With its recent relaunch, Ad Bargains is trying to redefine how advertisers buy media by letting them click on a newspaper, radio or Web advertising option, check its price and order online. And that, says president Jack Denneboom, could make it the Expedia of the space and really shake up traditional media buying. "We're changing the way small- and medium-size advertisers will shop for and buy media," he says. "The Internet is enabling this change." And while some industry folks agree that -- if successful -- it could threaten some traditional media buying, skeptics remain. "It …

Southwest Airlines is going after a more upscale market in a new ad effort set to run during the NCAA Bowl Championship Series. With its usual humorous approach, the carrier is going after business travelers with a message that it can make them more productive. Already, it has unveiled Business Select, a program in which passengers who pay $10 to $30 more one way get first boarding privileges, free drinks and bonus mileage credits. And the company is also upgrading airport gates, installing padded seats, work areas for laptop users and TV monitors that list which passenger groups …

Tori Spelling is one of the new faces of NutriSystem, with the actress touting the diet company in its latest ad campaign. She will be featured in a national television and print effort for NutriSystem Advanced in her first endorsement gig. Ads begin running next month on TV and in celebrity weeklies and women's mags. The daughter of the late television producer Aaron Spelling, she credits the product for helping her lose 35 pounds after giving birth. Other ads for NutriSystem Advanced will include comedian Ant and singer Tony Orlando. The company touts the program as the first to …

Michael Vivio, publisher of the Waco Tribune-Herald for almost a year, was perplexed as to why his Texas newspaper -- like most dailies -- had been losing circulation for years. Selling about 38,000 copies on weekdays and4 5,000 on Sunday, his circulation director told him the sheet was losing $100,000 on declining street sales. He decided the front page needs to be dominated by the best display of the best story of the day, no matter where it happens. So, after conferring with top editors, he launched a transformation of the Waco Tribune-Herald, ending its circulation swoon. …

"Law & Order" will be back on NBC's schedule in January -- adding two new cast members -- along with recycled episodes of "Law& Order: Criminal Intent," which has so far this season been exiled to USA Network. The 18th season of the drama will feature Jeremy Sisto as a new detective and Linus Roache as a prosecutor and kicks off with a two-hour premiere on Weds. Jan. 2, reclaiming its Wednesday 10 p.m. slot. The following week "Criminal Intent" acts as lead-in at 9. Both shows were widely considered to be on the chopping block after …

Fox News has refused to air an ad from an advocacy group that depicts the U.S. Constitution being put through a shredder. In the spot, actor Danny Glover says, "The Bush administration is destroying the Constitution. They can be stopped. Rescue the Constitution." Developed and paid for by the Center for Constitutional Rights, the spot was intended to run at the same time a case involving people held at Guantanamo Bay finally hits the Supreme Court Wednesday. The center represents several detainees and its ad has been cleared to run on MSNBC and CNN. But, according to Media …

LG Electronics has consolidated its $350 million global brand-and-product account at Publicis Groupe's Bartle Bogle Hegarty after a review. And the London-based shop will now need to crate a unified marketing communications platform across the Korean appliance and electronics giant's variou sglobal business units. Bartle Bogle will also take on work for LG's global brand "and for most of its product divisions," starting in next Spring2008, LG says. The company's main lines include mobile communications; flat-panel TVs and monitors; computers and peripherals; audio and video equipment; and things like air conditioners, washing machines and refrigerators. Knocked out of …

Discovery may be cable subscribers' favorite channel, but the one with the highest perceived value is ESPN2, according to a new beta Research study. Discovery' stop ranking was based on a percentage of consumers who named it first when asked their five favorite basic channels. It scored 33% with ESPN second at 30% and History Channel third at 24%, Rounding out the top five were Food Network at 18% and Fox News at 17%. (CNN came in eighth on the list, with 15%.) But consumers placed a value of $2.46 on ESPN2, topping sibling ESPN at $2.40; ESPN …

NBC is turning over some of its precious prime time to outside producers as the nets tries to spend less money on programming in a challenging entertainment landscape. Under a new deal, the Peacock Network will carve out a two-hour block on its prime-time schedule for adventure documentaries produced by Thom Beers, known for cable shows including "Deadliest Catch" and "Monster Garage." NBC has ordered three docudramas from Beers and BermanBraun, a production company formed this year by former network entertainment chiefs Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun. NBC has promised, at least in the beginning, to run …

Assuming the writers strike is settled, the networks are apparently considering the idea of running scripted programming well into summer to complete season-order commitments. With production on most comedies and dramas shut down or about to, regardless of when the strike ends, there will be a scheduling gap. So the nets are wondering how to schedule the remainder of the season if production starts up again. Most decisions will be made on an individual basis, taking into account how many episodes of a series have aired, how many remain and how long it will take for new ones …