Archive for July 9th, 2008

Swiss media and telecoms regulator OFCOM (Office for Communication) released a handy, dandy guide to advertising, sponsorship and product placement rules. The release comes as several new broadcasters are granted radio and television licenses. Nothing is new, really, since the major re-write of Switzerlands’ 2006 Law on radio and Television (LRTV) and the companion 2007 Order on radio and TV (ORTV). But the guidelines show just how complicated ad rules have become and the importance regulators place in enforcing them.

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NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — “Seriously weakened” economic expectations and the continued drop-off in consumers’ disposable incomes have prompted Magna Global’s Robert Coen, senior VP-director of forecasting, to pull back his 2008 ad-spending forecast — he now predicts total U.S. ad spending will rise 2% (to $285 billion) as opposed to a 3.7% gain predicted in December.

The prediction comes as Mr. Coen released his final estimate for ad spending in 2007, concluding there had actually been a 0.7% decline, as opposed to a 0.7% increase for the year as originally forecast. “It is apparent that things were even worse than many had expected at the close of last year,” Mr. Coen wrote in his report.

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The Walt Disney Co. is making a significant gift to 91 small cable operators in the markets served by the 10 local TV stations Disney’s ABC owns and operates: No retransmission consent charges or requirements to carry additional Disney-affiliated networks for three years.

A representative of the recipients, which make up about 80% of the cable companies in the ABC O&O markets and fewer than 1% of the cable subscribers in the U.S., called the offer of exemption “a drop in the bucket.”

Disney’s unilateral decision, which would be in force from 2009 through 2011, was announced Tuesday.

“We are very pleased to support our smaller affiliates with this offer,” Preston Padden, Disney’s executive VP for government relations, said in a statement. “American Cable Association President Matt Polka, the ACA board and each of the FCC commissioners deserve credit for raising the concerns that led our company to adopt this new policy.”

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Small cable operators that serve customers within the 10 ABC-owned station markets will not have to pay for the privilege of carrying the signal through 2011, per terms of a unilateral decision announced by the Walt Disney Co. on Tuesday afternoon.

According to the Mouse, 91 of the 113 operators that provide service in the 10 ABC owned-and-operated markets will receive a proposal offering no-fee retransmission-consent for the next three years. Moreover, Disney said that the offer ensures that qualifying operators will not be coerced into carrying any affiliated networks.

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While other office furniture companies hustled to ready gala showrooms for June’s big NeoCon trade show last month, Izzy Design unfolded even bigger dreams.Buy four new brands and triple in size.

Now, just a month after completing its acquisition of Jami Inc., a conglomerate of four brands, a newly forged leadership team is honing its future as Izzy.

“First, we’re deciding how to answer the phone at each location,” said Chuck Saylor, 59, who is chief executive of the expanded business and founder of Izzy Design.

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Hallmark Channel will announce that it has 30 films in the pipeline, including a new installment in the “Love Comes Softly” series starring Cloris Leachman and Hayley Duff and four holiday films, Daily Variety reports. Other films include “Accidental Friendship” with Chandra Wilson and Ben Vereen, “An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving” starring Jacqueline Bisset and “Expecting a Miracle” with Jason Priestley and Teri Polo, the newspaper says. The network plans to make the announcement at today’s opening-day TCA session, the newspaper notes.

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Nickelodeon will bring a taste of the Beijing Olympics to the network with sports-themed episodes of animated series “The Fairly OddParents,” “The Backyardigans,” “Dora the Explorer” and “Ni Hao, Kai-lan.”

The network will begin with an “OddParents” special, “The Fairly Oddlympics,” on Aug. 1. Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton will voice his cartoon self as the announcer of the event, in addition to appearing in a live-action sequence.

“The Backyardigans” will kick off Nick Jr.’s sports-themed premiere week Aug. 4-8 with the episode “Match on Mt. Olympus.”

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