NBC at the pumps

Taylor...

But just imagine the possibilities for PSAs!:

(Howie Mandel): If you rob this gas station, they'll put you away for a
very long time and it's just not worth it so don't do it. Deal, or no deal?

Patrick Joseph McNamara...

I guess you missed Leno's gag segment with a phony system.

from broadcasting and cable

NBC Offers Gas-Pumping Entertainment
By Ben Grossman

The NBC Universal Television Stations group and VST Media Network are
partnering to deliver customized local news, weather, sports and
entertainment video and headlines to on-pump screens at gas stations
in markets with NBC owned-and-operated stations.

A program lasting three minutes, which NBC U says is the average time
spent filling a gas tank, will be triggered when the fuel nozzle is
lifted. The programming, which will be updated twice daily, will come

Stan Brown...

Oops -- sorry -- my gas cap slipped and cracked your screen.

from local newscasts at the NBC stations in each market, and will be
coordinated through NBC’s KNTV in San Francisco.

The three-minute video clip has space for local ads, and State Farm
Insurance and Tropicana are on board as initial advertisers.
According to NBC U, each participating gas station averages at least
20,000 pump visits per month.

VST has video screens at 17 Shell gas stations in Los Angeles, and
says it will expand to up to 500 stations in Los Angeles, San
Francisco and San Diego this year. VST will also add screens at other

Rhino...

I have to wonder what sort of programming they'll have on these gas station
TV screens - and whether there will be an "off" switch on each TV.

I can just picture pulling up to the pump and seeing promos for NBC
programs. Or commercials for general merchandise. But it's hard to imagine
actual interesting programs because anything with a plot is going to tend to
need more than 3 minutes to develop the story. I don't think they are going
to want to keep people around the gas station to see what happens next in a
story with a plot that lasts more than 3 minutes. By the time people have
filled their tanks, the gas station owners are going to want customers to
move on so that the next gas buyer can get to the pump: if customers linger,
this is going to cause lineups at the pumps and that is going to make
potential customers drive on to a gas station that has no lineup.

Default User...

You aren't reading carefully:

Default User...

No point in hanging around, it's only different twice a day.

stories tend to be under three minutes so a two minute news story and a
couple of 30 second ads would use up the available time.

Default User...

That's what the article said:

I wonder if the gas stations will simply have a three minute block of
programming and simply run it continuously throughout the day; if so, I pity
the poor schmoes working at the gas station because they are going to hear
the same three minute loop throughout their entire multi-hour shift.

I'd be curious to know if they will equip the screens with on/off switches
and/or channel selectors and/or mute buttons. I can imagine the screens not
having any controls simply to force you to listen so that they can sell you
whatever product they are flogging. They'd probably rationalize that on the
basis that a screen without controls is more reliable and more secure
against vandalism.

gas stations across the country in markets with NBC O&O’s.

akjack...

I wonder if the video screen will have an OFF button.

I live in KNTV's local market, and won't buy gas from Shell since
it has the highest prices among the stations available.

I don't watch KNTV's newscasts and won't be watching commercials
at the gas pump.