Viewer, Interrupted

Having just read with interest Brian Lowry’s column (“Going Far Beyond Product Placement,” July 10), it reminds me that a few weekends ago I tuned to ABC on Saturday night as they were airing a favorite James Bond film. After an hour of watching I turned off--each time I got enthralled in the movie, I was interrupted by a commercial break. I became so obsessed I started timing them--on average, every eight minutes they ran six minutes of commercials! I actually left my TiVo recording and watched it the next day, zapping through the commercials.

Just how bad can it get? I can’t be the only viewer who is not prepared to watch television this way, but the advertisers are pushing us too far. Many cable stations are running messages along the bottom of a show plugging programs, promotions or their Web site. How long before commercial breaks don’t interrupt a program, but are constantly visible the same way to prevent people like me being able to use the TiVo alternative?

No more prime-time weekend viewing for me.

CARRI MALLARD

Manhattan Beach