[BC] PPM Gaming has started

[Rich Wood]

------ At 11:04 PM 10/29/2007, mark at shander.com wrote: -------

>I follow both sides.  Direct Marketing ad sales are at an all-time
>high, and broadcast time (especially TV) is becoming more expensive
>than it has ever been.  Short form, long form and commercial inventory
>is expensive, and buying time (if done right with Web and phone support
>and enough calls to action) has a huge ROI.  Mix that with people who
>want to become established experts overnight (well, over 13 weeks) and
>you have a very successful business.  It's closer to $100 a minute
>using the model below, though - you're selling all minutes and lose
>control of content, continuity, audience, etc.  Like having a show
>hosted by a protologist followed by one for kids, followed by one
>covering OB-GYN issues then church services.

Years ago most brokered time was for canned religion. Then 
entrepreneurial folks started buying blocks of time for ethnic 
programming and selling their own time. I've dealt with many who made 
more money than the station ever did selling spots.

Initially, except for stations that specialized in brokered time 
(WEVD, New York, for one) most stations limited brokered time to 
weekends and weekdays after 6pm. In the last year or so I've seen 
major dayparts sold off.

My local TV stations often run infomercials weekday afternoons.

In the case of syndicated shows that need clearance in New York and 
other Top 10 markets, they're buying the time from major Talk 
stations to clear shows like O'Riley, Savage and, I believe, Miller.

Unfortunately, that puts the station in a position where it can't 
alter programming on the fly to compete because they don't control 
it.  The downside to infomercials is that it's not programmed to 
satisfy an audience. It's there to sell a doctor's brand of vitamins 
(probably made in the same factory as all the others), a 
revolutionary floor mop or the latest financial scam.

It raises Hell with the Program Director's attempt to target the 
station. Of course, that assumes there's still a PD around who has 
any programming authority. In today's radio their responsibility is 
limited to what airs between the shows and commercials like liners 
and positioning statements.

I know many former PDs who left the business or are taking the money 
and running after implementing the latest corporate directive. Rick 
Sklar would be very sad today. Today's PD is a babysitter for talent.

Rich