IF I go to my local cinema or purchase a film on DVD, I see that film from beginning to end without any interruptions.

On most television, even pay TV, that is not the case. The whole pleasure of enjoying a film from start to end is spoilt by many long commercial breaks.

This bad practice would not exist anywhere else other than on our commercial television and throughout the western world. Oftentimes, the ads are so long one loses track of the whole film and in my case alone, often search for another channel just to escape it.

With our new technology, those days are numbered. I can now record all commercial television and spin through the ads on playback. Soon all television will be recorded and watched when the viewer so requires. Even “catch-up TV” cuts out all intervening commercial ads.

So what to do as the commercial television companies rely on advertisers to finance their programming? The answer is to simply fund their sponsorship at the beginning or end of the film or showing. Placement ads might even be very acceptable.

But breaking up a real decent film with so many long breaks is far from satisfactory and will only lead to more people like me spinning through all your so boring and intrusive adverts.

I think it was once called a “captive audience” but not so much today.

CHRISTINE PETERS

Wellington Road, Bournemouth

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