• by adam.m , Michael Deibert , September 23, 2005

Media buying heads speaking at The International Radio & Television Society Foundation's "Newsmaker Breakfast" on Thursday told attendees that "the messaging and message both (must) really match up with the media form" as they discussed such outside forces such as hurricanes and trends such as podcasting that are buffeting the industry.

"I think there will be some fallout in the final quarter (in the aftermath of the hurricanes)," said Zenith Media President Peggy Green as she urged a "collaborative" approach with vendors, noting that "pricing should be fair, and pricing should be realistic."

Others on the five-person panel at Manhattan's Waldorf-Astoria used words such as "stable" and "status quo" to describe the way the television advertising market stands now, before the fallout from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita makes its presence felt in real number terms.

"Consumer confidence is on a roller coaster," said Donna Speciale, president for U.S. Broadcast with MediaVest. "The fourth quarter is what we need to monitor."

Discussing new advertising platforms such as podcasting, many of the assembled executives asserted that it was imperative that advertisers embrace--rather than be intimidated by--the new technology.

"If the consumer accepts this...Then we're going to find a way to use it as a marketing device," said Charlie Rutman, CEO of MPG North America, urging his clients to experiment with non-traditional media.

"If consumers are there and viewing it, we will be there." Speciale commented in reference to a question about long-form video on the Internet.