NBC’s special 3D episode of Medium Monday night averaged a 4.7 Nielsen overnight rating among viewers 18-49, its highest rating in five weeks, Media Life writes. This has been the most successful stunt for the network so far, as a live West Wing Debate two weeks ago and Sunday’s Poseidon Adventure failed. There had been some doubt as to whether the 3D episode would be a success among viewers, as they were required to get 3D glasses in TV Guide.
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Leslie Gold, aka the RadioChick, will leave Sirius Satellite Radio and return to terrestrial radio as host of afternoon drive on WXRK-FM in New York, beginning Jan. 3, 2006, Mediaweek writes. WXRK-FM will switch to Talk as Free FM, Infinity Broadcasting announced last week; Gold will join David Lee Roth and Penn Jillette as on-air additions to the show. Gold has been with Sirius for a year.
Google has temporarily shut down Google Analytics to new users because it has been unable to keep up with customer demand since the company began offering the service for free last week, PC World reports. Google Analytics hopefuls are asked to supply their names and email addresses so that they can be notified once Google begins accepting new accounts again, which it hopes to do “very shortly,” according to a Google spokesperson.
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Google is already taking advantage of Google Base, using not only information submitted by local merchants but also a third-party database of national product inventory, organized by locality, to launch a local version of its Froogle shopping service; now, both classified advertising and yellow pages publishers (not to mention other online shopping services) will likely be facing a serious challenge from Google - writes the New York Times (via MarketingVox).
If users of Froogle type “video iPod Granite City Illinois,” for example, they would see map information with the locations of stores that have the product in stock.
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NYC’s AdSpace Networks offers full-motion video ads for display on screens located throughout 22 U.S. malls in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Sacramento, Media Life writes. There are an average of 15 displays per mall, showing an average of 2,000 spots per day.
Frontline Handcrafts, a new catalog featuring handcrafts made by Christian artisans who otherwise could not find a commercial outlet for their wares, launched this month by Christian Freedom International, DM News reports. The nonprofit human rights organization, which began operation in 1983, provides direct aid such as medical relief work, food, clothes, and tools in countries such as Bangladesh and Indonesia, where Christians face oppression.
The Yankees’ Derek Jeter has joined forces with XM Satellite Radio to promote XM’s Major League Baseball programming, XM announced yesterday. The deal also includes a partnership with the Turn 2 Foundation, the nonprofit organization founded by Jeter to promote healthy, drug-free lifestyles and academic achievement for young people.
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The United States Postal Service has announced that its recently-approved rate increase will take effect on January 8, one week earlier than expected, Folio reports.
Great Britain college student Alex Tew, creator of Million Dollar Homepage, has brought in $623,800 in ad revenue from selling various pixel-sized ads and will, likely, reach his goal of one million dollars, Adrants reports.
Ashton Kutcher’s production company, Katalyst, will launch a new pilot on NBC in fall 2006, Media Life writes. The half-hour show, titled For Pete’s Sake, features a group of characters who continually find themselves reincarnated, with the central cast finding itself in new workplace settings and situations every several weeks.
Eric Gililland of That 70s Show will write and act as executive producer for the show.
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According to a study by Mediamark Research, nearly 60 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 11 go online at least once a month, and about one in 12 goes online daily, MediaPost reports. Among the demographic, 84.2 percent of respondents saying they had played a video game within the last 30 days, and 20.3 percent said they played every day. Nearly 30 percent of boys saying they played every day, as compared to only 11.1 percent of girls.
Internet ad revenue in 3Q05 reached a record $3.1 billion, 33.9 percent more than in 3Q04 - and the first time that quarterly revenue crossed $3 billion - raising hopes that it could reach $12 billion for the year (which would also be a record), writes DM News (via MarketingVox), citing PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates prepared for the Interactive Advertising Bureau. The third-quarter figures were, despite the traditionally sluggish month of August, 4.7 percent higher than the second quarter’s $2.9 billion.
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NBC Universal plans to take Trio, its arts and pop culture cable channel, off the air and move it online by Jan. 2006, according to Mediapost. Trio will offer online viewers - under the BravoTV.com banner - much of the same content that is available on cable TV, including documentaries, music videos, and its Brilliant, But Cancelled series.
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JetBlue will name WPP’s JWT and Mediacom to handle creative and media duties respectively, according to sources, Adweek writes. Four other contenders - Taxi, Amalgamated, mcgarrybowen, and incumbent The Ad Store - pitched for the creative account. Another creative contender, Bartle Bogle Hegarty, withdrew last month after winning British Airways’ $100 million global account.
Media incumbent, Wieden + Kennedy, did not defend. JetBlue’s ad account is estimated at $25 million.
Clothing retailers are taking advantage of the NBA’s mandatory dress code - the league wants players outfitted in business attire for league functions, including sitting on the bench and making appearances - by offering free high-end suits to players, AdAge reports. Looking for brand ambassadors, Levi Strauss & Co.’s Dockers brand has offered to outfit all 450 NBA players with business-casual clothing, J.A. Apparel’s Joseph Abboud has sent a letter to more than 100 NBA players - with the league’s approval - offering a clothing-for-advertising deal, and Valentino has also contacted the league about an apparel deal.
Tribune Broadcasting’s WB station in New York, WPIX, will continue to carry Mets games for another three years, thanks to a deal with SportsNet New York, according to Mediaweek. The agreement begins in spring 2006, giving WPIX the right to broadcast up to 25 games. SportsNet New York and WPIX will cross-promote Mets baseball through on-air, print, and website promotions.
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Brightcove has completed a video content distribution partnership with AOL that lets video publishers syndicate their video content directly to AOL.com. The companies will market a co-branded version of the Brightcove service as the self-service platform for publishing video on AOL.com. Publishers will also be able to generate revenue from the advertising and pay media sales of their content on AOL.com and other video gateways on the AOL network of web properties.
Brightcove has also announced that AOL IAC/InterActiveCorp, The Hearst Corporation, and Allen & Company LLC have invested $16.2 million in Brightcove.
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Pfizer will break a television spot this week discussing erectile dysfunction, it’s first since Pfizer’s Viagra commercials were pulled from the air in November 2004, following criticism by the Food and Drug Administration, Adweek reports. The unbranded spot is in the form of an educational campaign encouraging men to call a Pfizer help line to talk about their condition and to receive advice on how to approach their doctors. The approach is consistent with Pfizer’s promise to make its advertising more informative and educational.
