By March, TiVo viewers will see "billboards," or small logos, popping up over TV commercials as they fast-forward through them, offering contest entries, giveaways or links to other ads.

Wow. I think I'd quit if we did this.

Also, this just in from Wired News, Senate May Ram Copyright Bill :

Under the proposed language, viewers would not be allowed to use software or devices to skip commericals or promotional announcements "that would otherwise be performed or displayed before, during or after the performance of the motion picture," like the previews on a DVD.

From PVR Blog about the Tivo ads while fast forwarding:

I doubt a single customer would ever ask for this kind of feature, and that it happens while you skip commercials just drives the point home.

People buy PVR/DVRs for three reasons (in no particular order):

• Time shifting
• Pausing live TV
• Fast forwarding

To take one of the top three features that consumers demand and expect and alter it in such a tragic way is awful. But what really amazes me is that TV studios and networks look at the top three DVR/PVR features and think, 'The way to profit from fast forwarding is to change our ad model'. What they should be thinking is 'Maybe we need to rethink our revenue model'. If so many consumers are going out and buying Tivos to skip commercials that they need to invent a new advertising model, then perhaps their fundamental assumption that advertising should be their primary driver of revenue is incorrect.

Consumers want to skip ads ergo remove the ads! Charge consumers more! If people are paying ~$100+$10/month for Tivo or ~$1000 for a MCE to primarily skip ads, then remove the ads, put us out of business, and collect our revenue yourselves.
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