Dear TBS

Dear TBS,

As you may know, Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) are making it difficult for your network to sell advertising spots because fewer viewers are seeing those 30-second spots. While once you only had to compete with the bathroom, now you have to compete with the fact that people can fast forward through your commercials.

As you may also be aware, your programming is, for the most part, terrible. It seems every time you come up with an original series, it flops. Perhaps your writers suck. Perhaps you even come up with good shows, but the reputation of your network precedes your shows. In any case, I only watch that programming on your network which is really just syndicated reruns of shows that are actually good; shows like The Office and Family Guy.

Here's my beef: WHY THE HELL do you need to keep putting ads for "The Bill Engvall Show" INSIDE the shows. Why is it that this so-called comedian has to "pause" my show so that he can blab about his own show. Seriously, this is getting ridiculous. I know you're looking to use this as a trial run to show corporate sponsors that you've found a way around the DVR problem, but this is SO obnoxious that most corporate sponsors would even be unwilling to piss audiences off in that manner.

Since I understand your predicament, I've thought of a few suggestions. First, get better shows. That way, enough people without DVRs will be watching so that advertisers will want to purchase ad spots. That would also mean that if you INSIST on continuing these "pop-up commercials," I would be seeing ads for things that are actually worth my time. Second, make these ads smaller. If you're going to use the space at the bottom of the screen, don't take up half my television viewing space. My TV is small enough as it is! Third, make these ads silent. In the same fashion that you let viewers know about 2009's shift to digital broadcasting on cable with a scrolling ticker, you could also let them know about Insert X Awful Show Here with a small (but legible) scrolling ad. Finally, if all of the above fails, make several of these pop-up ads air back-to-back. That way, in the same way that I can fast forward through commercials, I can also fast forward through these stupid things. I know you're going to say-- you're thinking that would defeat the purpose entirely. And you know what I'm thinking? Exactly.

Best,
Sean