Martin Pitches Advertisers

MARTIN PITCHES ADVERTISERS
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin spoke at the Association of National Advertisers Advertising Law and Business Affairs Conference Thursday. He repeated his calls for media companies, both broadcasters and cable operators, to provide parents with more tools to help them navigate the entertainment waters, particularly when it comes to television. He asked for a return of the "family hour" on broadcast TV and again made a pitch for "a la carte" pricing for pay TV services. He made three points in favor of a la carte: "1) Providing cable channels on a more a la carte basis would decrease the uncertainty for advertisers and their clients about the viewership of smaller cable networks not covered or not accurately covered by Nielson. A la carte sales provide a much more accurate proxy for viewership than sales of the large tier of which the small network is currently one component. 2) If television programming is purchased a la carte, advertisers on a particular channel will know more about the characteristics of their potential audience. Knowing more about the types of consumers that are watching a particular channel means advertisers could target ads to the demographic composition of the audience more effectively. 3) I do not believe overall television viewing would decline -- and therefore advertisers would not be harmed -- if consumers had more choice."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-269594A1.doc

* Martin Pitches A La Carte to Advertisers
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6408373?title=Article&spacedesc=news