No idea so much was cut from show

I rarely watched Seinfeld when it originally aired. I thought they just cut the monologue. After reading this newsgroup apparently it was much more. I thought all sitcoms were same timeframe. Why was Seinfeld allowed allotted longer episode time when it originally aired. Is Friends cut also in syndication. I realize that more commercials run in syndication. I think the solution should have been for local affilates to charge more per spot and run the show intact in syndication. Considering the goal of most sitcoms is to run for 5+ years to get a syndication deal why wasn't Seinfeld edited tighter when it was on NBC so they wouldn't have to cut it now.

I believe nearly *all* shows are edited for syndication, for the reason you cited: more time for commercials.

Being both a big Seinfeld and Friends fan, I can confirm both shows experience some painful edits every now and then