Post by Lisa on May 11, 2004 22:59:34 GMT -5
Here's a article I just found that mentions Cher 
Upfront Looks Good for MTV
Network Appeases Advertisers' Concerns About Content
By Wayne Friedman and Jay Sherman
The MTV Network is in a position to command high ad price increases for this upfront sales period, despite prodding from at least one advertiser looking to alter its ad schedule because of content concerns stemming from the controversial Super Bowl halftime show MTV produced in February.
Hershey Foods Corp. has had discussions with MTV about shifting ad dollars away from programs with controversial content, media agency executives said. Hershey buys a number of shows on the network, including spring-break programming. In addition, MTV did a special promotion for Hershey's "Icebreakers" gum.
Hershey and other MTV advertisers have been targeted over the past several months by the Tupelo, Miss.-based American Family Association, which set up a Web site, BoycottMTV.net, shortly after the Super Bowl halftime show. A Hershey spokeswoman had no comment.
"We remain in business with Hershey," an MTV spokeswoman said. "We recently did a great promotion with Hershey for spring break.
"Nothing has changed with any of our advertisers," the MTV spokesman said.
This comes in the wake of the Federal Communications Commission's indecency hearings earlier this spring and as some House members are pushing for indecency regulations to be applied to cable programming.
"These advertisers figured that since MTV produced the halftime show and the FCC held indecency hearings, they should look at the programming they were buying on MTV," said a TV network advertising executive.
In 1989, Hershey Foods Corp. removed some advertising from MTV after a disgruntled shareholder forced a proxy vote. The shareholder's concern was over a Cher video in which the singer wore a skimpy outfit. A commercial for a Hershey product was aired near the Cher video. Hershey resumed buying time on the network soon afterward.
The concern over content is not just with MTV, said one senior media agency executive. The executive-who is not associated with Hershey-said advertisers are closely analyzing other cable networks when it comes to programming content. At least one advertiser from his agency has altered its cable advertising plans because of heightened congressional concerns over cable programming content.
None of this will affect MTV during this upfront. The network is poised to be in a strong position as price leader among cable networks during the upfront process that is set to begin next week. Media executives expect MTV to increase its cost-per-thousand-viewer prices by 6 percent to 8 percent or more. The average cable network is projected for a 5 percent gain, executives said.
For 2003, MTV pulled in $837 million, according to TNS Media Intelligence/CMR, which positioned the network in third place behind first-place ESPN and second-place Nickelodeon, MTV's sister network. MTV will gain in this upfront primarily because of entertainment advertising-one of the network's major categories, consisting of movies, DVDs and video games. Entertainment is expected to be one of the few if not the only advertising category to rise in revenue in this upfront season, according to media agency executives.
Last Wednesday MTV Networks announced at its upfront presentation that it will launch MTVNcast, a new advertising initiative in which advertisers can buy ads on several of MTV's networks in a single package that can reach audience levels usually found on broadcast networks.
It's the first time MTV Networks has made this pitch to advertisers-reflecting the re-cent expansion of the Viacom-owned cable group since the addition of Comedy Central and the relaunch of Spike TV.
MTVNcast is the latest effort by a cable network to lure advertising dollars away from broadcasters. #
Lisa
Upfront Looks Good for MTV
Network Appeases Advertisers' Concerns About Content
By Wayne Friedman and Jay Sherman
The MTV Network is in a position to command high ad price increases for this upfront sales period, despite prodding from at least one advertiser looking to alter its ad schedule because of content concerns stemming from the controversial Super Bowl halftime show MTV produced in February.
Hershey Foods Corp. has had discussions with MTV about shifting ad dollars away from programs with controversial content, media agency executives said. Hershey buys a number of shows on the network, including spring-break programming. In addition, MTV did a special promotion for Hershey's "Icebreakers" gum.
Hershey and other MTV advertisers have been targeted over the past several months by the Tupelo, Miss.-based American Family Association, which set up a Web site, BoycottMTV.net, shortly after the Super Bowl halftime show. A Hershey spokeswoman had no comment.
"We remain in business with Hershey," an MTV spokeswoman said. "We recently did a great promotion with Hershey for spring break.
"Nothing has changed with any of our advertisers," the MTV spokesman said.
This comes in the wake of the Federal Communications Commission's indecency hearings earlier this spring and as some House members are pushing for indecency regulations to be applied to cable programming.
"These advertisers figured that since MTV produced the halftime show and the FCC held indecency hearings, they should look at the programming they were buying on MTV," said a TV network advertising executive.
In 1989, Hershey Foods Corp. removed some advertising from MTV after a disgruntled shareholder forced a proxy vote. The shareholder's concern was over a Cher video in which the singer wore a skimpy outfit. A commercial for a Hershey product was aired near the Cher video. Hershey resumed buying time on the network soon afterward.
The concern over content is not just with MTV, said one senior media agency executive. The executive-who is not associated with Hershey-said advertisers are closely analyzing other cable networks when it comes to programming content. At least one advertiser from his agency has altered its cable advertising plans because of heightened congressional concerns over cable programming content.
None of this will affect MTV during this upfront. The network is poised to be in a strong position as price leader among cable networks during the upfront process that is set to begin next week. Media executives expect MTV to increase its cost-per-thousand-viewer prices by 6 percent to 8 percent or more. The average cable network is projected for a 5 percent gain, executives said.
For 2003, MTV pulled in $837 million, according to TNS Media Intelligence/CMR, which positioned the network in third place behind first-place ESPN and second-place Nickelodeon, MTV's sister network. MTV will gain in this upfront primarily because of entertainment advertising-one of the network's major categories, consisting of movies, DVDs and video games. Entertainment is expected to be one of the few if not the only advertising category to rise in revenue in this upfront season, according to media agency executives.
Last Wednesday MTV Networks announced at its upfront presentation that it will launch MTVNcast, a new advertising initiative in which advertisers can buy ads on several of MTV's networks in a single package that can reach audience levels usually found on broadcast networks.
It's the first time MTV Networks has made this pitch to advertisers-reflecting the re-cent expansion of the Viacom-owned cable group since the addition of Comedy Central and the relaunch of Spike TV.
MTVNcast is the latest effort by a cable network to lure advertising dollars away from broadcasters. #
Lisa
