Network market power let broadcasters raise ad load because viewers had no less-advertised alternative

Evidence

The magazine format, in fact, only worked because television was uncompetitive enough that the networks could, effectively, raise their prices in tandem—force the viewers to watch more advertising for the same, or even less, entertainment. It is a testament to the market power over their audiences that CBS and NBC had achieved by the 1950s—there was no serious alternative with less advertising, so viewers put up with the intrusion. — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 477

Categorization

• XREF: Parallels platform lock-in arguments: users tolerate increased ad load when no viable low-ad alternative exists. — connects to: The remote control, DVR, and streaming shifted ad-viewing control to viewers — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 1104; The rise of personalized web consumption ended broadcasters’ power to compel attention — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 921; The free-TV contract shifted against viewers as advertising proliferated — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 514 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• The remote control, DVR, and streaming shifted ad-viewing control to viewers #complicates (0.82) — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 1104
• The rise of personalized web consumption ended broadcasters’ power to compel attention #complicates (0.80) — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 921
• The free-TV contract shifted against viewers as advertising proliferated #exemplifies (0.75) — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 514