no matter what it is. (Maybe he got to go out on a secret date with Charlie Cox as payment.)

If someone from TGA accidentally ran a kiddie over, Stiggie would say "Oh. That kiddie was a brat and deserved it anyway." If they make more rubbish, he'll say, "You're all idiots and you deserve it anyway." If SBS start playing more ads, he'll also say "Oh come on! It makes the show better anyway." And then he'll give you a gritted-teeth grin and go "Pulllleeezzee!"

As the comedian Bill Hicks use to say, "If you're in marketing, go shoot yourself. No really. Just do us a favour and shoot yourself."

[melbournian]

Originally Posted by bolly

Referring to Stiggie...



I suspect Stiggie is actually a marketing man, and that his part-time job is to defend anything to do with Top Gear Australia, no matter what it is.

I can assure you he's not. Advertising on SBS is part of the harsh reality of this world unfortunately, and it looks like we're just going to have to be grown ups and deal with it. If anyone is unhappy with the amount of advertising being shown on SBS then perhaps they should write to their local MP and campaign for more funding from the government so that SBS wouldn't have to raise revenue through advertising.

[stiggie]

Originally Posted by Bomber

Ah yes, I forgot that you're an apologist for SBS's advertisers. Why don't you back up that claim by timing the amount of ads in an hour yourself.

I don't know why you so staunchly defend ad breaks on SBS but I must assume you have some connection to the advertising or marketing industry.

Originally Posted by whitehornmatt

Well, for the episode that aired on 6th April (03x01). The total length was 58:53 from opener to the end of the closing credits, including ads. There were 6:45 worth of those ads, however, when you take out SBS promos, there were exactly five minutes of ads.

There you go- 5 minutes of ads and some SBS promos. But if you still feel like SBS has broken the law by violating the Act, you should lodge a complaint with them about it.

SBS shows the entirety of the episode that they are sold. They are sold the international version, which is shortened by the BBC and is the only version available to them. They don't remove anything or shorten the episodes in order to show the ads. If they didn't show those promos and the 5 minutes of commercials then the show would not have filled the full hour. I don't like the ads any more than most people, but I am reasonable enough to accept that they are neccessary. Programmes like TopGear Australia simply wouldn't be made without them.

Just because I don't automatically try to find fault with everything that I encounter does not mean that I am an apologist. Just that I am not a selfish ingrate. I choose to watch TopGear and TopGear Australia and appreciate the fact that so many people have gone to the trouble of making possible for me to do so. I don't feel the need to criticise them endlessly like you do. It doesn't make me feel good (like it seems to for you) to constantly complain aboout the efforts of people who have provided me with so much entertainment over the years.

There are people here who download episodes of TG and TGA because they can't watch them where they live. There are also those who download them to watch again because they aren't available on DVD. But what you are suggesting is that people who can watch the next series in its entirety on SBS download the episodes instead, which reduces the show's rating and increases its chances of being cancelled. So the real question is- why do you hate TopGear Australia so much that you want to kill it?

Originally Posted by bolly

Referring to Stiggie...

I suspect Stiggie is actually a marketing man, and that his part-time job is to defend anything to do with Top Gear Australia, no matter what it is.

Originally Posted by melbournian

I can assure you he's not. Advertising on SBS is part of the harsh reality of this world unfortunately, and it looks like we're just going to have to be grown ups and deal with it. If anyone is unhappy with the amount of advertising being shown on SBS then perhaps they should write to their local MP and campaign for more funding from the government so that SBS wouldn't have to raise revenue through advertising.

Thanks melbournian, and good advice too. But there is no point arguing with bolly. He isn't interested in rationality, he is only interested in trying to elicite an angry response from people because it makes him feel like he has some sort of power over them. It is best to leave him and his petty, childish games well alone. I prefer not to feed the trolls.

