• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, April 11, 2006

This May sweeps for local TV stations could be swept under the rug in response to Disney-ABC Television Group's announcement that it will run free prime-time shows on the Internet.

Isn't May a prime period for TV stations, when they get to set their advertising rates for the entire year?

TV stations naturally know the world is changing. But yet, not a peep has come from their direction. Maybe it's a publicity thing. Privately, ABC affiliate general sales managers might groan for the good old days.

The secret is in the affiliate agreement. All media companies and networks say they are still "partners" with their affiliate stations. Now it's becoming clearer just what that means--especially as the affiliate agreement extend to spreading the wealth of alternative on-demand deals.

Network executives have floated stories about all sorts of points that TV stations might indeed get from their network partners in alternative on-demand programming deals. Stories are that some TV stations might be receiving 15 percent to 50 percent of any paid download or of advertising sales that a network makes. Still others say some network affiliates aren't getting anything.

To be compensated, however, one would expect TV stations would need to do their part, helping market these services--a little free publicity on-air, or a few timely on-air promos directing viewers to go to abc.com to see free shows with advertising or to pay for downloaded shows from iTunes.com for $1.99 with no advertising.

Disney ABC would seem to need extra national and local marketing support. So far little paid, or unpaid, TV marketing has gone into touting any of these alternative TV distribution models. That should say something about where the businesses are at right now--just crumbs to the bigger loaf of financial bread made via traditional network airings.

Whither the TV stations?

It's May--and not everyone is going to watch "Lost" at their desks. Big dollar local ad deals are still to be had. For now, just sweep away the crumbs.