Television Advertising

NBC Universal's local television stations are seeing a "tremendous effect" from the economic climate, though advertising sales haven't been hurt at the national level yet, Chief Executive Jeff Zucker said Friday. The economic downturn in the U.S. has had a "profound effect on our local television stations, whose businesses were highly dependent on auto" industry and retail advertising, Zucker said at a conference in London.

Backers of an initiative to ban same-sex marriage began airing their first commercial Monday, warning that a loss could lead to gay marriage being "taught in public schools" and that churches could lose their tax-exempt status. Proposition 8's promoters said their initial ad buy was $10 million. They hope to raise $3.6 million more by the Nov. 4 election. Foes are spending roughly similar sums.

Looking to save its primary source of revenue, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has lifted its longtime ban on running commercials for movies during the Oscars. Board members voted late Tuesday to ditch a tradition that stretches back more than 50 years and -- in the eyes of some -- was a relic from a simpler and less competitive era. The move comes amid concerns over the softening TV advertising market and lower ratings for Hollywood's biggest event of the year.

FOR THE first time ever, the motion picture academy will allow studios to run movie ads during the Oscar telecast. Why? Take a wild guess. With the economy in shambles and everyone pulling back on advertising commitments everywhere, the Oscars can't be so choosy anymore. It doesn't help that the Academy Awards' TV ratings have been in a steady downhill slide in recent years, leaving them with a loyal but very, very old audience that delivers to advertisers only a small fraction of the kind of viewership they get from a Big Event like the Super Bowl.

The 30-second spot is called "Dunk." Its script has six lines of dialogue, the cast numbers seven. It stars Sparks forward Candace Parker -- she of NCAA title, Olympic gold medal, WNBA rookie of the year and MVP all-in-one-year fame. Thirty seconds, and with that, she joined what is mostly an athletic boys club whose members include ESPN "SportsCenter" anchors, athletes and a roly poly, furry, fruity collection of college mascots tapped to do wickedly funny "SportsCenter" promo spots.

There have been about 325 ESPN "SportsCenter" commercials made. They have featured hundreds of star athletes -- from Gordie Howe to Andy Roddick, from Kobe Bryant to Drew Brees. Some have been kind of funny, some laugh-out-loud funny. And after going through all 325, there wasn't one that wasn't at least a little funny. Here are my top five (actually, six) favorites: 1. Made in 2006, it features the Manning family.

NBC's decision to move Jay Leno to 10 p.m. next fall sends a clear warning to viewers and to Hollywood that the expensive, scripted programs that have dominated prime time for decades may go the way of the Edsel. Only time will tell whether NBC's gambit is a stroke of programming genius or simply a way to avoid pushing the network's biggest star into early retirement -- Leno has long been scheduled to turn over the "Tonight Show" desk to Conan O'Brien in June.

Pharmaceutical companies have agreed to pay millions in new fees to help federal health officials step up the review of drug commercials before they are aired on television, the industry and government said Thursday. Under the five-year plan, drug makers will pay the Food and Drug Administration a one-time fee plus additional charges for each commercial submitted. The fees, which will bring in about $6.

Nielsen Media Research said it would introduce a U.S. ratings service in late May that tracks how many people watch individual television commercials. It had delayed the launch by about six months to settle disagreements about how the ratings would work. Nielsen's new ratings system will enable media buyers to determine how many viewers stay tuned during commercial breaks and how many record shows using a digital video recorder.

It's supposed to happen, when all compelling Super Bowl moments happen, in the fourth quarter. It's supposed to be, like all memorable Super Bowl moments, dripping with drama. It could end up as one of the highlights of the greatest football game in America, but there's one difference. It won't be about football. It will be about America. And, depending on your perspective, it will represent either a dawn's early light or a twilight's last gleaming. It's a marriage proposal. A $2.