New stunt some networks are pulling that bugs me...

[Archae]

Starting their shows 2 or 3 minutes past the hour or half-hour.

Why are they doing it?

[TheMadMonk]

1. PVRs. /nt

[Archae]

2. Errr...what?

What's a PVR?

[HipChick]

3. It's the device that allows me to never watch commericals again..

[Populist_Prole]

4. Care to elaborate?

Coyness might be clever but it's maddenly irritating to those that desire a straight answer.

[RudynJack]

5. More commonly known as

DVRs. Digital Video Recorders.

You set it to record, say, Big Bang Theory every Thursday. If the episode extends past the half-hour, it doesn't allow the DVR to change channels at 9:30 to record something on another channel. It locks you in to the next show on that channel.

It's annoying, it's insidious.

[Populist_Prole]

7. I see, and I concurr

I have a DVR and notice the same thing. I'll record a movie that is shown to be 2:03 long.

[In_The_Wind]

6. Maybe it's to capture more viewers for the next 1/2 hour.

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[RebelOne]

8. C-Span does it all the time. n/t

[Spike89]

9. Genius, from a programmer's perspective

The hour and half-hour times are an open invitation to surf. Viewers are less likely to leave your network if their only options are shows already in progress. If I'm not mistaken, the broadcast networks are not allowed to do this, but because cable channels are not under the same federal jurisdiction, they can.