Product placement is annoying. You can't TiVo through it, it's distracting, and you can't get rid of it. Neilsen has compiled a list of the top 10 shows with the most product placement advertising as well as the top 10 offending advertisers. Quite unsurprisingly, FOX's American Idol comes in at the top spot with 4,086 occurrences of product placement. Yuck.

Read the lists inside.

Top 10 Programs: Product Placement
                                     2006

    Program                        Network             Total # Occurrences
    American Idol                    FOX                    4,086
    Amazing Race                     CBS                    2,790
    Extreme Makeover Home Edition    ABC                    2,787
    The Biggest Loser                NBC                    2,478
    America's Next Top Model         UPN/CW                 2,309
    King of Queens                   CBS                    1,954
    Hells Kitchen                    FOX                    1,909
    The Apprentice                   NBC                    1,831
    Rock Star Supernova              CBS                    1,609
    Big Brother 7                    CBS                    1,591
    Total                                                  23,344

 Top 10 Brands: Product Placement
                                     2006

    Brand                              Total # Occurrences
    Coca-Cola Soft Drinks                   3,355
    Chef Revival Apparel                    1,592
    Nike Apparel                            1,307
    24 Hour Fitness CTRS-CLUBS                894
    Chicago Bears FTBL TM                     604
    Dell Computers SYS                        556
    Cingular Wireless TEL SRVCS               533
    Nike SPRT FTWR                            497
    Starter Apparel                           496
    SLS Electronic Equip Speakers             489
    Total                                  10,323

    Source:  Place*Views, Nielsen Product Placement Service

The Chicago Bears? What? According to Nielsen product placements fell in 2006, probably due to the airing of more dramas. Apparently, it's more difficult to shoehorn Coca-Cola into CSI than King of Queens.—MEGHANN MARCO

U.S. Advertising Spending Rose 4.6% in 2006, Nielsen Monitor-Plus Reports (Press Release) [PR Newswire]