People are listening to a lot more radio stations in the evening than diary rating measurements pick up, according to Arbitron. The ratings service's analysis of its own People Meter trial in Philadelphia shows people are being exposed to up to twice as many stations each day as they were reporting with diaries. While figures in morning drive are nearly identical, with the People Meter picking up 1.6 stations against 1.7 with the diary, users on the People Meter reported listening to an average of 2.8 stations between 10 AM-7 PM, including evening drive, and 3.1 stations after 7 PM. The previous figures, using the diary system, were 1.8 stations between 10 AM-7 PM, and 1.5 stations after 7. Arbitron said members of its panel were very loyal in "undocking" their People Meters on weekends and reporting good numbers. These had the same pattern as the weekday numbers, although less dramatic. The People Meter caught people listening to 2.0 stations, on average, from 3-7 PM, and 1.9 stations at night, against the 1.3 stations caught with the diary. The Portable People Meter clips to a belt, and users are awarded points for the time spent wearing it. A base station in users' home recharges the battery. It links with encoders at broadcasters. National ratings are not yet available, because the People Meters are still undergoing a market trial.
Horizon Media released its recent analysis of the broadcast networks' programs in development, and in some ways, the networks' 2003-04 season could be back to the future, with familiar shows under development and former TV celebrities under contract. Some of today's headlines - like the threat of terrorism and the reality of corporate scandals - have become fodder for programmers. And the new season will rely less on unscripted programming, at least in September. The analysis surveyed all programs in development, finding that 131 new programs are being considered for next season. Fifty-four are hourlong dramas, 71 half-hour sitcoms and the rest unscripted. Only about 20% of the proposed shows will survive to air and even fewer will make it to a second season. Among the shows that are being discussed for spots on the schedule include updated versions of Mister Ed (Fox), Hotel (UPN) and three classic shows for UPN: Eddie's Father (based on 60's show The Courtship of Eddie's Father, MacGyver and The Gong Show. Steven Bocho and David E. Kelley both have shows in development. And the police/legal drama genre continues to go strong, although there are fewer medical shows like ER and this season's failed Presidio Med in the hopper. Brad Adgate, SVP/corporate research director at Horizon Media who developed the report, said there are several common threads in this year's programming. Two shows focus on the investigative side of combating domestic terrorism threats. The travails of real-life corporate executives who ran afoul of the law are the fodder for several programs, including one that stars Jenny McCarthy but remains without a name, and two other shows on ABC, a sitcom on Fox and another NBC sitcom. Two sitcoms will feature actors playing retired sports stars, including one called Touch 'em All McCall starring Tom Selleck on NBC. Selleck is just one of many former TV stars who have programs in development. Others are Heather Locklear, Melissa Gilbert, Annie Potts, Rob Lowe, Mark Harmon, Tom Skerritt, Howie Mandel, Valerie Bertinelli and Loni Anderson. Movie stars like James Caan, Ryan O'Neal, Danny Glover and Alicia Silverstone have also inked deals for TV series. But Adgate said that many lesser or unknown actors and actresses in their 20s and 30s are being enlisted by the networks in an attempt to reach that younger audience. Adgate said that familiar TV faces are being employed in an effort to snag viewers, who inundated by all the choices, might turn to a familiar face. Adgate said the networks that held development meetings in mid-March (all but NBC and CBS) all de-emphasized reality programming. But Adgate said that despite the lack of success of shows like Married By America and even Mr. Personality, he isn't counting out reality. "They're running a slew of these shows in the summer and if some of these things click, I think you'll see them on the schedule as soon as the November sweeps," Adgate said. He pointed to shows like Survivor, Fear Factor and American idol, which all began in the summer. Adgate noted that the upside includes audience composition among working women and other demographics and that, for instance, Survivor delivers CBS' youngest median age. "I think we'll see this run of reality shows isn't over yet," Adgate predicted. Family shows and more diversity are also being considered for the new season. Adgate also says that product placement will continue to grow on network television, even with The WB's plans for Live From Tomorrow put on hold. McCarthy's sitcom is being pushed for several opportunities for product placement and a WB show, Are We There Yet, also have some opportunities in the travel category. Adgate said that advertisers, concerned about commercial skipping technology and clutter in a 308-channel universe, will turn to product advertising to break through the clutter.
For those of you who don't think interactive TV commercials are nearly here, here's something for you to think about. A new study says that interactive commercials will soon take off. A brief by BrightLine Partners of New York says that interactive TV commercials will be available in more than 10 million U.S. households by the beginning of 2004. That's a dramatic increase in the past several years, thanks to gains in the marketplace made by companies like Dish Network and Wink. The study predicts that even more interactive-commercial capable homes will go online with the fierce competition between cable and satellite operators. That's good news for advertisers, said Robert Aksman, operations director and analyst at BrightLine Partners. "It helps to fend off technology like DVRs from ruining the ad model," Aksman said. Aksman said there's been a reluctance on the part of many advertisers to jump into interactive commercials because there were few television households that had the technology capable of receiving them. He said that because of that, interactive TV commercials and other advanced television services have yet to become a staple for most brands. But within 18 months, Aksman predicts, there will be many more advertisers operating in the space. Why? Because the household numbers will grow so much that they can't be ignored. He said that the advertisers who are getting into interactive commercials now are going to come out better than the ones who are on the sidelines waiting for things to shake out. "The advertisers who are working with it are certainly going to have an edge. They're going to know what works and what doesn't work ... The wait-and-see approach is just not going to work anymore," Aksman said. These nascent campaigns will give way to more comprehensive commercials in the future that will build on that knowledge, the study said. The study said that the companies that employ interactive commercials will reap the benefits while the ones who haven't reached that level will struggle and be deprived of a powerful marketing tool. Aksman said that advertisers are already using interactive commercials to distribute coupons, samples and product information. The mechanisms are also there for direct purchases via remote control. And all of this is available, Aksman said, for a slight incremental cost beyond the traditional commercial. Paired with so-called virtual channels, the viewers' interactive TV experience can get even richer and the advertiser has even more chances to build their brand interactively. Aksman said that so far, the most successful interactive TV advertisers use interactivity but don't ask the viewer to do much. It's more like accessing information on the fly and answering one or two simple questions like "Are you interested in Product X?" and "Do you want a catalog?" He said the most effective advertising won't change viewers' long-established habits but instead work within those parameters. "It's got to be quick and get out ... Interactivity shouldn't be about making viewers lean forward but about letting them lean farther back," Aksman said. He said that interactive TV isn't trying to replace the computer or Web pages. For more information about the study, call or email Aksman at (212) 487-9650, raksman@brightlinepartners.com or visit their