The article agrees with you: "Although consumers are not the customers of television companies, they ... have substantial influence over the transaction, and th

The article agrees with you: "Although consumers are not the customers of television companies, they ... have substantial influence over the transaction, and the quid pro quo for them is transparent" BTW, both the article and the HN comment section make me realize that as someone not living in the US, I lead a sheltered life. The level of advertising to "captured audiences" in the US seems to have reached truly mind-killing proportions. FTA: "Advertising to children in America has increased more than 150 fold since the early 1980s, especially inside schools where the audience is captive."