Disney to include local ads with ABC shows online

DISNEY TO INCLUDE LOCAL ADS WITH ABC SHOWS ONLINE
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Gina Keating]
The Walt Disney Co. on Wednesday said it reached an agreement with ABC television affiliates to include local advertising in the network's online offering of seven prime-time TV series, including "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost." Disney plans to reintroduce its free, ad-supported broadband video player software at ABC.com later this month after a two-month test this summer showed that viewers could recall the interactive ads at far higher rates than on TV airings. ABC affiliates had expressed concern that the Web program would cut into viewership and appeared to offer no local advertising participation. On Wednesday, ABC said it had agreed to allow local affiliates to sell one ad per episode, in what it believes is the first time local ads have been inserted in a nationally operated broadband player. Local stations can feature the broadband player on their Web sites, and will keep all revenue from ads they sell for the player, Disney said. Affiliates have agreed to promote the player software online and on air, and the ABC Affiliate Board has endorsed the program.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=industryNews&storyID=2006-09-13T185647Z_01_N13442261_RTRIDST_0_INDUSTRY-MEDIA-DISNEY-DC.XML

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