A report this month from Kantar Media graphically illustrates the extent of advertising’s infiltration into television programming in the form of branded content/entertainment:

In the second quarter of 2010, an average hour of monitored prime time network programming contained nine minutes, thirty one seconds (9:31) of in-show Brand Appearances and 14:19 of network commercial messages. The combined total of 23:50 of marketing content represents 40 percent of a prime-time hour.

Reality programs are even worse: They have an average of 16:39 per hour of Brand Appearances which, combined with network ad messages (14:47/hour), give you a knee-buckling 31:26 of commercial material in every hour of programming.

Over 50%.

Unreal.

Looks like The Biggest Loser is actually the audience. Anyone else see a revolution in the near future?

John R. Carroll is media analyst for NPR's Here & Now and senior news analyst for WBUR in Boston. He also writes at Campaign Outsider and It's Good to Live in a Two-Daily Town.
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