The problem with advertising is that they use display mobles more often than not. I'm pretty sure that it wasn't that the clock was illuminated so much that it never turns off, as in it was a sticker so something. The external screen turns off while the Flip is open. There may be an app to change this, but it saves power. If you want to keep it on to look at the time, you can still see the time in call, which makes it pointless. It takes as much or even less time to look at the screen was it would to turn it around and look at the time that way.
If he wants to have it by his bed, Bedside Mode is what he wants. It keeps it on, but it can only be used as a clock at that point. He would have to exit Bedside Mode to do anything else with it.
