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On the air

By TIMES WIRES
Published November 10, 2006

Biz tidbits from and about television and radio

Big advertisers were cold to Air America

When the liberal talk radio network Air America filed for bankruptcy protection last month, some analysts blamed a lack of listener interest in progressive talk radio. Now, it seems that a lack of major advertising dollars is responsible. In a memo dated Oct. 25, ABC Radio Networks instructed affiliated stations that broadcast syndicated programs from Air America to black out all ads from Hewlett-Packard, which had bought advertising time on ABC but did "not wish to air on any Air America affiliates." The memo listed almost 90 advertisers that it said were taking part in blackouts of Air America, including Microsoft, Wal-Mart, Visa, Exxon Mobil, Cingular, McDonald's, the U.S. Postal Service and the Navy. According to progressive radio talk show host Peter Collins, boycotting liberal programming makes little economic sense for companies buying ad time on networks like ABC. "If you really want to target your audience," he said, "you don't go to network radio, you buy individual stations or programs."

Odd pair: pharmacy company, kids movie

A new animated movie about a tap-dancing penguin is venturing beyond the Antarctic into uncharted territory - a promotional tie-in to pharmaceuticals. Characters from Happy Feet appear in an extensive advertising campaign, including network and cable commercials, full-page magazine ads and online banner ads, for Roche, promoting its Web site www.flufacts.com. Happy Feet, which features the voices of Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, is to be released Nov. 17.

On Mad Money

6 p.m./9 p.m./midnight most weekdays, CNBC

Jim Cramer suggested these stocks on his CNBC show this week:

Activision Inc. (ATVI): The world's second-biggest video-game publisher has predicted fiscal third-quarter sales of $600-million, topping analysts' estimates. "I think it's going to be a very Activision Christmas! This is the all video game Christmas," Cramer said.

Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM): The company's BlackBerry "is an inherently more useful and necessary product than the global positioning system," Cramer said in comparing the company to Garmin Ltd., the biggest U.S. maker of portable-navigation devices.

[Last modified November 9, 2006, 23:42:11]