Is that a morning show or an infomercial?

'The Balancing Act' on Lifetime and another program from O2 Media feature products whose makers pay for segments. But that isn't disclosed to viewers.

The shows air in the mornings and don't have huge viewership. The fact they have a foothold at all, though, indicates how desperate television is for new sources of cash and how pay-to-play content continues to get traction. Federal regulators, distracted and outmanned, won't demand more clarity in advertising anytime soon.

In fact, the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission have not been clear enough about just what's allowed. The FCC requires broadcast television outlets to notify viewers any time they air content that has paid for the privilege. But the agency's disclosure rules don't apply to cable outlets, where O2's programs appear, and that constitutes half of all television viewing. A push to expand the guidelines to cable stalled two years ago. The FTC last year put out a directive notifying bloggers that they must tell their readers when they endorse products for cash or prizes. So even small-time "mommy bloggers" must tell readers when they get a washer or mixer in exchange for a review.