Heading into its fifth year, American Idol, Fox's hit show, has set a new milestone for network TV: a record-high price tag for a 30-second commercial unit. For the new fall season, the cost of a
30-second spot during the Wednesday installment of the program has surpassed the $700,000 mark. That's a first for any regularly scheduled prime-time network series. Sources with firsthand knowledge
of the numbers confirmed that the average price for a 30-second unit in the program is $705,000, up about 7 percent from a year ago.
Read the whole story at Mediaweek, September 12, 2005 »