The CBS-owned TV station in Pittsburgh has admitted that it has been
using a device that can compress the length of a network television
show, thereby allowing it to insert extra local 30-second commercials
during primetime.
As reported in today’s New York Post, KDKA-TV’s practice came to light after a columnist for the
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Dimitri Vassilaros, noticed that a
recent live NFL game was actually airing about 30 seconds behind the
radio broadcast of the same game.
An NFL spokesman told the Post:
“The station admitted they were doing it and both CBS national and local
assured us it won’t happen again. We were concerned that it violated our
NFL TV contract,” which stipulates that all games be shown live.
Meanwhile, Electronic Media magazine has reported that station
logs indicate that it has been airing one to two more local spots per
night than CBS allows, suggesting that the compression device is
routinely used by the station. A spokesman for the station declined
comment.
