Re: More on commercial breaks.

["Tim Davisson" <timdav@bright.net>]

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> From: Rick Kelly <nuhuc@juno.com>
> >Here's one for you.   How bout running fewer commercials at a higher
> premium?
> I think that the concept has been sold at some stations in some markets. 
> But yes, it is amazing that it hasn't caught on more... perhaps greed
> prevails... or perhaps stupidity!

A local "Hot AC" (they also claim to be a CHR if that's what the
advertiser wants!) runs up to 7 60-second spots at a time, and none of
their
clients seems to care. I know. I work for a competitor of theirs. Me and my
fellow salespeople have asked those advertisers what they think of being
the #3, #4, #5, #6, or #7 commercial in those spot clusters...and they
really don't seem to care...(amazing, huh?).

As far as your idea of run half the # of spots, charge twice the rate and
sell
the advertiser on the philosophy of that idea....believe me: in our market
we've tried. Most of the time, advertisers understand one thing: ad rates.
If all of the stations they choose to use have similar ratings, and in
this fragmented media world, that's the usually the case.....all they care
about
is rates & deals.

I've spent 33 years in radio (14 on the air in the 60's&70's, 19 in
sales)...
...if there is "stupidity" it's usually the advertisers who are uniformed,
confused and or afraid of advertising salespeople, and use their own
personal tastes to purchase advertising for their businesses and 
not common sense! These folks do not understand the complex,
over-communicated commercial environment we're in, and consider
advertising to be the low item on their expenses totem pole. Thus,
many of these local/regional businesses go under....many killed off
by big box chain stores...or simply fade away in the minds of the
public in their cities because they fail to smartly and properly 
market their businesses.


TD
(a midwest medium market of 650,000)

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