Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.ads From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: ads Fri, Jul 31 1992 Date: Fri, 31 Jul 92 04:32:20 EDT Message-ID: 07-31 0000 DECISIONLINE: Advertising USA TODAY Update July 31-Aug. 2, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network CONSUMERS CAN TRUST ADS MORE: Consumers should soon be able to put more stock in the environmental claims they see in ads and on products. This week the Federal Trade Commission issued guidelines for such claims, urging that they be as specific and well-documented as possible. In particular, manufacturers should avoid sweeping or vague terms like "recyclable" or "environmentally friendly," the agency said. CARVEY MAY REPLACE LETTERMAN: Despite earlier NBC denials, "Saturday Night Live's" Dana Carvey confirms he's been asked by NBC to take over David Letterman's late-night talker if Letterman leaves when his contract ends in April. The Hollywood Reporter also says Carvey and Kevin Nealon plan a film version of their "Saturday Night" characters Hans and Franz for Columbia Pictures. ESPN BASEBALL IS SLOW: ESPN's baseball ratings are down 11% from last year. And ESPN's Monday, Tuesday and Friday games, without exclusivity, are averaging just a 1.2 rating. No wonder Major League Baseball isn't happy with superstations, which beam cable games across the USA. One argument is that superstations depress attendance for teams hosting clubs seen regularly on national TV. SUPERSTATIONS CRITICIZED: Superstation baseball stars such as the Atlanta, New York and Chicago are among the National League's top four road draws. The main problem for Major League Baseball: Too many games from networks paying too little. Consider this week's TV Guide: Decathlete:NBC Olympic announcer Dan O'Brien cites TBS' Atlanta Braves games as his favorite TV sports. RATINGS, LOSSES UP FOR NBC: NBC's Olympics ratings are up 14% from Seoul in 1988, but the network's loss of about $103-$115 million on its $401 million fee is worse than expected. And that's after pay-per-view partner Cablevision covers $60 million of it. Triplecast may net $15 million. Cost: $75 million. "It'll mean fewer bidders for the Atlanta Olympics," says Turner Broadcasting's Don McGuire. TRIPLECAST ALTERS ANGLE: People won't see any of those elaborate features that help develop network "storylines" on this weekend's NBC Olympic Triplecast. Or continual updates from the studio host. Or network announcers interviewing each other about the mood in the air around Barcelona. Or those slickly produced ads that can do as much for an athlete's recognizability as his athletic skills. CAMERAS TARGET ATHLETES: This weekend, the Triplecast cameras are pointed at the athletes - to let the action do the talking to viewers who are actually paying to watch. This groundbreaking TV may be familiar to some old-timers: It looks a lot like TV sports 25 years ago. `TODAY' HITS WEEKENDS: The aim for new weekend versions of "Today" is to add a weekend show designed to increase NBC's morning franchise to seven days a week. Saturday's two-hour show will look familiar, with the same set, same opening and news every half hour. The Sunday show will review the last week's happening. Scott Simon and Jackie Nespral are hosts. CNN'S DOBBS CHASTISED: Lou Dobbs, a CNN business news anchor and a senior vice president, was criticized this week by his employer for accepting fees for making promotional videos for companies including Shearson Lehman and Paine Webber. This raises a conflict of interest between news gathering and paid promotions for firms that frequently appear in the news. JOE CAMEL LIVES ON: Antismoking activists, who hoped their attacks on the Joe Camel character would make R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company discontinue its use, have been disappointed. Reynolds is continuing with new advertising and promotional programs that feature Joe Camel as prominently as before. The market share for Camel, the nation's seventh-best selling cigarette brand, has shown steady growth. BARGAIN BASEMENT UNVEILED: The Sun, a San Bernadino, Calif., paper has created the Bargain Basement. The four-page quarter-folded broadsheet is wrapped around the paper's classified section on certain Fridays. The special section features merchandise for sale, limited display ads and garage sale ads with a locator map. The first edition of Bargain Basement in June produced 485 ads. AGENCIES HELPING RUSSIA: BBDO Marketing and Countrywide Communications of London were picked last week to promote Russia's privatization program to citizens. With a budget potentially exceeding $10 million, BBDO and Countrywide, both Omnicom Group agencies, will develop communications and a network of public relations offices to help promote one of the country's reforms on its road to capitalism. SUIT SETTLED OUT OF COURT: Ad agency Hal Riney & Partners settled out of court an 11-count sexual harassment lawsuit brought by Debby Ann LeBeau. The former secretary charged the office's now-closed open bar resulted in a "bacchanalian" atmosphere. Under the terms of the agreement, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, neither side would comment on the settlement. S. FLORIDA BRIDE BEGINS: Florida Media Affiliates, publisher of South Florida, will introduce a fall:winter issue of South Florida Bride, to be published twice a year. The 10,000 free and paid circulation magazine will be distributed to department store bridal registries, bridal retailers, major newsstands and bookstores, and direct to South Florida subscribers. Advertising Editor: Kate Coughlin. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM