Your Editor
In one of the articles penned by Hiranmay Karlekar, the opening sentence was “In India all the organs of car make noise except horn”. Some vehicles have more halting hours than running hours perhaps due to their condition. The same analogy applies in the case of on-going serials and news telecast in TV channels. More frequently, TV channels take breaks to make advertisements appear.
TV watchers are confused whether the serial is telecast in the middle of advertisements or advertisements are shown in the middle of serials. It is the same in the case of news dished out by TV channels. Generally 3-minute duration is given for advertisements at least three times in the on-going serials. Count-down of minutes is shown on TV screen.
Before that at least 2 minutes are devoted for advertisements without count-down of minutes at display on the TV screen. When the advertisements appear, generally people do not watch the advertisements.
In this gap, TV watchers shift to other channels and watch them. Also, sometimes people may choose to attend to some other work or attend to nature call which can be finished before the advertisement comes to an end. Time availed for purpose other than for watching the advertisement can be likened to use of “opportunity in difficulty”.
A good product does not need excessive advertisements. Opinion about the quality and durability of any product newly entering into market gets publicity by the people who initially use them. Fatigued persons use the advertisement time for drowsing.
In a duration of about 10-12 minutes devoted for advertising, the tired people welcome advertisement to make use of the time for snoozing. For Accounting purpose, expenditure incurred on advertisement is an indirect expense. Direct expenses are those without which the products cannot be manufactured.
Advertisement will not fall into the category of direct expense. Advertisement is an indirect expenditure, because, even without it, the products can be manufactured. Electronic media and print media have occupied prominent place for advertising.
Good revenue comes from advertisement. Obviously, media cannot live without advertisement.
Limitlessness of the advertisements bores the people and causes resentment while watching the films, serials or sports. Advertisements in the middle of news may not cause much annoyance for the people who have never seen the news channels.
Advertisements should be like pickles with the meals as a side item. But pickles should not become meals. Advertisements per se should not become programme.
K.V. Seetharamaiah