Why do local news stations have "double" commercial breaks in their broadcasts?

[kdex86 53]

What I mean by this is that a station will go to commercial for 2-3 minutes, then 1 minute later go right back to commercial.

 

This results in a 7-minute block where it's 6 minutes commercials, 1 minute actual news.  ABC World News Tonight takes it 1 step further, doing a "triple" commercial break between 6:45 and 7 PM Eastern.

 

Wouldn't this hurt the station's viewer ratings?  Nobody wants to sit through several minutes of ads - they'll change the channel.

[Yankees4life 559]

$$$

[GodfreyGR 652]

1 hour ago, Yankees4life said:

$$$

And it must not have that big (if any) of an effect on the ratings, otherwise they wouldn't do it.

 

In ABC's case, I haven't watched in a while (post election newsbreak), WNT generally goes longer in their A block than NN or CBS do before breaking. Someone correct me if I'm wrong?

[24994J 5577]

8 minutes ago, GodfreyGR said:

In ABC's case, I haven't watched in a while (post election newsbreak), WNT generally goes longer in their A block than NN or CBS do before breaking. Someone correct me if I'm wrong?

 

That is correct. WNT goes 15-17 minutes before their first break, so it's not at all surprising that the final half of the show would be at least all commercials.

[TheRob 937]

We used to call that a "cluster buster," and I see it more often in morning shows. A 2:00 break airs, followed by a 30-second traffic report or something similar, then another break, then a really long block.

[Gavin 118]

6 hours ago, 24994J said:

 

That is correct. WNT goes 15-17 minutes before their first break, so it's not at all surprising that the final half of the show would be at least all commercials.

On top of that there number 1 the most watched television program in the nation!!! Regardless of time slot cable or satellite!!! But obviously it cause David Muir the managing editor of the program Olán out the show blocks strategically correct, with a news intensive A-block with an exciting, news-intensive, dramatic eye-catching news block!!!

[24994J 5577]

36 minutes ago, Gavin said:

On top of that there number 1 the most watched television program in the nation!!!

 

*For the summer. They aren't promoting it as such, anymore, as football is back, and taking that crown.

[kdex86 53]

21 hours ago, TheRob said:

We used to call that a "cluster buster," and I see it more often in morning shows. A 2:00 break airs, followed by a 30-second traffic report or something similar, then another break, then a really long block.

 

How does a "cluster buster" benefit the station and the advertisers vs. spacing out the breaks?

[24994J 5577]

11 minutes ago, kdex86 said:

How does a "cluster buster" benefit the station and the advertisers vs. spacing out the breaks?

 

Your questions have been answered in 2 different threads. Case closed.