It was explained with explicit crassness, that high ratings among viewers over forty have little commercial value since middle-aged people purchase fewer tubes of toothpaste, bottles of shampoo, and jars of deodorant than do younger people. While soaps routinely deal with highly dramatic conflicts and problems, there are some topics that are generally avoided. A soap related industry was developing over the two years covered by the research. The major concern in many situations is that costs be kept down. Reshooting and reediting can be very costly.
Many roles are important, and, to the extent that they are carried out well, they are invisible.
Before the reliance on the organ, live musical accompaniment consisting of violin, cello, and piano was used according to one knowledgeable informant. Soaps are generally not syndicated for domestic consumption, although they are seen abroad. Guiding Light, for example, is aired in Italy.