• Trial Date Set For Nielsen Antitrust Suit: Rival Pulls Plug, Will Let Court Decide by Joe Mandese

    A federal court has set an early 2008 trial date for erinMedia's antitrust suit against Nielsen Media Research, the TV audience measurement venture said in a statement issued late Tuesday in response to Nielsen's decision to launch a business that would compete directly with erinMedia's methods for modeling digital TV set-top data to produce ratings. In a related move, erinMedia said it was streamlining its operations, laying off the majority of its staff, and focusing its efforts on licensing its technology until the market is "opened" for competition. ...Read the whole story

  • Publicis Forms 'Media Exchange,' Begins Centralizing Buying In India by Joe Mandese

    In a surprise move, Publicis Groupe Media has integrated the operations of its Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia Group media networks in at least one major market: India. The move, announced by Chairman Jack Klues Tuesday, would form a new centralized media buying operation dubbed India Media Exchange. Planning would continue to be handled separately by each media network. ...Read the whole story

  • Radio Advertisers Want More Of 'Less,' Short Ad Formats Gain by Erik Sass

    Radio ad sales firm Interep says demand for short-form radio spots is booming. The number of 10- to-15-second spots it sold and placed jumped 400% in 2006, compared to 2005, while 30-second spots grew a remarkable 1000%. ...Read the whole story

  • MPG Continues Restructuring, Names McOwen Chief Investment Officer by Joe Mandese

    Havas MPG unit continues to restructure its senior management team, naming long-time broadcast chief Bill McOwen director of media investments. The move follows last month's promotion of Steve Lanzano to chief operating officer of MPG North America from general manager of its New York operations, and is seen as a part of a plan for better integration between Havas' traditional media operations and new media units like Media Contacts. ...Read the whole story

  • Changing Partners: Viacom Wants Joost To Distribute Its Shows Online by Wayne Friedman

    Move over, YouTube. Positioning itself as the next wave of TV digital distribution, Joost--the high-quality Internet TV service--has made its first content deal with Viacom for all its content divisions. MTV, BET and Paramount will supply the Internet TV service with content. ...Read the whole story

  • TNS Gets It Retail, Buys Into In-Store Measurement by Erik Sass

    The in-store media measurement business is heating up. TNS announced Tuesday it's acquiring Sorensen Associates, bolstering the firm's growing retail research capabilities. With the purchase, TNS is positioning itself as a major competitor to Nielsen In-Store. ...Read the whole story

  • Pricing Oscar: Big Budgets, But Indies May Steal Show by Wayne Friedman

    High advertising expenditures may give a movie big Oscar nominations and awards--but the drama need not be that costly. Some studios pay big bucks to market their films, hoping for big turnout and a nod from Oscar. But on an efficiency level, indie picks like "Little Miss Sunshine" grab the same nominations for less. ...Read the whole story

  • TWC's 'Storm Stories' To Be Replaced By New Shows by David Goetzl

    The Weather Channel is dropping "Storm Stories" later this year from its weeknight perch in the prime-time lead-in hour. Launched in January 2003, the documentary-style chronicle of survivors and rescuers battling extraordinary weather events will be replaced in the fourth quarter by two new shows stripped Monday-Friday in the 7 p.m. hour. ...Read the whole story

  • Updated: Southern Discomfort: Atlanta Journal-Constitution Cuts Newsroom by Erik Sass

    Editor's Note: This story erroneously asserted that Brian Tierney, chief executive of Philadelphia Media Holdings, and publisher of The Philadelphia Inquirer, has more layoffs in mind for the paper. Tierney denies any plans for additional layoffs.Last week delivered more bad news for the newspaper business. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said Friday it plans to cut 80 newsroom jobs from a total 475--in addition to trimming its circulation by 5%. It's the latest big-name paper to wield the ax--and like its brethren, AJC executives positioned the reductions as part of a larger strategic shift to Web publishing. ...Read the whole story

  • Brandtique: Sunkist, 'One Tree Hill' by David Goetzl

    Are branded integration dollars so flush that a marketer's commitment to spend them can actually determine whether a network picks up a ratings-challenged series? In ... ...More

Product Placements Of The Week by Kenny >, <Author: Karin Searle

1 - Pepsi 2 - Sunkist 3 - Porsche 4 - Mercedes 5 - Milk DudsClick here to view these placements. Data and analysis provided ... ...More

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