Farrah Bostic
@farrahbostic.bsky.social
Founder of The Difference Engine. Researcher, strategist, truth-teller. Host of Cross Tabs. Asking better questions since forever.
I do love my house but open plan living is tyrannical.
November 30, 2025 at 6:11 PM
I do love my house but open plan living is tyrannical.
Doesn’t mean ads aren’t the root cause of most enshittification, btw. They are.
Any mode of advertising can be used for revenue-generation and (this is true) fraud.
Any mode of advertising can be used for revenue-generation and (this is true) fraud.
November 30, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Doesn’t mean ads aren’t the root cause of most enshittification, btw. They are.
Any mode of advertising can be used for revenue-generation and (this is true) fraud.
Any mode of advertising can be used for revenue-generation and (this is true) fraud.
(Now, Hulu and Netflix and Prime were all launched as ad free. But advertising revenue comes for us all, because media properties are all dual sided market places matching content creators with audiences and the advertisers who want to reach them, always have been.)
November 30, 2025 at 2:58 PM
(Now, Hulu and Netflix and Prime were all launched as ad free. But advertising revenue comes for us all, because media properties are all dual sided market places matching content creators with audiences and the advertisers who want to reach them, always have been.)
So if you, like me, are over 38 and can’t remember a time when you didn’t see cheesy ads with 800 numbers (call now!) and late night/early morning infomercials it’s because there have been ads on cable tv since 1980. If you’re under 38, you’ve only known ad supported cable nets.
November 30, 2025 at 2:58 PM
So if you, like me, are over 38 and can’t remember a time when you didn’t see cheesy ads with 800 numbers (call now!) and late night/early morning infomercials it’s because there have been ads on cable tv since 1980. If you’re under 38, you’ve only known ad supported cable nets.
It’s important to distinguish between the cable provider and the cable channels. Almost all channels - apart from HBO who had the highest carriage fees - included some form of advertising in their business models (carriage + ads). The cable systems joined in later.
November 30, 2025 at 2:58 PM
It’s important to distinguish between the cable provider and the cable channels. Almost all channels - apart from HBO who had the highest carriage fees - included some form of advertising in their business models (carriage + ads). The cable systems joined in later.
* advertisers want audiences. Early cable didn’t have them.
* cable tv ushered in the era of infomercials bc air time was cheap.
* there was talk of making ads less intrusive, but that’s not how tv media buyers buy media.
* cable nets promised early hyper targeting, designed to attract advertisers
* cable tv ushered in the era of infomercials bc air time was cheap.
* there was talk of making ads less intrusive, but that’s not how tv media buyers buy media.
* cable nets promised early hyper targeting, designed to attract advertisers
November 30, 2025 at 2:58 PM
* advertisers want audiences. Early cable didn’t have them.
* cable tv ushered in the era of infomercials bc air time was cheap.
* there was talk of making ads less intrusive, but that’s not how tv media buyers buy media.
* cable nets promised early hyper targeting, designed to attract advertisers
* cable tv ushered in the era of infomercials bc air time was cheap.
* there was talk of making ads less intrusive, but that’s not how tv media buyers buy media.
* cable nets promised early hyper targeting, designed to attract advertisers
The piece points out a few things about early cable tv (I worked w general entertainment cable nets at the start of digital cable so I know more about this than I’d like):
* cable service providers weren’t in the ad sales game at the start, but nets were.
* USA, TBS and TNT LAUNCHED with ads.
* cable service providers weren’t in the ad sales game at the start, but nets were.
* USA, TBS and TNT LAUNCHED with ads.
November 30, 2025 at 2:58 PM
The piece points out a few things about early cable tv (I worked w general entertainment cable nets at the start of digital cable so I know more about this than I’d like):
* cable service providers weren’t in the ad sales game at the start, but nets were.
* USA, TBS and TNT LAUNCHED with ads.
* cable service providers weren’t in the ad sales game at the start, but nets were.
* USA, TBS and TNT LAUNCHED with ads.
This ‘81 NYT piece notes the error.
“Although cable TV was never conceived of as TV without commercial interruption, there has been a widespread impression - among the public, at least -that cable would be supported largely by viewers' monthly subscription fees.”
www.nytimes.com/1981/07/26/a...
“Although cable TV was never conceived of as TV without commercial interruption, there has been a widespread impression - among the public, at least -that cable would be supported largely by viewers' monthly subscription fees.”
www.nytimes.com/1981/07/26/a...
WILL CABLE TV BE INVADED BY COMMERCIALS? (Published 1981)
www.nytimes.com
November 30, 2025 at 2:58 PM
This ‘81 NYT piece notes the error.
“Although cable TV was never conceived of as TV without commercial interruption, there has been a widespread impression - among the public, at least -that cable would be supported largely by viewers' monthly subscription fees.”
www.nytimes.com/1981/07/26/a...
“Although cable TV was never conceived of as TV without commercial interruption, there has been a widespread impression - among the public, at least -that cable would be supported largely by viewers' monthly subscription fees.”
www.nytimes.com/1981/07/26/a...
Reposted by Farrah Bostic
Unfortunately, in US journalism it is considered neutral to spread a lie, but it is considered "biased" to call out a lie. So, there is a structural asymmetry that rewards colorful lies with virality.
November 30, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Unfortunately, in US journalism it is considered neutral to spread a lie, but it is considered "biased" to call out a lie. So, there is a structural asymmetry that rewards colorful lies with virality.