Sure, if being a Nazi is a breath of fresh air, then Jew-hater Zamdani is your anti-semite.

Tony, a clarification about my position. I wouldn'rt say that the agencies are "beholden" to the sellers suggesting that they are making bad buys and not doing their clients justice just to appease the sellers. Not at all. However, it's pretty clear that in the absence of client involvement at the brand manager and CMO level, the agencies --who'se fees are constantly crunched by client bean counters make the best of a bad situation and work with the sellers  for mutual benefit--client and seller benefit, that is. That means that when a seller has a problem--a sudden cancellation of lots of TV GRP time and a need to quickly monetize the now unsold time---the buyers will often be reasonable about the CPMs they are willing to pay while still getting a good discount for their clients.. It goes the other way, as well. When a client has a problem, the seller will often bend enough to help out. Again, a good example is a sudden need by the client to opt out of part of an upfront deal over and above what terms were contracted for.

In other words both sides understand the other's problems and work together to solve them, rather than the buyers always looking for the absolute lowest CPMs or other ways to screw the sellers. 

I will add that in "TV" at least, the sellers are largely in control as they see all of the action and can plan their offerings accordingly. They also control the rating survices and the "JIC" --the latter in an effort to  a) keep the pressure on Nielsen and b) to allow individual sellers add-on "alternative" metrics of their choosing as opportunistic sales promotion tools. In this regard the buyers, understanding the networks' problems and goals, go along with them as the buyers are still free to use or not use the "alternative currencies"--so their clients aren't injured by this refinement and, perhaps,  are helped by it..   

Why I don't listen to the news daily like only an hour or 2 at most depending on the week which is 6 or 7 hours M-F. I only listen for the weather for local TV with a story before the weather and sometime sports highlights but that is about. Since Spectrum News was just added almost 2 months ago I do watch some news stories although outside local weather on The 1's their take on Local On The 8's from The Weather Channel, I wouldn't call it local laegely just national & international news stories with just 1 minute 30 seconds at the top & bottom of the hour and minute at 15 to 45 just enough for a clip or sound bite for a story.

Ed: Exactly!

Wayne: This OpenAP "Multi-Currency Certification Committee, M-CCC" initiative, owned by the networks, is unequivocally NOT a JIC and as Joe Mandese suggested has serious conflicts of interest which JICs avoid due to their structure, procedures and processes.  Please read the White Paper I co-authored with John Grono on the "Ten Cornerstones of JICs/MOCs" published by Media Post with a subsequent updated version in ESOMAR's Research World. It was based on their evolution and cost effective success worldwide established over many many years, in many countries across all major media.  
For you and Media Post to continue to formally "recognize" this shameful masquerade by OpenAP does not reflect the typical journalistic quality, honesty, anlaysis and truth your readers expect. 
That this US industry TV/Video measurement farrago is being supported by the global media agencies, who know so much better and fully participate in REAL media JICs around the world, does them no credit.  As such it points to Ed Papazian's position that the media agencies in the US market are beholden to the sellers. Advertisers, please take note!'
The global media research industry has long understood that certifications and/or audits (as technically and thoroughly executed by MRC) need to be executed to "Guidelines" not so called "Standards" which usually completely fail to meet the very definition and strict requirements of "Standards". 
Media and Audience Measurement has come a very long way over the past many years notably in Europe. The US needs its leading trade media publication to encourage meanigful research quality, reliability and progress and call out the misguided shams! 
BTW: "Currency" for any entity is singular! It avoids the chaos and disruptions of the "alt-currency" measurement scenario, "what metrics do you want, how much money do you have?"  JICs provide each media in each country an industry agreed trading currency - singular!  Buyers and sellers do use anciliary "alt" data to enhance The JIC Currency metrics as deemed meanigful for the brand campaign to help optimize potential outcomes. 

Gosh.   Next thing will be reporting when you have gone to the toilet ... location, duration etc.

Thanks Barbara. I am an independent/Democrat who would like to see the party move to the center, where polls show the majority of voters are situated.

Well, many Dems would prefer a "centrist" like Mikie Sherill. And I agree that most of his ideas are not achievable. So it was nice to agree with you, Ron! 

Good one, Maarten. I agree. There's much too much interest in how the content is transmitted or received and too little on what type of content--or mode of communicationion is involved. To me If it's seen on a TV set's screen that's good enough whether it is a linear TV or CTV presentation; if its audio content, then why is AM/FM radio different from "digital audio"? etc.

I think Mamdani's victory is being over analyzed. He defeated a weak opponent (Cuomo) using the Trump playbook (promise fast solutions for a collection of grievances) adapted to New York.  Whether those solutions are realistic and achievable is adoubtful, just as Trump has been unable to deliver his promises.

This is the same Laura Loomer who recently said "if you don’t have white people in your commercial, I am not buying your product."  (https://x.com/LauraLoomer/status/1941234633527656871)

I am hopeful that the Supreme Court will brush this off as another frivilous lawsuit from a deranged racist with too much money... not unlike our current President.

Ok, Tony, I'll defer to you on this one.Have at it.

Love it!

Wayne, how many of those advertisers who Linda "brought back"returned because of Musk's threats to sue them or other types of pressure due to his close association with Trump?

gracias, George!

As usual, excellent commentary from Barbara. Should be requred reading for all geriatric Democrats.

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks". Umequivocally  a toxic record with a toxic medium.   

Totally agree with this. Media strategists today risk becoming order takers, not from clients but from the big media. We all have to remain diligent in finding new ways to create breakthrough ideas that drive us beyond CPM, CPC, CTA or whatever other alphabet soup anacronym you want to throw in there.  The "art" and the"science" still lives in strategy.  (BTW...love the term Sisyphian in describing this.  It IS like rolling a boulder uphill.)

I like watching sports events in full than just highlights of game I'm old school that way with my teams I root for at least and if a game is really close I'll watch that as well. I'm in the age range that prefers highlights over watching entire games. 

And I would ask why media strategy issues apply only to digital media? What about  traditional media, in particular "TV" which encompasses linear and streaming--even though the latter is accessed "digitally"? It's as if traditional media have ceased to exist when in fact they remain the main method for exposing branding campaigns to the public? Indeed about half of all ad spending goes to branding efforts and this is where the real problem can be more readily identified. How can a media "strategist" consider "new" ideas when the client dictates that most of the branding  ad spend be in upfront corporate TV deals and  "must buys" --which gobble up much of the ad spend--- are mandated?

As someone who  broke a lot of "rules". I regrettably agree with you. 

Not surprised by the response Musk recieved. Congress (and career politicians of both parties) have the lowest approval ratings of most occupations. Polls for some time have shown the majority of voters are situated in the middle of the political spectrum (center right to center left). Will be interesting to see if Musk can create a party/message/agenda that will appeal to those in the middle or if he wants to simply attract a niche of voters with special interests. who will act as spoilers.  

While I applaud brands embracing the gaming space, it is odd to me how many agencies over the last few years present their findings around gaming and social engagement like it is a new phenomena.

Reminder:  XBOX launched two years before Facebook and MySpace.  XBOX was actually the first social network connecting people and creating communities on a global scale almost 25 years ago.

If you're an agency and the lightbulb just went off that gaming is a very social activity and it is a "burgeoning success," you're already 15-20 years behind.