Online advertising spending increased about 36 percent in 2005, according to a new Piper Jaffray industry report, which “conservatively” forecast that it would increase about 24 percent in 2006, writes BtoB Online (via MarketingVOX). The financial services firm said online ad spending could increase 30 or more, with growth coming from both an increase in online budgets and a shift away from traditional.
Fox has announced a new Saturday night talk show to launch this fall and air from midnight to 12:30 a.m., following MADtv, Mediapost reports. The show, Talk Show with Spike Feresten, will compete against Saturday Night Live, and sounds a bit like that show as far as content goes: Feresten will mock celebrity host interviews (a late-night staple), and guests will offer monologues and do comedy sketches.
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TiVo is completing its rollout of various broadband services - including access to podcasts, games, music and online movie ticketing - via television sets, allowing users to play podcasts on their TVs, for example, reports MediaPost (via MarketingVOX). The podcasts are not recorded and so don’t take up storage space on DVR’s hard drive; ads that might in the podcast are left intact.
Penthouse Magazine has introduced a digital edition of its magazine. “By launching Penthouse digital, we are offering our advertisers a new venue and increased access to consumers,” said Penthouse CEO Marc Bell. “It’s also a lucrative means to distribute our content while still adding to our ABC rate base.” The newly digitized format was launched last week and showcases the February 2006 issue that is available on newsstands now. Penthouse readers can buy a digital subscription, or pick up a single issue.
According to Business Information Network, b-to-b ad pages were up 1.9 percent in November from a year earlier with year-to-date ad pages up 3.6 percent, BtoB reports.
B-to-b ad revenue was up 2.4 in November and nearly five percent year-to-date. Key growth categories included banking/financial/insurance and travel/conventions/meetings, which had year-to-date revenue increases of 25 percent and 24 percent, respectively.
Nokia, Intel, Motorola and other wireless equipment makers announced the formation of the Mobile DTV Alliance, which will promote an open standard - Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld (DVB-H) - for live TV on mobile phones, reports the Financial Times (via MarketingVox). Texas Instruments and Crown Castle International, which is building a DVB-H network in the U.S., are also members.
“As mobile video entertainment gains increased awareness and achieves greater availability, the Alliance will focus on promoting the best practices and open standards that deliver premium-quality broadcast television to mobile devices for the North American market,” the companies said.
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CBS and Time Warner plan to merge UPN and WB television networks into one, reports Bloomberg (via Fishbowl LA). The new entity will be titled CW Television Network, and will begin airing in September as the fifth-largest broadcaster by viewers. CBS and Time Warner will each own 50 percent. While the merging of the two might create a profitable network, the problem remains that both networks have lost viewers in the last two years.
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Though Microsoft, AOL and Yahoo have turned over search data (containing no personally identifiable information, they say) requested by the Justice Department, Google still refuses - “So why is Google the lone holdout?” asks Forbes.com (via MarketingVox). And it answers: “Perhaps the company really is worried about protecting your privacy. Much more likely: It is worried about protecting itself.” Though Google could be protecting trade secrets, including methodologies, the article points to other possibilities.
The Wisconsin State Journal is now allowing readers to vote, via the paper’s website, for which story they’d like most to see on the front page, Editor & Publisher reports. Four to five stories are offered daily between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Readers can see immediately how their choice ranks in overall reader choice, and come back later to see final results.
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XM Satellite Radio continues the development of its sports content with a new weekly sports show starring James Carville - Democratic political strategist and commentator - and Luke Russert, a sophomore at Boston College and son of NBC journalist Tim Russert, Mediaweek reports.
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Arbitron announced yesterday that three more agencies have committed to using its radio audience estimates based on the portable people meter system when Arbitron deploys it, Radio Ink writes. The agencies are FogartyKleinMonroe, Love Advertising, and Mediagraphix Media Services.
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Frank Lowe has apparently lost the battle to woo Ed Morris away from the London office of IPG’s Lowe to join him at his new agency, Adweek writes. The IPG shop has confirmed that Morris will remain executive creative director; sources say he decided to stay in response to the offer of a substantial raise, shares of IPG stock, and his name on the door.
Time Inc. has announced that it bought website Golf.com and its operating company, SirenServ, at terms that were undisclosed, AdAge reports. Golf.com brings to Time Inc. - which already operates GolfOnline.com and the Golf Plus section of SI.com - gives the company the “best URL in golf,” said John Squires, co-chief operating officer.
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Commercial Alert, the consumer advocacy group that has worked to halt pharmaceutical direct-to-consumer advertising, has launched a new website in the hopes of educating the public about the dangers of prescription drug advertising, and rallying Americans to voice opposition to the ads, AdAge writes.
The FDA held two days of hearings on DTC prescription drug advertising in November, and is continuing to accept public comment on the topic until Feb. 28.
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