How did three of the big four broadcast TV networks push out the promotion of new and returning shows as the new TV season begins? One used The New York Times. But all used AM and FM radio, showing that the power of audio can serve as a strong audience driver for visual media’s over-the-air players.
It’s a remarkable statement about the power of broadcast radio. On Thursday (Sept. 27), CBS placed an advertisement for one top prime-time program in the Times; interestingly it was an ad directed to viewers of WCBS-2 in New York and not a national CBS ad.
That wasn’t all CBS did. With no O&O radio stations at its disposal, CBS spent some cash by paying for more than 23,000 spot plays across the stations tracked by Media Monitors for the week ending Sept. 30 (yes, the graphic below incorrectly states that there are 31 days in September).
Meanwhile, ABC and FOX each invested heavily in radio spots to promote key shows with listeners. This put ABC at No. 4 and FOX at No. 5.
Of course, you can’t watch TV without a television set … right?
Well, smartphones are quickly grabbing viewer attention, and many channels can be viewed on a hand-held device just as they can on a TV.
Enter the Samsung Galaxy, one of the top Android-powered devices. Ads for this smartphone totaled 21,579, landing the brand in this week’s No. 10 slot.
