Western Companies Reject PETA Billboards

Young Electric Sign Company of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Next Media of Fort Collins, Colorado, have refused to post billboards from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in Cheyenne, Wyoming, writes KGWN CBS 5 News. PETA created the billboards sporting a digitally manipulated photo of a dog caught on a fishhook to promote their view that fishing is cruel.

Outdoor ‘Now As Flexible As Broadcast’

Technology is driving the rebirth of outdoor - with growth in the U.S. reaching eight percent over last year, putting outdoor growth second only to the internet - writes Time Europe. By interacting with outdoor ads, consumers can now download music, watch movie trailers or play video games. Signs can send a digital coupon to cell phones, and soon they may start addressing consumers by name.

TV Networks, Stations File Suit Against FCC Ruling

ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox networks, along with their affiliate stations and the Hearst-Argyle Television group of stations, have filed lawsuits in several federal courts against a Federal Communications Commission ruling made March 15 that found several programs ”indecent” because of foul language, writes The New York Times.

Fox to Post TV Reruns Online

Fox network has signed a six year revenue-sharing agreement with its 187 affiliated stations that will let it show 60 percent of its prime-time television programs on the internet the morning after the shows first air on TV, Reuters writes.

Return Path Bows ‘Sender Score,’ Hopes to Improve Deliverability

Return Path has launched a reputation management product for email marketers that gives companies a “credit score” - based on data from email receivers that is then analyzed by the company’s proprietary technology - for their email campaigns, in order to help in their deliverability efforts, writes DM News.

“Delivery has long been about reputation. If you have a good one, your email gets delivered. If not, the inbox can be an extremely hard destination to reach. Trouble is, figuring out your email reputation has been hard to do - until now,” writes George Bilbrey, vp and gm delivery assurance solutions for Return Path.

Teen Titles Face Shakeout

Though ad revenue for the teen magazine market is on the rise, with a 6.2 percent year-over-year growth in ad pages through May, the circulation side is softening, which may mean that the category will be seeing a shakeout, Mediaweek reports. Teen People, the newcomer in 1998 that shook up the market and paved the way for Cosmo Girl, Teen Vogue, and the recently shuttered Elle Girl, is struggling to maintain its No. 2 position, according to the article.

Promo Product Spending Greater than Cable, Outdoor

Spending on promotional products jumped 5.1 percent in 2005 to $17.8 billion, according to estimates released Friday by the Advertising Specialty Institute, Mediapost reports.

American Idol Finale Spots Hit $1.3 Million

American Idol will be the most expensive and sought-after season-ender and could even top the 29.4 million viewers that watched last season’s finale, AdAge reports. Spots during the May 24 show will cost more than double the average unit price in “Idol,” which is $496,866 for the Tuesday edition and $518,466 for the Wednesday results show, and could cost $1.3 million.

RAB Tries to Lure Advertisers with Campaign

The Radio Advertising Bureau this week launched a new print advertising campaign that promotes radio’s effectiveness for advertisers and their agencies, BtoB reports.