Even more ominously, broadcasters are afflicting us with interruptions even when the program is on.
Presenting himself as a defender of all PSBs, Thompson said: "Commercial public service broadcasters are more powerful than they know themselves.
Both broadcasters are more likely to channel their energies into a possible joint bid for live Premier League coverage - the tender process has already started - so the FA could be left trying to flog a pig in a poke.
Jean Paul Philippot, in a letter co-signed by EBU Director General, Ingrid Deltenre, wrote: While we recognize the need to make budgetary savings, national broadcasters are more important than ever at times of national difficulty.
Broadcasters are even more nervous about showing advertisements that might be considered indecent or offensive, because they could lose their license.
Even the newest "broadcasters" are little more than libraries of content rather than channels, like Netflix with its own shows to boot.
Inspired by the runaway success of religion-themed novels like the "Left Behind" series and Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," broadcasters are devoting more of their prime-time schedules to shows dealing with God, faith and the afterlife.
And, while many parts of the print media accept the asterisking of expletives in editorial and advertising copy – although the New York Times review went further by referring to "The _________ With the Hat" – broadcasters are even more censorious.
Dr Luke McDonagh, an expert in copyright law at Cardiff University, said: "The problem is there, it's getting more widespread and the big broadcasters are trying to cut down on it by targeting the criminal enterprises that are running these pirated systems.
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