• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, August 12, 2008

The Green Bay CBS affiliate, WFRV-TV, is taking a bunch of New York Jets games this fall - all because their beloved Brett Favre. is playing in another green uniform.

It's hard to let go, and considering how strong the Fox affiliate must be in airing the Green Bay Packers games, there's little downside. Except....

What happens when the 7-8 Jets are playing, say, the 2-13 Dolphins in week 17, and the station could have been airing a stronger match -- say, between New England Patriots-Buffalo Bills or Tennessee Titans-Indianapolis Colts -- that day?

What will happen in week eight, when Favre's aging body might succumb to sudden lack of durability? Will the CBS general sales manager want to go out and schlep commercials the next day for the following New York-Miami contest?

I can understand the attraction of Brett Favre in Green Bay, and perhaps I can understand the CBS station, which has perhaps nothing to lose since it's such a strong Green Bay football town anyway. So there is little downside to airing another professional football game the same day featuring a high profile former Packer player.

The real question is how long will this novelty last, and, more importantly, what about TV advertisers who will be buying up that inventory in both markets - especially on the CBS affiliate in Green Bay. Perhaps that station will be on the media plan because Green Bay or other area regional marketers are looking to cover themselves no matter what happens to the new-look Packers or the new-look Jets.

The folks at the Green Bay Fox-affiliate, WLUK-TV, will have a different take on things. On paper the green team from Green Bay, which got into the NFC Championship game a year ago, looks better than the green uniformed-team in New York, which earned a 4-12 record. Local TV advertisers have no doubt already showed interest.

The end result is, the NFL hopes all Favre news coverage will float all boats, hoping to stir more viewers to watch.

This is the stuff from which TV advertising legends are made, betting the house on the unexpected results of pro sports teams. Who were those advertisers that bought the New York Giants locally a year ago at relatively inexpensive local TV rates?

It's the stuff of media champions, I'm told.