Faced with ratings declines since the start of the fall TV season, three major networks are compensating advertisers with extra commercial time, and at least one, NBC, is taking the rare step of giving back cash, media buyers and network officials said on Wednesday. The growing use of digital video recorders (DVRs) such as TiVo Inc's system, which allow audiences to easily tape their favorite shows and watch them when convenient, has led to a sharp drop in live viewership of programs as they are broadcast. But media experts say that even accounting for increased DVR usage, prime-time ratings overall are down for other reasons, with the absence of any breakout hits this fall and with waning interest in many returning shows.
The fall TV season began in September. Ratings are expected to take a further hit early next year as networks load up their schedules with reality TV and reruns to replace shows knocked out of production by striking Hollywood writers. Late-night TV series first hit by the 5-week-old strike, including NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and the CBS "Late Show with David Letterman," already have suffered double-digit ratings drops for the month of November.