What’s Fresh?

The screen writer’s strike is not only altering the usual plethora of programming–it is slowly changing how marketing dollars are being spent.  With the big networks forced to return advertiser’s money in cash when new episodes did not air, is it really any wonder that online advertising has subsequently spiked.  Today’s eMarketer report goes even further:  “Seven out of 10 of those surveyed said they [will] go back to watching their favorite shows after the strike, but more than a quarter said they might not or definitely would not return.”

Could the strike have a permanent effect on marketer’s faith in TV ads altogether?  That answer remains to be seen, but it looks like it’s a definite possibility.  Nielsen reports that online video sites have more than doubled since the strike in late October.  It would be painfully ironic if the Internet receives generous increases in ad revenue because of the strike because the ubiquitous nature of writer’s work online is the very basis for the strike. 

The networks and screen writers should want to resolve their qualms in the near future to stall viewer’s switch to online venues and regain some control over their reality-entrenched current programming.