With the changes television viewing is undergoing, television research analyst Steve Sternberg says it’s time for networks to consider breaking a taboo: advertising on each others’ airtime, reports Adweek. 

In-house on-air promotions aren’t as effective as they used to be, because almost 40% of households have digital-video recorders, allowing viewers to skip ads.

According to the article, "If ABC could, for example, promote a new show on CBS, NBC and Fox at the same time, it would be like advertising on the Winter Olympics every night," says veteran TV audience analyst Steve Sternberg, who for many years did research for Universal McCann.  

Sternberg continued, "Network ratings could easily go up by 10 to 20 percent if they consistently promoted themselves on the other networks." But network executives aren’t quite ready to cross that line, the story says. While it makes sense from a marketing standpoint, "from a competitive standpoint it raises a lot of issues. I’m not sure I’d love seeing a commercial for [CBS’] Hawaii Five-0 on CW. I think we’re a ways off from that."said Rick Haskins, executive vice president of marketing for The CW.

For a number of years now there have been ads for cable shows advertised on broadcast networks, but usually the cable network is not allowed to advertise the exact day or time the program will run.