Media Sales Today

The future holds challenges for the broadcast television industry. While panelists at last week’s discussion of Columbus, Ohio broadcast TV leadership highlighted their concerns about what lies ahead, they also shared their views on how to turn those challenges into opportunities, namely through providing good content.

In December 2010, nearly 95 percent of advertising sales managers projected increased ad revenue in 2011, but a new study shows 76 percent now anticipate increases, and with much lower overall expectations. According to the mid-year update of the AdMall 2011 Local Advertising Sales Forecast, just 1.5 percent of these ad managers anticipated a decline in sales coming into the year, now 16.1 percent project lower numbers.

Sshhhh. I’ve got a secret for you. Advertisers want to buy time during scripted shows, not reality shows. “What?” You gasp. “I know,” I whisper back. Media buyers are reporting a small, slow shift in the paradigm.

It looks like broadcast advertising is making a comeback — as indicated by early commitments. Advertising Age estimates that advertisers have ponied up between $8.1 and $8.7 billion among the 5 networks. The spending is a gain from last year, and the amount of time bought increased from 2009.

AdMall announced today the availability of the Media Sales Mobile app, designed specifically for media advertising sales professionals. Media Sales Mobile features advertising opportunities, local prospect lists and nearby demographics, consultative sales tips and conversation starters.

Can you stand one more advertising revenue forecast? The first quarter has just ended, and revised 2010 forecasts are popping up. A new forecast from Barclays Capital has ad revenue numbers for some traditional media types being revised up instead of down for the first time in several quarters.

So I ran across a rather interesting Advertising Age article this week, and was dumbstruck that no one had thought of this idea before. Obituaries on the television. Brilliant!