Vested Interest - Trends - May 2000 Issue

We Pause for This Program Interruption

A survey by the American Association of Advertising Agencies and the Association of National Advertisers, Inc, showed that television programs interrupted ad breaks less often in 1999 than in any other year previous. The number of commercial minutes per hour grew to an average of nearly 12, not including public service announcements and promotions. All told, non-programming time grew to just over 16 minutes per hour in the evening, and nearly 21 minutes per hour in the day. ABC had the most non-programming minutes during evening prime time, at almost 17 minutes, followed by NBC at 16.75 and CBS at 16.5. (Chicago Sun-Times, March 3, 2000)

Parents Splitting Up to Keep Families Together

A survey of working women by the AFL-CIO found that nearly half divide work hours to provide child care. According to the survey, 46% of all respondents said that they work a different shift than their significant other. A majority of women (51%) with children under the age of 18 split shifts, partly so that a parent can be home during the day, while only 41% of women without children at home do so. Working mothers cited the cost of day care as the reason for the split, which also imposes strains on marriages. The survey reached 765 working women nationwide. (AP, March 9, 2000)

I Spy

The American Management Association surveyed its member and announced that a majority spy on their workers. Nearly three in four (73.5%) say they "record and review their employees' communications and activities on the job." That figure is double what the 1997 survey found. A majority (55%) block access to some telephone lines, and 29% block access to some Internet sites. Among all employers, 55% monitor e-mail, but in the financial services sector, the figure is 73%. (APBnews, April 19, 2000)

Kids and Guns, Cops and Robbers

A survey published in the American Journal of Public Health found that many children live in homes with untended guns. According to the survey, 35% of all households with children also have guns. Among these households, 43% (or roughly one in seven households with children) keep the guns in an unlocked location and do not use trigger locks. In 9% of these homes, (roughly one in 30 households with children) guns are kept loaded and unlocked. The survey, conducted by the Rand Corp and UCLA, reviewed data on 45,000 households from 1994. (AP, March 31, 2000)

Pied Piper Unmasked

A Harris poll of 1,014 adults nationwide asked whom respondents think has too much, or too little, power and influence in Washington, D.C. Leading the list of those with too much power and influence were "big companies" (84% say they have too much), "Political Action Committees, which give money to political candidates" (83% too much) and "The news media" (77% too much). Those with "too little" power and influence include small businesses (85% say they have too little), "public opinion" (74% too little), "churches and religious groups" (52% too little), and "racial minorities" (50% too little).. "Labor unions" seem to have evenly divided the respondents 39% said they have too much power, while 40% said they have too little. (The Polling Report)

About a Boy

A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll of 611 adults nationwide measured opinions after Elian Gonzalez was re-united with his father. The poll found that 60% support the decision to reunite the family, while 35% oppose the decision. A stronger majority, 63%, think Elian should live with his father in Cuba, while 25% think he should live with relatives in the U.S. Respondents were evenly divided on the use of force to take Elian from Miami: 46% say the right amount of force was used, while 45% say too much force was used, and 8% are undecided. Asked about the timing of the raid, a majority, 57%, think it should have happened sooner, while 15% think the timing was right, 7% think it should have happened later, and 16% think it should not have happened at all. (CNN, April 25, 2000)