TV Network Programming Directors - BITTER

I'm sure over the last 5 years you've noticed a little change in the programming lineups of the major TV networks. No, I'm not talking about the steady decline in the quality of shows on network TV culminating in NBC's decision to replace the grittiest hour of prime time, 10pm, with more watered down Jay Leno fare. I'm talking about the mysterious change in scheduling that has some of the more popular shows running 32 or 62 minutes. 

Are the TV shows longer? Nope. This was exposed years ago when NBC started running its Super-Sized  40 minute long episodes of Friends. Those were just filling in more ads. Why the change now then? I have a basic guess: DVRs. 

I theorize that this entire change in programming strategy was designed to screw with first generation DVRs, which a lot of people still have. By first generation, I mean that it can only record 1 show at a time and has no program overlap protection (clipping). By running shows 2 minutes long, it means that the viewer at home cannot record a show on NBC let's say at 9pm and then another show on ABC at 10pm. You can so it, but it would involve setting up a manual recording that will actually force you to start the 2nd program at 10:05pm. Setting up manual recordings was the thing that most people had trouble with when VCRs were popular, and I think the network heads know this. The plan is to screw up the DVR so it can only record the first show.

Of course, this only really worked for the first network that decided to do it. Once everyone was doing it, it stopped being an edge and even the first network was just as likely to have their shows manipulated out of viewership by the new system.

Thanks to companies like Tivo, we can now record multiple shows at the same time, partially fixing the problem. In addition, if a show runs 2 minutes over, the next show will start promptly 2 minutes in, automatically. Since usually this 2 minutes is the opening credits and the "previously on...." you don't miss much. The whole convoluted system just ends up being a pain in the ass that really has no benefit but that lots of people have to spend millions trying to fix for us, the home viewer.

Whoever was the first person to come up with concept and to all those who followed, you get a big BITTER.