The recent battle between Time Warner Cable and News Corp. over subscriber fees for the Fox broadcast network was one of the most publicly debated carriage disputes of recent years, but it won't be the last. The economic model for over-the-air broadcasting, which has been in decline for years, has been battered by this ad recession. While the owners of the broadcast networks and TV system operators have long had an understanding on this issue (i.e., increased subscriber fees or distribution for affiliated...

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It took way too long but Toyota corporate is finally on the right track with their messaging. In short--they are apologizing to their consumer base, assuring one and all that they are 100% focused on solutions and very mindful of their obligation to communicate openly and honestly and live up, once again, to the heretofore perception of being a ... more

After twenty years of attending presentations by networks to the advertising community I cannot recall a single one that did not include speeches by executives extolling the results of recent research about their network's growth and potential, not to mention their future programming plans. Also, I can't recall one that included a young man... more

Seven-year-old, Mark Fielding looked up from his computer. He was very annoyed. "Mommmm!" He yelled in a way that was sure to get her attention. "The Internet is down again." It was the last thing she heard before the lights went off. Mark turned on his iPod touch and opened a blank Safari window to use as a flashlight. He... more

The intensive debate about the future of newspapers and print media is focused almost exclusively on news reporting and journalism. My focus is on commerce and the primary importance of establishing local newspaper sites, first and foremost, as the primary source for their communities' commerce needs and interests. The ongoing debates often miss the key point that consumers once relied on newspapers as their exclusive source for information on everything local for sale: to find houses, cars,...

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