• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, April 13, 2011

So, what do the captains of content think about advertisers getting their paws into programming? It's "not a bad idea," said Christina Norman, CEO of OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. In effect, she added, advertisers have their own unique relationships with consumers, which can be exploited to everyone's benefit. First, just be sure to ask: "Are our goals aligned?" Norman said. If they are, "It's a collaborative experience," said Jordan Levin, CEO of digital production studio Generate, and onetime CEO of The WB Television Network. In the best case scenario, advertisers and media companies can "both draft off each other," according to Ben Silverman, CEO of Electus.