• by Wayne Friedman , October 2, 2006

Television syndication executives say they have the answer to TV's longtime problem of ad clutter: Buy more syndication.

According to a report by the Syndicated Network Television Association, pod lengths are shorter in syndication, so advertisers have a greater than 83 percent chance of being in the "A" or "B" pod positions--the first or second commercial to air after a program segment. These numbers, SNTA adds, are far below either broadcast or cable networks.

The best chance of securing an "A" or "B" position is with a sitcom: 96 percent. Next comes entertainment magazine news shows, at 94 percent. Court shows are at 79 percent; game shows are 78 percent. At the bottom are talk shows, which will give advertisers a 74 percent chance to get prime pod placement.

By comparison, many cable networks use their "A" positions for themselves, touting their own shows. In one case, according to a media-agency research executive, one cable network gives 80 percent to 90 percent of its "A" positions to its own promos.

SNTA says pod lengths are also a big issue. It says national syndication pods average just 2:18, while its exclusive national pods average--those that don't have any local spots attached--are just 1:28 long.

Fewer commercials, says SNTA, mean greater commercial recall. Commercial pods that contain one to three commercials have 34 percent higher recall than pods containing four to six commercials.

"You have to be careful," warns Sam Ormando, senior vice president and director of television research for Starcom Media Group. "The likelihood is that shorter pods will have higher ad and brand recall. I don't want to discredit them, but it may not be 100 percent of the time that shorter pods [are better than longer pods]. You have to look at other programs in other dayparts."