• by Wayne Friedman , February 28, 2014

Longtime TV advertising trade group the Syndicated Network Television Association will stop operations in July.

The 16-year-old group, which started in 1998, succeeded another syndicated ad trade group, the Advertiser Syndicated Television Association. Current SNTA members include: CBS Television Distribution, Warner Bros. Brand Networks, Disney-ABC Syndication, NBCUniversal Television Distribution, Twentieth Television and MGM Domestic Television.

While the group did a “fantastic” job in stirring up new advertising business for syndicated shows, says Irv Schulman, senior vice president of Disney-ABC Syndication, a longtime member of the group, internal efforts among the big TV companies in the organization replicate similar efforts.

Another reason for the decision to disband SNTA stems from the moniker for business’ TV shows. “One of the things we are trying to do is get away from the word syndication -- it's about programming,” says Schulman.

Recent efforts convincing advertisers to spend more on syndicated shows included less time-shifting of syndicated TV programming by viewers, and thus, less commercial-skipping. In addition, syndicated shows typically have shorter-length commercial pods -- benefiting high awareness and other advertising metrics.

Kantar Media says $5.16 billion was spent by TV advertisers in syndication in 2013.

Mitch Burg, president of the SNTA, did not respond to messages by press time.