Ratings for daytime and late-night TV could take a hit nine months from now when the country converts to digital programming, because a significant percentage of America homes have secondary TV sets that will no longer receive a signal. A report being released today by Nielsen Media Research suggest that nearly 25 million homes have at least one television set that will stop functioning in nine months, while ten million don't have a single digital-ready set. For those 25 million, it's the kitchen and bedroom sets that will cease to function-not the primary TV in the living room or …

As Belgian giant InBev considers an unsolicited bid for Anheuser-Busch -- an offer that could top $45 billion, say analysts, making it the largest beer acquisition in history-at least one member of the Busch clan is left to ponder his family's brand and legacy. August A. Busch IV is just 18 months into his tenure as CEO, and, along with his father, opposes the deal, according to those close to the family. How to stop it? Anheuser could buy the half of Mexico's Grupo Modelo that it doesn't already own. The other option? Let the deal go through-the …

One of the most lauded TV advertisers in recent decades has found financial success after suspending its broadcast advertising. Retailer The Gap has been off the airwaves for several quarters now, focusing instead on merchandise initiatives, and profits are on the rebound. The Gap's marketing expenditures were trimmed 18% during the previous quarter, driven by the absence of TV ads for the Gap brand, company executives said. That contributed to a 40% jump in profits compared to the same period a year ago. "It's a waste of money [for the Gap brand to advertise right now]," said retail …

Hershey's is experimenting with a different approach to marketing some of its new products: Chocolate house parties. In order to promote its new Bliss line, Hershey's staged 10,200 "House of Bliss" parties over the April 25 weekend. At each event, hosts invited friends and family to share stories of their own personal bliss while sampling three varieties of the bite-sized chocolate. Stories, photos and videos were posted online to spread the news about the events and attendees' reviews. More than 129,000 people attended the parties, which generated more than 22,000 digital photos and 15,000 blog entries. Attendees received …

As the price at the pump exceeds $4 a gallon in some areas of the U.S., a handful of savvy car manufacturers are trying to stimulate sales by offering to ease the pain for potential customers. Chrysler, Suzuki and Kia are all now running programs that center on cheaper gas for new owners. Consumers seem to like the idea. Chrysler-which is promising new customers gas at $2.99 a gallon for the first three years they own their car-reports showroom traffic up 10% to 20% in some regions; Web site activity is up 25%. "Gas is a high selling …

The pleasant entreaties to hit the beach or resort town this summer are being replaced with more urgent calls to action as the tourism industry faced the twin evils of high gas prices and a sagging economy. "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" has been replaced by "Do Vegas right now." And Panama City, Fla.'s "The beach lover's beach" has been thrown aside for "a summer white sale," a promotion that comes with gas credits and other discounts. Even American Express is bringing back a promotion, Going Once, that joins with merchants to sell travel packages at discounted …

In the late 1970s, French company Perrier launched a $4 million advertising campaign to convince Americans to drink bottled water, something only Europeans did up till then. Perrier's business tripled, until reports of contaminants in its products sullied the company's reputation in the U.S., creating a vacuum that dozens of other companies have stepped in to fill. And that, in a nutshell, is why Americans today spend $11 billion on an item that could just easily have for free. In the new book Bottlemania, author Elizabeth Rote traces the history of bottled water marketing in the U.S., from …