THE RACE. THE WAIT. ADDRESSING 2008'S CHALLENGING TV MEDIA ENVIRONMENT.
We knew it was coming: The 2008 political season, coupled with the summer Olympics. That means heavy spending. Big buys. Last minute spot bumping. Now the primaries have moved up three months in some states, bringing speculation candidates may put dollars into national campaigns rather than the usual local ones, which will cause a shift in local spot inventory. Ballot measure battles will vie for placement time. And the coveted Olympics packages are already under heavy consideration. The networks have prepared with an eight to ten percent rate increase for 2008. No surprise there. What we didn't expect was the strike by the Writers Guild of America, which affects all TV network and film studios.
As of November 4, 2007, all writing for TV shows ceased: daytime, nighttime, anytime. But the million-dollar question is: What will happen when mid-season begins in January? The networks surely will be cautious in order to garner the important strong ratings for the February Nielsen book. That could mean networks with new episodes already scripted might save them for February's "sweep period." (Get ready for a dose of reality. We'll be seeing an onslaught of unscripted reality shows since they won't be affected by the strike.) If the strike continues into 2008, shows without banked episodes may not have a finale to close the season.
Higher prices. Lower viewership. Less available space. A realistic strategy for these tumultuous times is simply to buy media early, monitor it daily and negotiate additional Target Rating Point weight to compensate for a potential decrease in viewing as a result of the strike. Another consideration is leveraging the strength and consistency of radio.
Even with today's challenging environment, creative advertising such as branded entertainment within TV programs, TV program sponsorships and interactive advertising during TV shows can help keep numbers strong. Eventually the TV environment will return to a more predictable state. As for that next episode of "Lost," don't worry. It, too, will return.
