The Infinite Dial

So I've been really enjoying having CBS/AOL Radio on my AOL Instant Messenger. It has certainly increased the time I spend with various CBS stations to have their full list a click away without having to open even their own easy-to-use player.

Until yesterday.

I was listening to the player. I clicked off. I made a business phone call and it was suddenly interrupted by a loud ad for eSurance. I muted the sound.

A few hours later, I turned the volume back on and here came the ad again, playing out of nowhere, on the CBS player that I'd long stopped using. (I could tell because there was an ad displaying as well.) So I clicked off the CBS player.

A half hour later, it played again. This time I had to close AOL IM altogether.

Okay, times are hard and advertisers are precious. I'm already used to that roll-over ad on my AOL IM that seems to play if your cursor is anywhere in a six block radius. But when our goal is to make it as easy as possible for listeners to turn the radio on, why would we allow anything that discourages at work listening. Or, in this case, even having your IM open?