Another Ad Exec Worries About PVR and Other Ad Avoidance Tech

TURNER CEO LAMBASTS AD-AVOIDING TECHNOLOGIES

NAPLES, Fla. (AdAge.com) -- With shrinking margins, fragmented audiences and an aging network TV viewing base, Jamie Kellner of Turner Broadcasting told the crowd that 'Without advertising we will damage this country.

It's not that I have all the answers to this conundrum but I find it fascinating that these executives are so short sighted on this subject. Mr. Kellner's solution to this problem?

...is for marketers to increase media buys aimed at high-spending younger viewers. Mr. Kellner also urged marketers to support "multiplexing," the growing trend of sharing content across more than one network. Others have called it "repurposing." He contends that programs played multiple times in one week, either on the same network or on another, can deliver two to four times more viewers with little duplication. "Try to expand your reach and be an innovator"

Now, multiplexing is good. Cable networks have done it to great advantage. But, it won't solve the PVR problem. The other solution involving the increase in media spend to younger viewers flys in the face of some recent factoid I saw about the age/spending curve. I wish I had it right now, but it was along the lines of 75% of all discretionary spending was done by the over 50 crowd.

Of course, he had to say this because this younger demographic is the demographic that makes up his stable of Turner networks.

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