Nonprofit TV in big ad venture

NONPROFIT TV IN BIG AD VENTURE
[SOURCE: Boston Herald, AUTHOR: Jesse Noyes]
The adventures of the modern media buyer aren't usually the stuff of standard children’s book lore. But in an effort to woo sponsorship dollars for its children’s programming, Boston-based public broadcaster WGBH has created a story book about a media buyer convincing a client to spend ad dollars on shows likes “Arthur” and “Clifford the Big Red Dog.” The book, titled “The Happy Client,” was sent to over 1,000 industry contacts. WGBH called it a creative way to keep PBS Kids shows top of mind among media buyers. But at least one activist group said it’s a sign of PBS diving further into a corporate-driven culture. Robert Weissman, managing director of the Washington, D.C., activist group Commercial Alert, said the book is a sign of PBS’ mission eroding. “It sounds like this product is a further weakening of its noncommercial status,” he said. Weissman said PBS stations should be spending more time and money trying to increase government funding and soliciting public contributions.
http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=197550&format=text