s . ▁ ▁Inf omer ci als ▁were ▁legal ized ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁approximately ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁that ▁cable ▁television ▁became ▁w ides p read . ▁Over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁stations ▁began ▁air ing ▁inf omer ci als ▁– ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁news ▁and ▁entertain ment ▁programs ▁– ▁throughout ▁the ▁night ▁instead ▁of ▁signing ▁off ; ▁inf omer ci als ▁also ▁began ▁to ▁over take ▁other ▁less - watch ed ▁day parts ▁( such ▁as ▁week ends ▁and ▁during ▁the ▁day time ), ▁which ▁forced ▁series ▁that ▁would ▁otherwise ▁be ▁synd ic ated ▁onto ▁cable ▁networks ▁or ▁off ▁the ▁air ▁entirely . ▁C able ▁networks ▁have ▁also ▁begun ▁s elling ▁inf omer cial ▁space , ▁usually ▁in ▁multiple - hour ▁blocks ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁morning ▁hours , ▁while ▁some ▁dedicated ▁channels ▁devoted ▁to ▁inf omer ci als ▁have ▁also ▁launched ▁since ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁Inf omer ci als ▁have ▁earned ▁a ▁reputation ▁as ▁a ▁medium ▁for ▁advert ising ▁sc ams ▁and ▁products ▁of ▁dub ious ▁quality , ▁although ▁by ▁the ▁same ▁token , ▁they ▁have ▁proven ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁successful ▁method ▁of ▁s elling ▁products . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁began ▁to ▁deploy ▁digital ▁television , ▁transition ing ▁it ▁into ▁being ▁the ▁standard ▁transmission ▁method ▁for ▁over - the - air ▁broadcast s . ▁The ▁major