[bolly]

Originally Posted by stiggie

But there is no point arguing with bolly. He isn't interested in rationality, he is only interested in trying to elicite an angry response from people because it makes him feel like he has some sort of power over them. It is best to leave him and his petty, childish games well alone. I prefer not to feed the trolls.

Come on Stiggie. Lighten up. Anybody can tell you're not in marketing. I was actually trying to elicit a laugh, but it seems any attempt at satire is lost on this thread.

And as for trying to elicit the feeling I have power of others... well I'm not the one making definitive statements here, am I?

[GerFix]

Bolly-is-my-Master .... but only because I've been looking at his avatar for the last 5 minutes .. .

[whitehornmatt]

which reduces the show's rating and increases its chances of being cancelled

To everyone without a ratings box, make sure you watch the new season on tape (or hard drive) as SBS's advert lengths are now climbing towards 3 minutes, I timed one on Monday's showing of S3 Top Gear and it was 2 minutes 40 seconds (plus or minus a few seconds).

There fixed it for you.

[stiggie]

[brembo]

Another email in my inbox, seeing if I wanted to put my name into the hat for tickets to the May 15th filming I guess demand for tickets must be way down on series one.

[tone76]

Originally Posted by GerFix

Bolly-is-my-Master .... but only because I've been looking at his avatar for the last 5 minutes .. .

That probably explains how he got that green square under his name.

Meanwhile, back on topic:
- SBS has ads these days, we just have to suck it up
- TGA S2 promises to be better than S1, and I can't wait to see just how much better.
- If TGA gets to S3, I'm going to have to go on another road trip

[Bomber]

Originally Posted by whitehornmatt

The total length was 58:53 from opener to the end of the closing credits, including ads.
There were 6:45 worth of those ads, however, when you take out SBS promos, there were exactly five minutes of ads.

Thanks whitehornmatt, I was too lazy to do that myself. However, if you define an SBS promo as an ad (which it is, essentially) they have broken the 5 minutes of ads within programs rule.

Originally Posted by melbournian

I can assure you he's not.

I require more than your assurance.

Originally Posted by melbournian

Advertising on SBS is part of the harsh reality of this world unfortunately

In my opinion that is a poor attitude.

Originally Posted by melbournian

If anyone is unhappy with the amount of advertising being shown on SBS then perhaps they should write to their local MP and campaign for more funding from the government so that SBS wouldn't have to raise revenue through advertising.

I agree entirely except for the have to part.

Originally Posted by stiggie

if you still feel like SBS has broken the law by violating the Act, you should lodge a complaint with them about it.

Ignoring viewer complaints about this matter is a consistent pattern, beginning with the (now defunct) Hotline program.

Originally Posted by stiggie

I don't like the ads any more than most people, but I am reasonable enough to accept that they are neccessary.

I like it that you've said that but they are not necessary. SBS did fine before the advert breaks and they did not pursue other options before resorting to ad breaks from what I have read. They were basically chafing at the bit for years for the ad break option.

Originally Posted by stiggie

Just because I don't automatically try to find fault with everything that I encounter does not mean that I am an apologist. Just that I am not a selfish ingrate.

Yet your whole post is about defending SBS's unecessary introduction of ad breaks. And an asshole to boot (I received negative reputation and guess who's likely to have sent it).

Originally Posted by stiggie

I choose to watch TopGear and TopGear Australia and appreciate the fact that so many people have gone to the trouble of making possible for me to do so. I don't feel the need to criticise them endlessly like you do.
It doesn't make me feel good (like it seems to for you) to constantly complain aboout the efforts of people who have provided me with so much entertainment over the years.

I am only criticising the people at the top who were directly responsible for introducing advert breaks on SBS. The rest is you putting words in my mouth (kudos to you...).

Originally Posted by stiggie

what you are suggesting is that people who can watch the next series in its entirety on SBS download the episodes

It's a side point but I was actually referring to people who record digital TV to a hard drive (or a DVD-RW for that matter).

