PBS to Test Sponsor Breaks During Shows

In a break with its historical practice of airing programs without interruption, PBS will introduce promotional breaks during two of its shows this fall, allowing new spotlights for corporate and philanthropic sponsors, The New York Times writes.

PBS officials told member stations at the broadcasting service’s annual meeting in Orlando this month that the Wednesday-night science series “Nature” and “Nova” would include four breaks and that the idea might be expanded to other programs.

Such messages were previously shown only at the beginning and end of the shows, but they were packed together into blocks that could last several minutes, and as a result, viewers would stop watching.

John F. Wilson, PBS’s top programming executive, said he was confident the new policy would not violate Federal Communications Commission regulations governing programming breaks on noncommercial stations.