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For the first time ever, there will be round the clock coverage of the Olympics. No more time delays. No more knowing the outcome of an event before it airs.
NBC will will use all of it's networks (NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo, and Telemundo) to offer 24 hour coverage of the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Dick Ebersol, chairman, NBC Sports & Olympics said, "We are committed to showcasing the athletes of the U.S. and the world in a way that has never been seen before. We will deliver the Olympics to the widest possible audience and give American TV viewers an unprecedented array of choices. [via MediaWeek]
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"Marketers are under pressure to deliver increased revenues, primarily through gains in market share," he pointed out. So, "if total market volume declines due to consumers' responses to war, marketers must advertise aggressively to capture a greater share of the smaller available market."
War would cause, "increased ad dollars, especially benefiting the already strong network and local television business. If the war ends within two months, and consumer spending levels begin moving upward, marketers will retain accelerated spending levels to assure that they regain revenues lost during the wartime period."
That's the opinion of Jack Myers, Ad tracker.
Not that I hope he's right because I want a war to happen but we could sure use a boost in this industry.
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Jerry Springer, Jenny Jones, and Ricki Lake are all down significantly in the ratings. Seems as though low brow TV viewing has shifted from "I Slept With My Teenage Daughter's Son's Father's Mother" to "Please Watch Me Humiliate Myself by Eating Bugs So You Will Marry Me".
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Weiden, president of Weiden & Kennedy and president of judging for film, print and posters for the upcoming Cannes International Advertising Festival wants to see the festival look forward rather then backwards. He wants winning work to be "a sign of where things could be going, the antenna to indicate a new landscape. I hope that's what we can focus on."
He thinks too much attention is given to television executions over other forms and wants everyone to know advertising place in the world. "We're not solving geo-political issues," Weiden says. "It's just advertising and we're having a lot of fun." [via Ad Age]
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In a just released study from Harris Interactive and Youth 360, college students do like humor in advertising but more important is price. They are loyal to their parents brands, care about global issues, and are not couch potatoes.
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Black viewers want sitcoms and have no interest in the current glut of reality programming. BBDO just did a study that found reality shows like 'American Idol' and 'Joe Millionaire' do not resonate with with African Americans. The study indicates that none of the reality shows fall in the top 20 most watched shows in black homes.
"There's not a whole lot going on in terms of diversity in those [reality] shows, particularly in 'Joe Millionaire,' " said Doug Alligood of BBD&O.
"Even if minorities are involved, the whole positioning of those shows - they've got somewhat of a demeaning element to them. Blacks are very sensitive to people being embarrassed - they've had enough of that themselves."
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In a dramatic shift away from the traditional FSI, struggling Kmart will launch a lifestyle newspaper supplement called Urban Direct that will be inserted into newspapers in nine markets.
Editorial will include interviews, articles and �product offerings that resonate within urban communities.�
�We approach this as a �Parade� type of concept that will allow us to reach the customers located in those markets with information that matters to them,� said Kmart spokesperson Susan Dennis. �It�s built into our ad plan.�
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Sony Pictures and MediaCom claim that it is over consolidation that has led the glut of "bland" programming such as the latest fad of reality shows.
Sony and MediaCom are part of the Coalition for Program Diversity. The Coalition for Programming Diversity will ask the FCC to require that 25% of all prime time network programming be independently produced.
"Reality programming targeted for youthful demographic audiences has become the preferred form of low-budget network programming," said the CPD in the FCC filing.
CPD wants a return to the "fin-syn" rules which governed the networks financial interest in syndicating originally produced series.
"In this unregulated environment, the commission's goals of promoting diversity and competition are being trumped by the networks' obsession with increased profit margins," wrote the coalition.
"Predictably, the blandness and sameness of that programming attracts smaller audience shares -- and that in turn forces the broadcast advertiser to pay more for less audience reach. Ultimately, this nexus results in a double negative for both the advertising industry and consumers," the CDP filing stated.
If this does anything in the way of reducing the plethora of reality television, I am all for it.
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