In the unlikely event that the network upfront could talk, it might quote Mark Twain. In a media industry that’s been battered, consolidated, and revolutionized beyond all recognition, even the upfront — the annual dance (or brawl) between buyers and sellers — has often been declared to be on its deathbed. But just as it was with Twain, accounts of the upfront’s demise seem premature. In this MEDIA debate about the coming swap meet, its viability isn’t really questioned. Rather, the panelists — drawn from several networks and media buying agencies — seem more concerned with how to navigate …

The media has been rife with reports in the past year about the burst of the famous — or infamous — Internet bubble. But a funny thing happened on the way to bankruptcy court. As Internet ad spending and Internet companies went into a tailspin, studies were showing that people might not be interested in clicking on banner ads, but they were spending more time online. Thus, it’s time to take a closer look not only at Internet consumption itself, but how it is impacting other media. At least one thing is clear: with access to the Internet growing …

We’ve all seen charts of who the top 10 advertisers are, and that year-to-year list barely changes. But it’s not quite as often that people get a good look at who rules the spending roost among the nation’s big advertisers on a medium-by-medium basis. However, with some data-retrieving help from CMR, MEDIA has been able to compile a year-end 2001 look at who the top 10 advertisers were across six different media: network TV, magazines, network cable, newspapers, out-of-home, and network radio. It makes for a much more complex look at who the big spenders are. The differences …

The ad niche of electronic displays on top of cabs isn’t exactly as crowded as Third Avenue at rush hour, but two companies are separately trying to bring pizzazz to this otherwise moribund ad form. Soon they’ll be fighting it out, not on the streets of New York, but on the slightly more civilized streets of Boston. The competition comes as the two companies — New York–based Adapt Media and Cambridge, Mass.-based Vert — have spent much of the last year testing their technologies on their home turfs. Vert first tried out its system in January 2001 with first …

Cross-MediaLots of Talk, Little Action by Steve Smith Cross-platform ad sales are a bit like sex in high school. There’s a lot more bravado (i.e., press releases) than action, so far as we can tell. Listen to the locker room chatter and you’d think that you’re the last virgin left on earth. That’s if you listen to the braggarts at media companies who insist advertisers are hot for this action. Translation: we haven’t managed to get beyond first base, but gee, our date really wants it …we can tell. Even Online High School’s best gossip, research aggregator eMarketer, …

I often hear the production manager running about as the magazine is closing. “Did Lemming LLC ever send us that two-page color spread? And Big Bob’s Surf and Shine is having problems with our FTP; they can’t upload their new creatives!” I’ve seen the chaos employees in these positions are forced to deal with, not because they procrastinate, but because their means of doing business is just plain out of date. Applying yesterday’s rules to today’s advertising industry just doesn’t seem to be working. Imagine being able to have your audio spots or print ads delivered to you by …

Satellite radio will soon be creating a big bang across the U.S. Two companies, XM Radio and Sirius Radio, got together a year ago and agreed upon a technology that brings selected radio stations into a car or portable unit anywhere in the country. XM Radio is the first company to offer its service nationwide. Subscribers have access to 100 radio stations broadcast from Washington D.C, New York, and Nashville. From these facilities, signals are transferred to XM’s two satellites, which stay fixed in orbit on the East and West coasts, down to your radio. In the event you’re around …

Like Britney Spears’ song, “I’m not a girl, not yet a woman,” teens have their distinct interests, but are still finding their own place in the world.

With a commitment to excellence as their guidepost, Zenith Media aims for even greater new business success.

At buying agencies, it’s not all about clout.