A popular CBS sitcom is drawing more complaints from a fringe group just one month after the show irked some Christians with a "vulgar adaptation" of a Christmas carol. "Two and a Half Men," a television program about two brothers living together with a young son, allegedly featured talk about bestiality and sex with vegetables during a Jan. 22 episode. And that has upset the Parents Television Council, with the group saying that the subject matter is inappropriate for younger children, adding advertisers that ran spots during the program should ask for their money back. "CBS should …

In a year said to feature a lack of standout Super Bowl commercials, consumer-generated ads seem to have created some excitement. The four ads conceived by amateurs that aired in Sunday's game received good response, generating big buzz for the companies behind them: Chevrolet, Doritos and the National Football League. And it is likely we will see more like ads to come -- and not just for big events like the Super Bowl. That could mean big changes on Madison Avenue. "I think there's no question we will see a lot more of this," says Tim Calkins, a …

Riding a robust new-business performance and solid contributions across all operating regions, Publicis Groupe today reported 2006 revenue of nearly $6 billion. That was more than a 6% improvement compared to the previous 12 months. Publicis claimed $3.3 billion in net new business for the year. Company chairman and CEO Maurice Lévy noted that 2007 has started well, with major assignments from Fox, Wal-Mart and Wendy's. "Prospects for business in 2007 are favorable, with organic growth set to gain significant momentum from two drivers: interactive communications, which will contribute almost 15% of revenue following the integration of Digitas, and …

The Chicago Bears may have lost to the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl, but at least some Windy City folks are happy: WBBM, CBS-owned affiliate in the market. It scored a 50.2/77 household rating/share, according to Nielsen Media Research, its second-highest ever after a 1988 broadcast of the National Basketball Association finals between the Bulls and Jazz. Among adults 25-54, the station had a 45.6/79 and among men 25-54, it was 50.9/84. During the broadcast, ratings peaked at 8:15 p.m., with a 51.9/76. And its local post-game show was also the highest in the market, with 2.7/21 …

Even as it turns in its best financial results in decades, McDonald's is doing a global brand-strategy study and shifting creative duties on its largest business -- the $100 million breakfast account -- to ensure it keeps its momentum going. Mary Dillon, executive vice president-global marketing officer, has turned to Omnicom Group's Interbrand to conduct the study, which is intended to keep the burger giant on top of consumer trends. "We're refreshing and sharpening our overall brand strategy," she says. "Consumer needs and attitudes change every day, so we have to be out ahead of it." …

A federal court has ordered satellite television operator DirecTV Group Inc. to stop running ads that claim its service is superior to Time Warner's cable unit. T he ads, which feature ex-"Star Trek" actor William Shatner and pop star Jessica Simpson, were on the air in December and January. Judge Laura Taylor Swain of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York handed down an injunction against DirecTV to stop the company from airing ads in Time Warner Cable markets that disparage the quality of Time Warner's high-definition programming. It was also ordered by …

If Jeff Zucker presided over NBC's plunge from first to fourth place in prime-time ratings, why is he poised to become chief of the whole NBC Universal ball of wax? Well, the same "Today" show that fueled his rise may have saved his tail, while other NBC Universal properties under Zucker's control have been gaining viewers. Zucker is expected to be appointed chief executive of NBC Universal by Jeffrey Immelt, chairman of corporate parent General Electric Co., at some point this week. In 1991, at just 26, he became "Today's" executive producer and the show soon became …

A New York personal injury law firm and a Washington, D.C., advocacy group are challenging new attorney advertising restrictions in New York. Alexander & Catalano, with offices in Syracuse and Rochester, N.Y., and Public Citizen Inc. have filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the rules violate the right to free speech and impose anti-consumer limits on lawyers' ads. The suit, filed in Albany, seeks to prevent enforcement of the new rules by the disciplinary committees. "The rules overall are a restriction on free speech," says Gregory A. Beck of the Public Citizen Litigation Group. "They are not …

While Katie Crabb says she struggles to her ideas across, she managed to convince Chevrolet of one -- and they put it in the Super Bowl. Crabb, 19, won a competition among college students to design a 30-second spot for the company's new line of crossover cars. While the cost of an ad in the game could run as high as $2.6 million, Crabb says, "I can't even imagine having that much money in my life and then to spend it on one 30-second spot." Chevrolet put out the word to college students last fall, challenging them to …

News that TiVo is offering networks and agencies second-by-second data about which programs the company's subscribers are watching -- and which ads they are skipping -- raises some troubling questions. For example, is TiVo now watching what people watch and then selling that information to third parties? Apparently not. "I promise with my hand on a Bible that your data is not being archived and sold," says Todd Juenger, TiVo's vice president and general manager of audience research and measurement. "We don't know what any particular person is watching," he said. "We only know what a random, …