Broadcast Media

Do you watch TV and listen to the radio? I hope so!

Television and Radio i feel are still the two main mediums utilized for broad reach. With broad reach comes with high costs. Therefore, it is key to buy efficiently and the only way to do that is to utilize all the tools available for research and justify the Ad buy.

First we will look at TV and the resources that helped in planning.

Once the target audience is determined, it's time to select the shows that fit that demographic. Request or pull reports that provide historical data on what shows perform well for the target audience. Then review the list and investigate the shows for yourself by going to the network websites below for the show descriptions and possibly watch a clip before adding the show to your buy list. Note that sometimes the associated TRP of the show for that particular demo might look good on paper but it doesn't necessarily mean the show make sense for the brand. i also recommend to subscribe to Cynopsis which is a daily early morning publication sent to you via email by approx 5:30 am ET. Cynopsis concentrates on the business of television, and more specifically on the programming: series,premieres,cancellations,development,ratings,schedules,casting notes --all part of your daily edition. 

The major networks are detailed below and links directly to their programming grid (if available).

1. NBC
2. ABC
3. CBS
4. FOX
5. CW

Along with knowing the best placements to purchase for your media buy, the selection of sites for your campaign are most important. This decision is aided with the wealth of online references listed on the drop down below.

1. Radio Ad Effectiveness Lab
2. Radio Locator (Formerly the  MIT List of Radio Stations on the Internet)

Note the resources I've detail above were only used as supplemental planning tools and cannot substitute industry standard tools such as the Nielsen products and Arbitron to name a few.