I remember once when I was in high school one of my teachers asked my classmates and me if television was primarily an entertainment medium or an advertisement medium. I was surprised when she said it was the latter.

I believed then – and still do – that television provides us with lots of entertainment. But I have to admit that it brings us many advertisements, too.

And it’s getting worse! A few years ago, a one-hour scripted program on television typically ran for 52 minutes, leaving eight minutes for advertisements. Today, a similar program is only approximately 42 to 44 minutes long with a...