[Joe]

No, but word of mouth is free.
Perhaps I should have clarified that once it gets going it doesn't really need the push, if it’s that successful it will drive itself, otherwise its akin to flogging a dead horse.

That’s a lovely idea, but far removed from reality. I would say that Google has ‘got going’, yet it still advertises itself to the tune of millions. Watch any advert break or walk through a transit network or browse the WWW and you’ll see the same.

This forum is, obviously, very engaged with TV. It’s also typically older and male (an assumption but a fair one) and I think that is one reason why Big Brother promotion is going to grate more quickly. But honestly you’ve got to remember that most people aren’t as switched on (literally) as forum users. You have to spend a lot of money marketing this thing, and research and results show that such marketing pay off. You’re right that if the show is naff those viewers won’t stick, but you can’t rely on the opposite being true. Viewers won’t just magically find your wonderful show meaning you can forget about promotion – in all but rare cases. 

Sometimes I think forum members take against devices that interfere with their viewing experience – on screen promos, regular adverts etc – forgetting that if they didn’t work they wouldn’t be used. Commercial TV is a business, not an art project. 

By the way, I suspect the on screen promo in the corner is more about burning it into the viewers’ minds than mentioning it to anyone for the first time, but I’ll bet it worked for many.