11.30.09

How Cable Is Managing the Internet Problem

Posted in media buying at 11:18 am by Administrator

The Internet is a “threat’ to all media, it seems.

With 35% of cable subscribers who also watch video online thinking of cutting their cable subscription, the threat to major media companies like Time Warner, Viacom and NBC Universal has become very real.

The majority of profits for these companies currently come from cable programming. The concern is that cable programming online will completely erode the significant fees they garner from their subscribers – fees that are currently keeping major entertainment companies afloat.

On the other hand, as more network television shows up online, and the ever-present threat of regular consumers uploading copyrighted material on video-sharing services like YouTube, cable networks could get left in the dust if they don’t get online with all the other shows.

One idea that’s garnered some interest among the cable companies is going ahead with putting cable shows online – but in order to view them, consumers must first prove that they are a cable subscriber. This gives their customers the convenience of viewing their favorite programs anytime they want from their computers, while still ensuring that everyone who views the material has paid for the privilege.

Cable networks are trying to set up a standard cable-viewing policy across the board, worrying that if some shows are available for free (as many of Comedy Central’s shows currently are on Hulu) while others are restricted to cable subscribers only, they will not have managed the problem in the best way possible.

11.08.09

Are Online Ads Making Consumers Vulnerable to Malware?

Posted in media buying at 5:17 pm by Administrator

Online ads are one of the few places where advertising spending has actually improved over the last year, but consumers may be liking them a lot less when they find out how dangerous clicking on those ads can be.

Consumers clicking on online ads in the UK and the US have been getting malware on their computers, and the pushback is not going to be pretty.

Since hackers look for places to put their malware that attract large numbers of people, internet ads are an obvious place for them to insert their viruses. Extremely popular ads, particularly ones that involve clicking on a link, are an excellent agent to distribute their malware to the general public.

Risks include consumers becoming angry at the companies who put up these ads, even if the companies themselves have nothing to do with the malware and do not have a hacker among their own employees.

This means that companies who want to spend their advertising dollars online would be well advised to invest a portion of those funds in serious security systems to protect their customers – and their own ROI.