Prime-Time TV Commercial Prices Plummet, CBS Faces Biggest Drop

The cost of an average prime-time price plummeted 15% during the fourth quarter of 2008, and CBS led the decline with a whopping 22% decline, according to TargetCast tcm. TargetCast estimates that the price of a prime-time network TV commercial fell to $122,133, down 15% from the fourth quarter of 2007. The prime-time unit price deflation is being caused by a number of factors, says TargetCast Senior Vice President, Director of Broadcast Gary Carr--but the two biggest factors are the economy and the networks' declining share of TV audience viewing. Media executives admit they weren't prepared for dealing with the pain of a recession and transition to the Internet simultaneously.