Carl Blare

Both radio and TV have their “infommercials” the nominal description of “long form commercials”.

They are heard after hours and over the weekend, pitching fish oil and exercise machines.

Both radio and TV have their “infommercials” the nominal description of “long form commercials”.

They are heard after hours and over the weekend, pitching fish oil and exercise machines.

They are done in the form of talk shows and mimic actual programs.

I myself invented the infommercial in the 1980s but mine were on cassette rather than radio. They mimicked radio.

Not knowing that I had invented infommercials, someone else invented them independently and I never wrote them a cease and desist letter.

Neither one of us knew that the world’s first infommercial was done in the 1920s, just before the FCC banned long form commercials, a ban that was lifted in the 80s.

Of course the name is a contraction of the words “information” and “commercial”.

The Low Power Hour is a non-commercial infommercial, and I try to think of a shorter contracted way of saying that.

But enough of the build up, here’s what I want to say.

Part 15 stations need to contact the companies that place infommercials. They pay for the air time. See where I’m going with this?

You can have your good programs all day, but why not sell the late hours to long vitamin programs and get rich schemes?

Don’t forget religions. Many of them buy airtime for their branded long form messages too.

Turn your radio station into a cash machine.