ABSTRACT
This research investigated the attitude of television audiences towards commercial breaks in programmes through a survey of 200 respondents from University of Ghana. Multi-stage sampling was employed which involved the use of purposive sampling and systematic sampling. Findings indicated that majority of the respondents watched commercial breaks. It was revealed that most of them made a motivated choice as to whether to watch or avoid commercial breaks. Also majority of them did not like commercial breaks within television programmes but preferred them to be aired before a programme starts and when it ends. The major motivations for watching commercial breaks were information, product category, entertainment and the desire not to miss the next scene in a TV programme whilst those who avoided did so because there were too many commercials in commercial breaks. Respondents were more engaged in mechanical avoidance than cognitive and physical avoidance. Majority of the respondents switched the channel or stayed in the room but diverted attention during commercial breaks. There were some differences too in terms of age and gender. More females than males watched commercial breaks and more males than females avoided too. The major motivations to watch commercial breaks were the same for both genders but in terms of avoidance behaviour, more females than males engaged in physical and cognitive avoidance whilst males engaged mostly in mechanical avoidance. Furthermore, during commercial avoidance, more females than males stayed in the room and diverted attention and more males than females changed the channel. Regarding the age groups, there was less difference in response rate among those who watched commercial breaks but majority of the respondents who avoided commercial breaks were 30 years and above. This has implications for organisations that use TV for advertisements and for TV stations as well.
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
Commercial breaks are common features of daily television programming globally. These breaks are typically set aside slots for airing series of commercials at particular points in time when it is believed viewership is high. Commercial breaks are believed to attract large audiences. Advertising or commercial space is chosen based on programme ratings (Paech, Riebe & Sharp, 2003) and Roy (2013) suggests that the effectiveness of a television commercial depends on the program it is inserted in.
Television commercial breaks could be controlling because in theory and practice television stations tend to assume that there is a passive audience, glued to television sets who are constantly watching all programmes including commercials. However, several studies have established that this is not empirically the case because audiences are also actively selecting what to watch, how to watch and when to watch content.
Biocca (1998) has pointed out that at the centre of mass communication is a split between the opposite conceptions of the mass media and its audiences. On one hand, audiences are assumed to be active (Devin, 1980; Klapper, 1960; Van Meurs, 1999) and on the other hand, they are assumed to be passive (Gerbner, Cross, Morgan & Signoreilli, 1996; Kubey, 1986; Kubey & Sikszentmihalyi, 1990; Barnice & Ehrenberg, 1988).
The active audiences are rational and selective as to which media content to be exposed to. Active audiences as rational audiences put on their television sets to watch programmes but not commercials and so these commercial breaks may be worrisome to them (Van Meurs, 1999). They make motivated choices and expect some benefits from the media content they expose themselves
to; hence, the less motivation leads to greater chance of avoiding commercial breaks (Elpers, Leonline & Marie, 2003). Even when these rational audiences decide to watch the commercials it is based on a motivated choice. They consider the benefits they are likely to get from the decisions they take.
Some researchers who support the passive ideology also claim that, television is a way of killing time when the audiences have nothing to do and so audiences put on their television sets and watch what is available which includes commercial breaks within these programmes (Barnice & Ehrenberg, 1988). Gerbner (1979) also claims television audiences watch television by the clock and not by the programme. This supports the passive ideology and so audiences do not have specific programmes or content they want to be exposed to. The passive audiences are therefore assumed not to be bothered by commercial breaks in programmes.
Kwak, Andras and Zirkhan (2009), argue that research on the audiences has shifted from the passive idea of the audience to the active idea of the audience. Individuals have preferences for media use and in this case, commercial breaks in television programmes. These researchers suggest that audiences have more options for controlling their exposure to content (commercial breaks) and so even when they passively watch whatever program is available on television and commercials come, they actively control it (whether to watch or avoid).
Cooper and Tang (2009) for example emphasize the active audience ideology and claim that even though the decision to watch television may be passive, the choice of which content to be exposed to is active and McDonald (1980) also argues that the media audiences are not passive but choose to pay attention. So when audiences put on their television sets even as passive audiences, they choose to pay attention to commercial breaks.
The difference between these active and passive audiences is therefore not clear since passive audiences can also be active at a point in time.
To watch or not to watch
As they encounter commercial breaks, television audiences decide whether to watch or not. Some studies have revealed that the content of the commercials influences the choices audiences make when there is a commercial break in a programme. If the commercials provide the audiences with some form of gratifications, then they are more likely to watch them as compared to when they do not.
One of the most important functions of advertising which includes commercials on television is to provide information (Rubin, 2002) and the commercials on traditional media especially is valued based on how informative it is (Ducoffe, 1995). Therefore commercial breaks that contain relevant information to the audiences are likely to be watched by them. Information could be on the products they are already using or information about new products which are of interest to them.
Misleading information can irritate audiences (Shrestra, 2012; Ling, Phew & Chai, 2010). Hence, the trustworthiness or credibility of the message in the commercials can determine their response or attitude to the commercial breaks. If they feel irritated, they may avoid such commercials.
O’Donohoe (1994) for example has stated that audiences like commercials which are informative, entertaining and contain role models. Chaiken and Eagly (1983) also suggest that high levels of entertainment is valued in TV commercials and this is supported by Saignesh and Parameswaran (2012) who claim that not all advertisements are noticed and not all are skipped by audiences but the ones with entertainment value are watched by audiences.