Tuesday 19 October 1999
By eBroadcast Staff and agencies.

Now that the f-word has been used on network TV with little fanfare, the networks in America have come up with a new word to ban: 'repeat'.

ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox are reportedly considering stopping the practice of telling TV listing services (like TV Guide and local newspapers) when an episode of a show is a repeat. The label 'repeat', NBC's Alan Wurtzel tells the Los Angeles Times, presents "an artifical barrier to viewing."

Translation: If you know it's a repeat, you won't watch it.

Of course, that won't keep the media services from blowing the whistle on repeats if they want to, but they'll have to be a little more vigilant. Nothing's official yet, so when and if it is we'll let you know.