Stern Could Propel Sirius Ad Sales

XM is ahead of Sirius in terms of total ad sales and the percentage they contribute to total revenue, but that’s likely to change in the future, Radio Ink reports. Industry researchers estimate that, with Stern on the way, five years from now, eight percent to 12 percent of Sirius’s revenue will come from ad sales, while at XM it will be about five percent.

Four out of Ten to Buy Holiday Gifts Online

Nearly 43 percent of consumers plan to purchase holiday gifts online, up from 38.3 percent a year ago, according to an October survey commissioned by the National Retail Federation (NRF), which estimates that holiday sales - online and offline - will total $435.3 billion, up 5 percent from last year, reports Internet Retailer (via MarketingVox). Average holiday spending on holiday gifts, decorations, greeting cards, candy and food and flowers is expected to be $738, up 5.1 percent from 2004.

Breast Cancer Foundation Upset by Anti-Abortion Billboards

The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation is upset that Life Canada, an anti-abortion group, has used the Foundation’s trademark pink ribbon on outdoor billboards linking breast cancer with abortion, the CBC News reports. Life Canada has put up three billboards in Alberta featuring the pink ribbon beside the words “stop the cover up” and the address of a website that links abortions with breast cancer.

The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation is looking into whether Life Canada has infringed on their trademark by using the pink ribbon.

Clear Channel Rev Down in Q3, Set to Fall in Q4

Clear Channel Communications posted yesterday a 21 percent slide in profits for the third quarter, due to lower radio advertising sales, Reuters reports. The radio station chain warned that current-quarter revenues were set to fall, as well. The effort to reduce ad time and drive up advertising prices - which in turn would draw bigger audiences - has boosted listening trends, the company said, but revenues have continued to decline.

Yahoo Content Venture Takes Adventurous Paths

Yahoo continues its adventurous ways by generating more original content intended to differentiate it from rivals Google, MSN and AOL and expand its already large - the online world’s largest - audience; it has hired author and film director Richard Bangs to create multimedia packages about exotic and sometimes dangerous expeditions around the world, reports the Associated Press (via MarketingVox).

Bangs’s initial effort, a five-part serial, debuted Monday and revolves around a climb up the Eiger, the Swiss peak featured in the Clint Eastwood’s “The Eiger Sanction.” Bangs plans to present other adventures about once a month.

Worldata Remains Open, On Diesel Backup in FL

List manager/broker Worldata has managed to keep offices open today in the face of yesterday’s damage from Hurricane Wilma, DM News reports. The company, based in Boca Raton, Florida, was hit by the category 3-force storm but survived with a few downed trees and no electricity. With diesel backup, it has been able to remain in full swing.

Telemarketers Fined for Selling Nonexistent Credit Cards

A group of telemarketers, charged with selling nonexistent credit cards to U.S. consumers, have agreed to pay $415,000 to settle Federal Trade Commission charges, DM News reports. The defendants - Sun Spectrum Communications Organization Inc., North American Communications Organization Inc., WWCI2002 Inc., and Canadian corporation 9106-7843 Quebec Inc. - targeted consumers with poor credit, used fictitious business names, requested bank account and social security information from consumers, and never sent the credit cards promised.

AOL’s AIM Bows New Look, Targets College Audience

AOL will be launching a campaign to attract users age 18-24 to its AIM instant messaging (IM) service and has named San Francisco independent shop Attik to executed the “I AM” campaign, which relies heavily on nontraditional and interactive means of reaching the intended demographic - such as campus-wide indoor and outdoor postings in colleges and ads on websites frequented by young users, including social networking sites MySpace and Facebook, reports AdWeek (via MarketingVox). Attik is also running four-color print ads in 43 college newspapers, but no TV ads. Spending was not disclosed.

Primedia: May Split Consumer Guides from Enthusiast Media

Magazine publisher Primedia Inc. said yesterday that it is exploring a potential split in two, separating into two publicly traded entities its Consumer Guides segment from its Enthusiast Media and Education segments, Marketwatch reports.

WB Declines May Not Be All Bad

While the WB has begun yet another fall broadcast season with significant declines in overall prime-time ratings, some media buyers believe its strategy of offering more story lines for the older end of its 12-34 key demo may still ultimately boost viewership, Mediaweek writes. Laura Caraccioli-Davis, senior vp and director of Starcom MediaVest Group Entertainment said, “They may just have tried to change too much too fast and alienated some of their viewers in the process.” She said she “doesn’t disagree” with their strategy. Another media buyer said, “there’s still a long way to go before the final chapter is written.”