As cable outlets such as Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network gained traction, advertisers have had the opportunity to appear in kid-focused programming during more hours of the day and more days of the week. But that is no longer enough. TV is still a "first-priority media, but we can't just rely on TV like we could in years past," says Ted Ellet, group media director at DraftFCB. Not all children are watching TV, and those that are watching sometimes replace their TV viewership with online video consumption, he says. About 48% of consumers between the ages of 8 and 12 …

The Minority Media Council wants the FCC to extend its broadcast advertising nondiscrimination rule to cable, satellite and telcos as well. The change would "ensure an equal footing in the fight against advertising discrimination." In March 2009, the FCC required broadcasters to certify their ad contracts do not discriminate on the basis of race or gender. Minority media had long complained that "no urban" and "no Spanish" dictates in ad contracts excluded a large swath of minority-targeted media. At the time, the Minority Council said the ban on broadcast ad discrimination could help recover about $125 million …

Young Broadcasting, the New York television station operator, filed Chapter 11 federal bankruptcy late last week. Young says it plans to continue operating its 10 TV stations without interruption. The company is "restructuring our debt, not our operations," says dhairman Vincent Young. "We will emerge from Chapter 11 better equipped to thrive in this changing economic environment with less leverage." The company, which also operates the television-representation firm Adam Young Inc., has five stations affiliated with ABC network, three with CBS, one with NBC, and one with News Corp.'s MyNetwork. A year ago, Young Broadcasting tried to sell …

The contract for Rupert Murdoch's chief lieutenant, News Corp. President Peter Chernin, expires June 30, and the two executives have been locked in negotiations for months. They haven't struck a deal, and concern is mounting inside the company, and on Wall Street, that Chernin will not renew. Some Fox executives worry that Chernin, who has been key to the company's smooth operations, might leave News Corp. at a difficult time. For his part, Chernin has been tight-lipped about his plans. Some analysts are alarmed by the domino effect in management his departure could trigger. "We fear the longer …

In a Q&A session, Publicis CEO Maurice Levy discusses how he plans to win market share this year and his agency's acquisition strategy for 2009. Publicis has $3.6 billion available for potential deals. "We'll do a moderate level of acquisitions this year, including digital assets in all markets and opportunities in emerging markets," says Levy. "We're only looking for good opportunities that carry a fair price. People think we're on a buying spree, so we're obviously turning down a lot." Larger acquisitions are not at the top of the list, he notes. "If we see an acquisition of a …

People StyleWatch is convinced that magazines about shopping still have plenty of relevance among women in their 20s. Editor Susan Kaufman says, "Our demographic still shops, she isn't worrying so much about a mortgage and putting kids through college." The monthly spinoff of People is designed to show readers how to mimic celebrities' styles. StyleWatch's circ grew 15.2% in the second-half of 2008. To glean information about readers' likes, while assuring advertisers that people are still shopping, the title is beefing up an editorial feature that encourages readers to send text messages. The messages can buy products in …

As the recession takes its toll on firms that rely on advertising, TV stations are running ads they once considered inappropriate. For instance, the Absolut Vodka commercials during the Grammy Awards marked the first time in years that liquor ads ran in prime time on network-owned stations. Also crowding the airwaves during heavy viewing hours are infomercials once reserved for the middle of the night and ads touting extramarital affairs and the intimate uses of K-Y Jelly. Marketing experts say the trend toward adult advertisers has accelerated since the financial crisis began. "When you have the evaporation of …

The Chris Brown scandal will likely add to the slowdown of artist endorsements in ads. This year's Grammy telecast is a milestone in the decline of celebrity endorsements, which dropped by 46% compared to last year, per GreenLight, a media and talent rights clearinghouse. Rather than a blip, the decline is part of a larger shift. Grammys ads with celebrity endorsements slid from 21% of spots in 2007 to 13% last year to only 7% of spots this year, excluding ads for recordings and movie trailers. This doesn't mean marketing with celebs is out. Fewer celebrity endorsements reflect …

Disney has the 'tween girl market cornered. Now the company wants to dominate the male 6-to-14 market by rolling out Disney XD, a cable channel and Web site. The Toon Disney replacement will offer original action-adventure and comedy series, movies, animation and sports-themed shows developed with corporate cousin ESPN. Disney Channels President Rich Ross says the new channel is significantly different from rivals Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. "We're not launching an animated network, so by definition Cartoon Network, is in a different world. And Nick has always had a gender-neutral service," rather than being boy-centric, he says. "Importantly, we're …

Known for its production values, Fox Sports is trying to balance technical expertise with the need to make its telecasts more cost-effective. Fox Sports chairman David Hill says the network has trimmed costs at NASCAR's Daytona 500 festivities this weekend. For instance, it has partnered with ESPN, with the networks hiring the same technicians who work Saturday at Daytona for ESPN and then Sunday for Fox Sports. In the past, there would have been two teams of technicians. For the past year Fox Sports has been looking "minutely at all our productions," including the NFL and MLB on …