Saturday, July 15, 2006
Advertisers are paying up to 4 percent more to advertise on the 'CBS Evening News.'
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
NEW YORK -- Advertisers are waiting to see whether Katie Couric can deliver the goods. CBS raised its ad prices moderately, between 2 percent and 4 percent, for the "CBS Evening News," ahead of the ex-"Today" show anchor's debut Sept. 5, media buyers told the New York Daily News.
The Katie bump is considered decent -- though not spectacular -- given the slack TV market overall. Among advertisers said to have upped their buy is pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
Pfizer couldn't be reached to comment.
Ad buyers said they want to see whether Couric will draw a bigger and younger audience.
CBS "got a nominal increase," said Aaron Cohen, director of broadcast for ad buyer Horizon Media. "We have to wait. Remember Jane Pauley? Taking someone out of their normal arena does not automatically translate."
But Couric could bring CBS more green down the road if the audience builds.
"I can't imagine this wouldn't be significant for advertisers," CBS News chief Sean McManus told the Daily News. "This is an enormous media event."
At a Wall Street conference last month, CBS CEO Leslie Moonves said he earned back the $15 million he's paying Couric this year in the first week of selling ad time.
"CBS Evening News" took in about $162 million in ad dollars last year, according to TNS Media Intelligence. With its average viewer aged 61, its commercial time is filled with prescription drug brands like Ambien, Lunestra and Boniva.
Media insiders predict an audience surge for the third-place newscast during Couric's debut.
"It's conceivable they will challenge NBC as the No. 1 newscast," said Brad Adgate, director of research for Horizon Media.