[melbournian]

Originally Posted by Bomber

I require more than your assurance.

Would you like a statutory declaration with words to that effect? Because that can be arranged.

In my opinion that is a poor attitude.

I know, it's a shame I can't be so idealistic.

I agree entirely except for the have to part.

You're right, they don't have to raise revenue to fund their programmes. They could just stop producing local programs and only show foreign stuff.

And you try getting money out of the government for anything...after all the bureaucratic red tape SBS would have most likely have had to deal with advertising probably seemed like a far more efficient solution.

(I work for the government which is probably why I'm such a bitter cynic these days, so apologies. Also on the complaints side of things, rather than complaining directly to SBS, those complaints would be better directed to the relevant industry ombudsman as you're far more likely to get feedback at least).

[whitehornmatt]

Originally Posted by Bomber

Thanks whitehornmatt, I was too lazy to do that myself. However, if you define an SBS promo as an ad (which it is, essentially) they have broken the 5 minutes of ads within programs rule.

I think the law exempts both community service ads and station promotions.

I like it that you've said that but they are not necessary. SBS did fine before the advert breaks and they did not pursue other options before resorting to ad breaks from what I have read. They were basically chafing at the bit for years for the ad break option.

They got the ads in 1991, with show sponsors a few years before that. The most recent change was putting the ads within the shows rather than between them. I don't mind that change, because sitting though 10 minutes of promos and ads between one show and the next was really annoying.

[Richmondgal]

In the May issue of TGA Magazine: (I've got in spoilers in case no one wants to know about it)

[stiggie]

Originally Posted by Bomber

I require more than your assurance.

You are quite the conspiracy theorist aren't you?

melbournian (who knows me) is right. I work in retail and have never had anything to do with the advertising industry. In the interest of full disclosure I will add that I moderated SBS' TopGear forum for them for about a year before it was shut down but I was never employed by them. I was simply a forum member who was appointed as the moderator to help keep order.

Originally Posted by Bomber

Yet your whole post is about defending SBS's unecessary introduction of ad breaks.

I don't accept your premise. I believe that the ads are neccessary if SBS is to maintain its standard of service. They are about to launch a fully-fledged SBS2 and have plans for an SBS3 (foreign-language and indigenous children's programming) and maybe even an SBS4 (a foreign-language news channel) but they have admitted that they wont even be able to continue SBS2 if they don't get increased funding from the government.

Originally Posted by Bomber

I am only criticising the people at the top who were directly responsible for introducing advert breaks on SBS.

You're right. I have gone back and reviewed every post you've made in the TGA section and you are not one of the people who have only ever had negative things to say about the show. I must have associated you with bolly and STIG_mata because of some posts you made a while back about product placement.

I was wrong and I apologise.

Originally Posted by Bomber

It's a side point but I was actually referring to people who record digital TV to a hard drive (or a DVD-RW for that matter).

Well...... thats different then.

Originally Posted by whitehornmatt

The most recent change was putting the ads within the shows rather than between them. I don't mind that change, because sitting though 10 minutes of promos and ads between one show and the next was really annoying.

I prefer it this way too. Sometimes you need a chance to take a bathroom brake or grab something from the kitchen without missing anything from what you're watching. Thats something that aways used to bug me about SBS and still does about the ABC.

[Bomber]

I think we can agree to disagree (regarding SBS''s ambitions) so the issue from here is to get SBS more government funding if they are going to have a larger budget one way or the other (which I'll pursue on other sites such as saveoursbs.org).

[whitehornmatt]

In the May issue of TGA Magazine: (I've got in spoilers in case no one wants to know about it)

Thanks very much for those

I really want to see that Tarago Ute

Speaking of the mag, have any of the TGA hosts written an article for it yet?

[Richmondgal]

For some reason, no. They don't. I know that Warren writes in the Daily Telegraph Sydney about the show every now and then, but not in the mag. I haven't seen Pizatti's writing either.