Editing Television (section)

====United States====
Since inception in the US in 1941,<ref>{{cite web |title=1940–1949 C.E.: Media History Project: U of M |url=http://www.mediahistory.umn.edu/timeline/1940-1949.html |url-status=dead |publisher=Mediahistory.umn.edu |date=18 May 2012 |access-date=2 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025200852/http://www.mediahistory.umn.edu/timeline/1940-1949.html |archive-date=25 October 2012}}</ref> television commercials have become one of the most effective, persuasive, and popular methods of selling products of many sorts, especially consumer goods. During the 1940s and into the 1950s, programs were hosted by single advertisers. This, in turn, gave great creative control to the [[advertiser]]s over the content of the show. Perhaps due to the [[quiz show scandals]] in the 1950s,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/quizshow/peopleevents/pande07.html |title=The American Experience &#124; People & Events &#124; The Aftermath of the Quiz Show Scandal |publisher=PBS |access-date=2 November 2012}}</ref> networks shifted to the magazine concept, introducing advertising breaks with other advertisers.

U.S. advertising rates are determined primarily by [[Nielsen ratings]]. The time of the day and popularity of the channel determine how much a TV commercial can cost. For example, it can cost approximately $750,000 for a 30-second block of commercial time during the highly popular singing competition ''[[American Idol]]'', while the same amount of time for the [[Super Bowl]] can cost several million dollars. Conversely, lesser-viewed [[time slot]]s, such as early mornings and weekday afternoons, are often sold in bulk to producers of [[infomercial]]s at far lower rates. In recent years, paid programs or infomercials have become common, usually in lengths of 30 minutes or one hour. Some [[Pharmaceutical company|drug companies]] and other businesses have even created "news" items for broadcast, known in the industry as [[video news release]]s, paying [[program director]]s to use them.<ref>[[Jon Stewart]] of ''[[The Daily Show]]'' was mock-outraged at this, saying, "That's what we do!" and calling it a new form of television, "infoganda."</ref>

Some television programs also deliberately place products into their shows as advertisements, a practice started in feature films<ref>{{cite book |last=Segrave |first=Kerry |title=Product Placement in Hollywood Films |year=1994 |publisher=McFarland |isbn= 978-0-7864-1904-3}}</ref> and known as [[product placement]]. For example, a character could be drinking a certain kind of soda, going to a particular [[Restaurant chain|chain restaurant]], or driving a certain make of car. (This is sometimes very subtle, with shows having vehicles provided by manufacturers for low cost in exchange as a [[product placement]]). Sometimes, a specific brand or [[Trademark|trade mark]], or music from a certain artist or group, is used. (This excludes guest appearances by artists who perform on the show.)