According to a new report from Datamonitor, the global television broadcast market should rise to $326.2 billion by 2010, up from just $284.1 billion last year. However, the study, titled "2008 Trends to Watch: Media and Broadcasting Technology," notes that growth will only occur via revenue diversification from value-added and bundled services, like Internet services, HD content, on-demand, interactive applications and multi-platform distribution. "From personal media players (PMPs), to TV sets, to mobile phones, people will access media content on a variety of different devices over a multitude of communications networks," says Datamonitor Media and Broadcasting Analyst Chris Khouri, …

After ditching an ad strategy synonymous with its brand for decades, Absolut vodka has seen a nice sales bump with its "It's an Absolut world" themed approach that launched in 2007. According to the company, global case shipments have risen 9%, while it gained share in the crowded and increasingly competitive U.S. market. The No. 2 U.S. vodka brand broke the 5 million case mark last year for the first time -- a status its shares only with Bacardi, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan and Jack Daniels. "We took a really different approach, and it paid …

Mark Burnett, he of "Survivor" fame, has cut a deal with Sony Pictures Television to help produce a U.S. version of "Dragons' Den," the Japanese reality show in which aspiring entrepreneurs try to sell already-successful moguls on their ideas. The project is something of a departure for Burnett in that he has generally produced shows on his own. It could also signal that Sony intends to step-up production of prime-time reality fare. The deal stems from Burnett's relationship with Sony chief Howard Stringer and president Steve Mosko. "We've been trying to find a way to collaborate, and …

A new ad campaign for Welch's Grape juice breaks fresh ground as it attempts to lure consumers -- via magazine executions -- to actually "Peel and Taste" the product by peeling back a foil strip to sample the stuff. But while sniffable ads for things like perfume and detergent have been around for years, this may be a harder sell; many folks may balk at the idea of actually licking a magazine page. A company called First Flavor came up with the idea and a spokesperson says that they are ready to create different types of taste strips for …

Viewers may have noticed the absence of striking writers from late-night comedy shows, but it made little difference in their watching habits, according to some ratings data. For instance, while Jon Stewart has now changed back the name of his Comedy Central program from "A Daily Show" to "The Daily Show" with the return of his writers, his audience never really drifted away. Stewart pulled an average 1.6 million viewers in January -- same as last year. And Stephen Colbert's audience of 1.2 million last month was actually up 6% from the 2007 average, according to Nielsen …

Jared Fogle--who has been the Subway's main pitchman since he lost 245 pounds in 1998 by eating Subway sandwiches and exercising--is hitting the road on a 12-city tour to promote a new childhood obesity-prevention plan. The Three-Point Plan offers funding for school nutrition and fitness programs and gives parents the tools to make healthy foods choices for their children. Subway plans to raise $2 million through donations and fund-raising efforts. The six-month journey--called "Tour de Pants"--will make stops at the South Beach Food and Wine Festival, NASCAR events and American Heart Association walks. People can take pictures of …