Reflection on Television With Emphasis on the Rise of Product Placement

So, I don't watch much TV. I don't really have a TV any more. I went to my friend's house a few nights ago to watch a show that the group likes called One Tree Hill. This show is on the WB network. I actually kind of liked the show. It was cheesy, but it was good, formulaic in a totally benign way, you know? No one was hurt in the viewing of this episode of One Tree Hill. I couldn't help but notice that product placement appears to have taken over television in the time since I stopped watching it. In the show, all of the computers prominently display Dell logos. I can't remember what, but something else was plugged in the script a few times. Sunkist orange soda was blatantly promoted at a concert in the show. This concert featured performances by Fall Out Boy and Jack's Mannequin, who are both real life bands with real agendas that include promoting their recently released albums. Once upon a time it was kind of a special thing when a real-life celebrity appeared on a television show. But this show had two different bands on one episode, and lots of products being sold through the script. I understand that traditional advertising through commercials just isn't cutting it any more, but I had no idea that entire shows were having real-world products spliced into them. Was this an isolated incident, or is this a common practice today? I myself do not know, but after seeing this I kind of think it's the latter. Oh, also there were a few instances of other artists' songs being played during the show, like We Are Scientists. At the end of the show all of the artists' new releases were shown. So let me know, if you watch TV...is this common now?