• by Wayne Friedman , September 6, 2005

A number of broadcast and cable hurricane benefit efforts will cost TV programmers collectively around $10 million to $15 million dollars in national advertising time, according to media executives.

One network advertising sales executive said advertising commercials originally intended to run during these time periods would be re-aired in other programming. But that domino effect will affect other television time and programs, thus resulting in--at least on paper--lost advertising dollars.

Several millions more in local advertising time will be lost from stations in New Orleans and other Gulf Coast markets unable to broadcast regularly scheduled programming.

Last Friday, the six broadcast networks finally announced that they would simulcast a concert effort, "Shelter From The Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast," for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, on Friday, September 9. Details concerning celebrities weren't known at press time. The one-hour commercial-free show will be broadcast live from New York City and Los Angeles at 8:00 p.m. EST, and made available to other broadcast networks, cable networks, radio stations, and broadband Internet providers.

The NBC concert show, "A Concert For Hurricane Relief," was underwritten by Capital One, which served up a message from its chairman/CEO at the top of the show for viewers to donate money to the victims. As it did with the six-network simulcast for 9/11 and NBC's Tsunami benefit, Capital One provided its 1500-person call center, where viewers could call to make donations. Capital One itself made a $1 million donation to the American Red Cross.

"Shelter" came to fruition after a number of other network benefits were announced--ones from MTV Networks, BET, and NBC. It has not been determined whether the six-network show will get an advertising-underwriter--as with NBC's effort--to pay for that broadcast.

All shows are looking to raise funds through donations. Some estimates are that a massive $100 billion will be needed to rebuild New Orleans and other Gulf Coast cities.