Better-than-expected retail sales growth in September is boosting UBS' optimism in the U.S. advertising market outlook. The "modestly better retail environment may embolden ad buyers," says UBS analyst Michael Morris. Retail advertising represented 14% of all U.S. ad spending in 2008, per TNS. Morris thinks that healthier retail sales this year will encourage retailers to increase advertising "to compete for share of still shaky demand." Consensus advertising estimates "mistakenly estimate future advertising using conservative growth rates off depressed 2009 bases." As result, those estimates remain too low, he says. Last week, big retailers posted same-store sales figures for …

In another sign that a magazine's brand can be useful for something besides content, Rodale has struck a licensing and marketing deal to sell Men's Health- and Women's Health-branded workout kits and related products. The deal, with EB Sport Group, includes The Men's Health "Ultimate Total-Body Workout." It is designed by the magazine's editors and consists of equipment, a workout poster, a free subscription to the digital edition of the magazine and a free trial offer to a customized fitness and nutrition Web site. Women's Health magazine will offer a similar editor-developed program. The branded workout kits will …

Three magazine companies are extending their brands in innovative ways beyond print and online content -- and are showing skeptics that they can make money at it. At Meredith, for instance, annual licensing revenue grew 14% to $25 million this year, mostly from the sale of 1,500 Better Homes and Gardens-branded items through Walmart stores. New York magazine's annual New York Taste event draws some 1,000 people who fork about $200 to sample food and drink from the city's top chefs and mixologists. The magazine's New York Culinary Experience, a cooking weekend with acclaimed chefs, draws more than …

NBC's surprise decision to sack "Southland" has ticked off the Twitterverse -- including not just viewers, but cast members on the show and other shows and reporters who cover the TV industry. Only seven episodes of the series aired, but fan response to the cancellation has been harsh toward NBC. More than a few fans linked the "Southland" cancellation to NBC's 10 p.m. Jay Leno strategy. The Hollywood community on Twitter seemed just as shattered. "Why don't GE shareholders realize Jeff Zucker's a rudderless buffoon (and) demand NBC clean house," asked Kurt Sutter, creator of FX's "Sons of Anarchy." …

Following the season four premiere of "Dexter," Showtime is putting together a series of animated webisodes to accompany the series. "Dexter: Early Cuts" is a 12-part series consisting of four, 1-2 minute chapters, focusing on how Dexter's killing techniques evolved, from haphazard to the calculated methods seen on the show. The series is written by "Dexter" producer and writer Lauren Gussis and each webisode will have a different illustrator. The stories are driven by voiceover from Michael C. Hall, who plays Dexter. Other digital extensions for the show include an online and mobile game and a Facebook application.

As Comcast CEO Brian L. Roberts considers a deal to take majority control of NBC Universal, people who know him say he is most interested in NBC's sports assets. NBC controls the rights through 2012 for the Olympics and through 2013 for Sunday night National Football League games. With NBC's high-end sports, Roberts could build Comcast's smallish Versus sports channel into a bigger player. And with the NFL as a partner, Roberts could pressure the league to cut him a more robust deal to carry more football games. With NBC, Roberts will "have effectively created a potent competitor …

Newscasts running from 2½ to 12 minutes are finding viewers from Detroit to Knoxville to San Diego. The "snackable" programs hit home at a time when consuming short clips on YouTube and news sites are a part of life for many. "In today's world, where everybody's racing around, we thought it made sense," says XETV San Diego general manager Richard Doutre Jones. Other stations include: Acme's WBBX Knoxville, which partners with Gannett's WBIR to air a 12-minute news show as well as an 11-minute news pod on WBND South Bend. The bite-sized local programs let TV stations get into …

Back in August, Procter & Gamble claimed it was unaware it advertised in Glenn Beck's controversial news show and said that any P&G ads appearing in the show were mistakes. Turns out, such mistakes are easier than ever to make, and most errors aren't detected until weeks or months after the ad campaigns are over. To help fix the problem, several near-real-time verification systems have entered the market in the last year. The largest are Montreal-based Eloda 's Protocol and Nielsen's KeepingTrac. (Adweek is owned by Nielsen). GroupM has a blanket agreement with KeepingTrac for clients that want …

In the wake of Conde Nast's unexpected decision to fold its elite Gourmet, all magazines will get a harder look from some media buyers. "I just don't believe anyone anymore," says Scott Daly, Dentsu America executive media director. Brenda White, publishing activation director at Starcom USA, says she will now demand more detail about magazines' underlying financial strength. "We're going to have more transparency going forward," she says. Circulation, for instance, has been getting a harder look with buyers and planners questioning rate bases and unpaid sources like verified subs. They're also demanding data issue-specific ad measurement services from …

Newsweek's analysis of industry data provides evidence that Conde Nast could see its ad revenue drop by $1 billion in 2009. Through August, ad dollars already have plunged by about $600 million compared to last year. All of Conde's two dozen magazines have suffered declines, most stretching into the double digits. To get its $1 billion figure, Newsweek studied the magazines' monthly ad revenue figures based on their rate cards, which are supplied to the PIB. Conde Nast is believed to steadfastly adhere to its stated rates. Among the hardest hit are Architectural Digest, with revenue off by …