• Ad Age, Tuesday, June 6, 2006 11:47 AM

Consumers looking for a little distraction at the gas pump to take their minds off skyrocketing gasoline prices can now watch TV ads while they pour increasing amounts of money into their tanks. A new company called Gas Station TV will install video advertising systems on pumps in 100 stations in Atlanta and Houston before the end of the year, allowing consumers to watch local and national content spiced with 15-second ads on 20-inch, pump-mounted digital TV screens. The company expects to reach the top 10 markets by January with 400 gas stations, according to CEO David Leider. "The key is--this audience is mobile and basically tethered at the pump for an average of four to four-and-a-half minutes," Leider said. GSTV's measurement is more accurate than in-home TV, he said, because data are based on the number of transactions at the pumps. "It's a captive audience." The content comes from a deal the company has brokered with ABC, which provides national and local news, sports, weather, traffic content, and advertising. GSTV takes ABC's content, inserts ads from its own advertisers, and creates four-minute loops with 15-second commercials. The same audio and video will air simultaneously on all screens at each station. GSTV's revenue comes from the ads it sells. The company did not release numbers, but said pricing is comparable to a spot cable buy.

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