If you think television networks are giving you longer breaks to fix a sandwich or visit the bathroom, it's not just your imagination.

        The level of TV “clutter” — the commercials, public service announcements and promotions that interrupt regular programming — continues to grow, according to a study released Thursday.

        During early morning, daytime and local news, the “clutter” levels reached an all-time high last year, said the report, put out by advertising industry trade groups.

        Daytime is the most commercial-clogged, with just under 21 minutes in a typical hour of programming. The level has reached 18 minutes in early morning, and 17:10 for local news.

        In prime time, the clutter level slightly decreased, from 16:17 in 2000 to 16:08 last year, the report said.

        Clutter levels concern the advertising industry, which figures the more commercials that are stuffed into an hour, the less chance their particular message will be remembered by viewers.

        The advertising time continues to increase, but so slowly that many viewers don't really notice, said one expert, Marc Goldstein of the advertising firm Mindshare.

        “I don't know if we know a breaking point, if there is one,” he said. “Since it is being done so gradually, there is not the rude shock of four or five minutes of less programming material.”

        In the past few years, promotional time has also intruded on the programming, with networks often flashing promotional announcements about upcoming shows on the screen.

        NBC shows the most commercials and promotions in prime time, while ABC airs the least, according to the report.

        Among cable networks, Fox Family Channel and E! Entertainment Television were the most cluttered, the study said.

        The report measured programming during one week in May and one week in November, as monitored by the company Competitive Media Reporting.

        NYPD renewed: NYPD Blue will remain on the beat for another season.

        ABC executives and show co-creator Steven Bochco have reached a deal to bring back the New York City-set police drama for its 10th go-round this fall.

        “You could say the decision is a little early, but you could also say it's a little late,” Mr. Bochco says. “We made a little stink last year when they hadn't renewed it early, so this makes our lives easier in terms of planning next season's stories and in terms of feeling good about how your show is being perceived.”

        The renewal comes despite viewership falling 6 percent from a season ago. However, some of that dip can be attributed to ABC's moving the series from its usual 10 p.m. Tuesday berth to 9, which is perhaps the toughest time period on television today.

        This season, NYPD Blue is ranked second in the 9 p.m. slot, with an average of 13.1 million viewers, behind the 15.6 million that tune in NBC's Frasier. (On Tuesday, things heat up when Andy Sipowicz and Connie McDowell (Dennis Franz, Charlotte Ross) kiss after taking Andy's son Theo to the movies. — at 10 p.m., Channels 9, 2, instead of 9 p.m.)

        While Mr. Bochco says he has no firm story lines for next season's shows, the series is likely to refer to the attacks with visual reminders.

        “When we come back to New York,” he said, “it'll give us an opportunity to visualize some of the changes that we see in the city since September.”

        Greenfield out?: CNN's bid to grab higher ratings and bigger ad dollars by luring A-list TV news talents has left CNN long timer Jeff Greenfield out in the cold. The AOL Time Warner-owned network is expected to cancel Mr. Greenfield's erudite 11 p.m. program, Greenfield at Large, as part of an ambitious prime-time overhaul, CNN insiders said.

        Greenfield has been struggling in the ratings with a little more than half the viewers of a replay of O'Reilly Factor on rival Fox News Channel.

        CNN spokeswoman Christa Robinson would only say, “We love Jeff Greenfield. He's not going anywhere.” CNN sources said the network wants Mr. Greenfield to remain and his program's staff would be deployed elsewhere at the network.

        For now, Mr. Greenfield said he knows of no plans to cancel his show. “Its news to me. Who knows? Anything can happen. Maybe we'll turn it into a game show,” he deadpanned.

        Hired away from ABC by ex-CNN president Rick Kaplan, Mr. Greenfield was once seen as a major star. But he's been overshadowed in recent months as new CNN chairman Walter Isaacson has lured several broadcast network news anchors, including his latest hire, Connie Chung.

        To make room for Ms. Chung's show — which will air for a full hour at 8 p.m. starting in the spring, and for an expanded full hour version of Crossfire — one of CNN's current prime-time shows will likely be moved to 11 p.m., insiders said. Mr. Greenfield had been grousing about the grind of putting on a daily talk show, sources said.

        But Mr. Greenfield said he'd be disappointed if his show died.

        “Do I want to get a shot at making it work? Yeah,” he said.

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