The Ad Age Cable Roundtable
Industry Execs on Measurement, Branded Entertainment and the Fate of the Upfront
As the broadcast networks scramble to reposition their programming and presentations in a writers-strike-ravaged prime-time landscape, cable is poised to capitalize on what's already a boom time for the industry. Cable programming accounts for more than half of prime-time viewing, and as the viewers migrate, so do the ad dollars. Advertising Age sat down with several top cable executives to discuss this success and the challenges ahead.
Bridging the Digital Disconnect
With up to 70% of Cable Upfront Deals to Involve Online, Pressure Is on Shops to Craft Convergent Packages
As convergent deals and online-ad inventory become more of a norm for the cable upfront, one problem remains: streamlining the digital conversation. As the cable market seeks to conduct anywhere from 50% to 70% of its total business based on multiplatform deals, making sure all parties are equally educated on the different platforms is a major challenge.
Viewers Vote for Cable News
Audiences Are up as Much as 70%, but Will They Stick Around Beyond November?
The 2008 election has proved a boon for the Big Three cable news networks, with prime-time viewership not only surging over the levels of years past but also diversifying demographically. The news networks have entered election season with new enticements for advertisers, supplementing the TV platform with online and mobile. But the nets remain first and foremost news-gathering operations. Translation: However much advertisers might want to be integrated into the content, the networks can rarely, if ever, accommodate them.
Testing the Boundaries of Branded Entertainment
Marketers Once Made One-off Deals; Now They're Committing to TV Concepts From the Beginning
The arrival of commercial ratings, the strength of reality TV and the growth of reliable metrics are helping open new paths in cable branded entertainment. A newfound trust is emerging among production companies, cable channels and advertisers, plus their various agents.
Project Canoe Seeks to Smooth Waters for VOD
Cable Operators Will Tackle Lack of Consistent Metrics, Long Lead Time for Ads as Medium Takes on Broadband
Video on demand could finally get some help with the two major problems that have plagued this ad medium since its inception more than six years ago. Project Canoe, a joint effort of several top cable operators, plans to grapple with issues created by advanced advertising -- in the case of VOD, a lack of consistent metrics and the long lead time required for providing ad content.
Hammer: NBCU Cable Is All About 'Brandwidth'
The Goal Is to Develop Brands at USA, Sci-Fi,Other to Drive Everything From Product Integration to Entire Series
"First off, I think I have the best job in the industry," says NBC Universal's Bonnie Hammer, who speaks with Ad Age about how she's seen cable transform from an afterthought to the major growth force in the TV marketplace with the help of strong executives at her side. "Running the No. 1 channel and running the No. 6 channel, one very genre and one so broad, gives me total license to experiment with any kind of content on any platform out there."
Should Cable Nets Leverage Writers Strike in Upfront?
Channels That Stayed Fresh With Nonfiction Fare Will Look for an 'Edge,' but Those With Scripted Programs Will Play It Down
Though most cable networks are cautious about exploiting the viewer and advertiser disappointment stirred up by the three-month writers strike, a few will point out how they weathered the storm with fresh programming, a message they hope to convey to media buyers who've grown tired of reruns and reality fare in the past few months.
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