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Disabling Fast-Forward on DVRs?

As more TV viewers use digital video recorders (DVRs) to watch their favorite shows, networks and advertisers are beginning to look for ways to keep them from skipping over advertisements. According to Mike Shaw, ABC's president of advertising sales, the network has held discussions on the use of technology that would disable the fast-forward button on DVRs, with the primary goal to allow TV commercials to run as intended.

While some industry experts fear taking away the fast-forward option would lead to consumer backlash, Shaw disagrees. "We're just training a new generation of viewers to skip commercials because they can," he contends. "I'm not sure that the driving reason to get a DVR in the first place is just to skip commercials. I don't fundamentally believe that. People can understand in order to have convenience and on-demand (options), that you can't skip commercials."

Shaw said it's crucial for ABC and other networks to hold these discussions now while DVR penetration is still in its early stages. DVRs are currently in approximately 10 percent of U.S. TV households. You can read more about Shaw's comments in the article ABC hopes to halt fast forwarding.