Dish Network announces that it will be using Invidi's Advatar technology to deliver addressable, targeted national and local television advertising. Dish will be among the first pay-TV providers to sell ads according to specific household geographic, demographic and other pre-determined viewer metrics. Traditional satellite broadcast delivery is currently limited to all homes receiving the same commercials. Invidi's system complies with all privacy laws and the company's own privacy policy, according to Dish.

MediaCom is aggressively reshaping its organization under the tutelage of Doug Checkeris, North American CEO. The reorg includes integrating digital, realigning of clients into five core clusters, and strengthening planning, search, events and branded entertainment capabilities. Plans also call for new office space. Next year, all 500 MediaCom staffers will move to the same building as sister shop Mindshare in New York's garment district. The space includes a loft-like area that will serve as auditorium, café and meeting space. Perhaps most telling in the new space is that no one at MediaCom will get an office. …

Media buyers are shocked that Levi's wants an accurate idea of what other agencies are paying for ad buys. But if you look at the issue from the client's point of view, the real scandal is media buyers' lack of transparency on pricing issues. In virtually every other market -- from the stock exchange to the supermarket -- prices are on full display for everyone to see. But on Madison Avenue, if a client wants to know what its competitors and non-competitors are paying for media, and what agencies are charging them to handle it, different rules apply. …

Mounting debt and a sharp drop in advertising at many radio broadcasters have led to a slashing of their valuations to fire-sale levels. Up to the late 1990s, broadcast radio was highly profitable, weathering challenges from TV, the Internet and other rivals. But now all that has changed. "It's grim, absolutely the worst I've seen,"" says Farid Suleman, CEO of Citadel Broadcasting, owner of a radio network and 200 radio stations in the nation's largest markets.

Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings says third-quarter profits dropped 83.3% as the global slowdown hits international ad markets. The San Antonio-based company, which specializes in billboards and other outdoor displays, says growth in digital U.S. networks and billboard demand in Latin American partially offset weakness in its Americas division. Hurting its profits were declining ad demand overseas and changes in foreign exchange rates, which raised third-quarter operating expenses by $18.1 million. "Internationally, we felt the impact of the growing global slowdown across our Western European businesses, particularly in France and the U.K.," says an executive.

In what would be a first for college sports, the University of Texas hopes to debut its own 24/7 sports network on cable and satellite. School officials are in talks with Time Warner, Comcast and AT&T to distribute Longhorn Sports Network in Texas and possibly in bordering states. IMG Worldwide would oversee the university's licensing, marketing, and multimedia rights. If the channel launches successfully, it will mark the first time a university has created its own sports TV network with broad distribution.

MTV is trying to make it easier for advertisers to find elusive young men on TV, by packaging together programs in its network that deliver that audience. Comedy Central's "South Park" and Spike's "The Ultimate Fighter," which both air at 10 p.m. Wednesday, are collectively sold as a "man's block." The shows' combined ratings account for a big share of the male 18-to-34 demo. Electronic Arts and other advertisers are now using the Wednesday man block to customize ads. On Nov. 12, EA will run three theatrical trailers for a new video game on Comedy Central. At the …

Barack Obama's successful run for the presidency was not enough to boost newspaper sales in his hometown of Chicago, even though giddy readers scrambled to grab keepsake copies of the Nov. 5 issues. From April to September this year, the Tribune's weekday circulation dropped nearly 8% and the Sun-Times fell by nearly 4%. (Web traffic, however, was robust.) The circ declined despite high drama. The period included the final months of Obama's face-off with Hillary Clinton, his clinching of the nomination and controversial developments around Chicago-based figures. "It doesn't bode well for newspapers if people are buying …