Unclutter the screen on business networks

Newsbusters.org, which says it is for “exposing and combatting liberal media bias, takes on both the perceived liberal business news network and the perceived conservative business news channel in this critique about cluttered screens on television:

“CNBC managed to be even more cluttered. There were, #1 Stock reports streaming across the top of the screen. In the upper left there was, #2 A logo followed by the word LIVE and under that the city originating the telecast. At the bottom of the screen we had , #3 Two lines of streaming stocks…and #4, On the lower right the CNBC logo.

“However, winner of the race to turn television screen into a garbage can goes indisputably to Fox News Channel. I go to this cable outlet far more than any other, but on this day it also seemed even more cluttered than usual. Neil Cavuto was interviewing Vice President Cheney. Behind the vice president were two screens that filled the background. They both contained the words #1 Our World w/ Cavuto. Rotating in the upper right viewers corner were, #2 The words FOX, followed by the word NEWS. In the lower left viewers corner was, #3 A rotating box containing the words Fox News. Under that box was, #4 The time of day, alternating with the word Channel. Moving to the lower right was, #5 The current stock market status. #6 There was a banner containing the words Our World w Cavuto. Under it the viewer found, #7 A slug line on the topic being covered…. and #8 Those always present streaming headlines.”

I find all of this stuff distracting and confusing. Do they have viewer studies that show that consumers want this information overload?