Get the Bugs Out

I'm thinking it's time for a little pest control, already. Years back, when I was working at Food Network and network i.d. bugs were first coming into existence, the head of programming was really resistant to adding any branding to the screen. That war was lost, at that network...and every other, and now the infestation is out of control.

It's a huge piss-off factor to tv fans when content is obfuscated by distracting logos and promos that run along the bottom third like a drunk heckler at a comedy show. But the practice was well-thrashed in a great blog on Design Observer a couple of years ago, so I'll just recommend you check that out for everything I feel and agree about Bugs Gone Bad.

But where the network graphics departments and QC folks really should pay attention is when it messes with the message...Unless The Insider really was trying to make a statement about Whitney Houston, featured front and center in this pre-Grammy party picture:

I did a double take when casually watching and multi-tasking with paperwork (see MT Brains) and saw an odd caption on the screen. I rewound and paused. This was up for a good four or five seconds -- not just a trick of some skilled TiVo action.
Yikes.