• Wall Street Journal via Google, Friday, September 21, 2007 11 AM

The CW network's experiment with a new kind of commercial break that looks like a "minishow" has worked so well the network will take the "content wrap" concept even further, rolling out a half-hour weekly series to tout its sponsors' products. "CW Now" debuts Sunday and is a newsmagazine program targeted at young adults, featuring stories on trends in fashion, music, technology and the like. There will be no ad breaks, but there will be plenty of marketers on parade.

The first episode is sponsored by Wal-Mart and has three segments touting Microsoft's Halo 3 videogame series and its availability at the retailer. Viewers are told Wal-Mart has "dedicated checkout lines for gamers only," while an employee of the chain also makes an appearance. "The 'CW Now' show is a new investment model for us to reach our audience, especially the gaming audience," says Rex Conklin, Wal-Mart's media director.

The show is just one example of how broadcasters are trying new ways of keeping their advertisers happy in the age of DVRs that have reducing marketers' confidence in the effectiveness of traditional commercials.

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