Media agencies are getting increasingly annoyed with broadcast nets that are still selling their scatter inventory rather than offering it up as makegoods for the rotten prime-time ratings yielded so far by the new C3 measurement. Some buyers say the networks have now sold so much fourth-quarter ad time that retailers that need their make-goods as the holidays near aren't going to get them. Although many retailers need pod exclusivity, most are already filled with retail ads through the end of the year. "If an advertiser can't get the gross rating points for their commercials when they need them, what …

A former Wal-Mart ad executive won't refile her breach-of-contract lawsuit against the retail behemoth and says allegations of ethical breaches she made in an earlier suit that was tossed out of court were inaccurate. In August, a judge dismissed Julie Roehm's suit--and with her decision to drop the matter, Wal-Mart will also drop a countersuit against her. Roehm, who says she received no money from Wal-Mart, "just decided not to pursue it," but declines to elaborate. Originally about severance, "the lawsuit has expanded into other issues, and has become more difficult and financially draining than I ever imagined," Roehm …

St. Louis is hoping to brand itself as a tourist destination in a marketing campaign that sports a new logo and a slogan that plays on its name. Tagged "St. Lou is all within reach," the effort features the Gateway Arch bridging the space between "St. Lou" and "is" in the slogan. Kitty Ratcliffe, president of the city's Convention and Visitors Commission, notes that the arch is the symbol most identified with the city and is "our Eiffel Tower. . . our Nike swoosh." The idea is also to tout St. Louis as the home of exceptional sports teams, architecture, …

E-Trade has dumped BBDO Worldwide from the creative portion of its ad account, insiders say, moving the business instead to Grey Worldwide. E-Trade isn't talking; ditto Grey--but BBDO, which has had the online broker's account for three years, confirms the loss, citing a conflict with client Bank of America. The win is the second big one for Grey in the financial services area following news last month that the shop had snagged Fortis' estimated $200 million account after a review. E-Trade and its various units forked over $127.1 million in U.S. measured media in the first half of this …

A prolonged writers' strike could be a mixed blessing for advertisers with product integration deals on TV shows. On the one hand, it could bring many new opportunities in reality shows that are apt to replace scripted series. On the other, marketers will lose the opportunity to connect via integrations in top-rated series, while makegoods may come at times unsuited for brands' marketing goals and initiatives. Furthermore, the advertisers that have built whole programs around in-show integrations are likely to pull the plug entirely--and thus won't get any makegoods at all. "I think that clients will potentially suffer the …

Just days after a tape surfaced of Duane "Dog" Chapman repeatedly using racist language, cable net A&E is yanking all episodes of his "Dog The Bounty Hunter" show. "In evaluating the circumstances of the last few days, A&E has decided to take 'Dog The Bounty Hunter' off the network's schedule for the foreseeable future," the network says. "We hope that Mr. Chapman continues the healing process that he has begun." The channel first suspended Chapman after the National Enquirer posted an audio clip of Chapman using the "n-word" several times in a phone conversation with his son Tucker. Chapman is …

After PHD said it will move hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Chrysler's national TV-buying dollars to New York from Detroit, Jean Halliday writes that the reeling Motor City could be on the verge of losing another big account. Ford is the only one of the Big Three to buy all its media out of the market, and with former Toyota Motor Sales USA executive Jim Farley about to join the company as vice president-global marketing and communications, there is speculation it may leave town too--although a Ford spokesman said its doesn't expect to change the way it buys …

In a break from its past approaches, Welch's new TV ads are geared toward mothers who want their families to be healthier. Instead of talking taste to kids, the new effort claims that Welch's grape juice has twice the antioxidants as orange juice, and has a girl explaining to her dad that she's keeping herself safe from monsters in the closet by setting glasses of Welch's grape juice on the floor, insisting the antioxidants will protect her. "The key is we have a brand that is dead on for the traditional wants and needs for today's mom," says Chris Heye, …

As the 40GB PlayStation 3 goes on sale here, complete with built-in Wi-Fi and Blu-ray, Sony Computer Entertainment America is supporting the launch with a massive new ad campaign. And the new effort comes after mixed success with a European marketing strategy tagged: "This is Living" that baffled audiences with multilingual spots featuring a multiethnic cast doing things like taking baths, jumping on trampolines, sticking their hands into boiling water and waxing philosophical. None of the spots had any images of the PlayStation 3 console or its games. However, in North America, the marketing campaign--bearing the slogan "Play Beyond"--puts the …

Five shops are in contention for Hyundai/Kia's massive media business, insiders say--including Optimedia, Initiative, Havas Media, Horizon Media and incumbent Carat. Meetings were held at the Korean carmaker's California offices this week, and a cut to finalists could come soon. The company's domestic measured media spending was north of $800 million last year, with Hyundai accounting for three-quarters of that, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus. And through the first eight months of 2007, Hyundai and Kia spent $320 million and $150 million, respectively, on U.S. ads. The list of contenders is short for a car account of that magnitude because most …