CNN’s New Programming Met With Resistance from Ad BuyersBrian SteinbergCNN recently unveiled slogan “go there,” but some ad-buying executives may not want to follow that command.
As CNN begins to hold upfront conversations, several ad buyers say the Time Warner-owned cable-news outlet is meeting with resistance. These buyers said CNN has historically been able to command high rates in the cost of reaching 1,000 viewers, a measure also known as a CPM that is central to the annual upfront market, when U.S. networks try to sell the bulk of their ad inventory for the coming season. In 2014, buyers say they are pushing back against the network’s initial terms.
Skepticism from buyers – a natural element of this yearly haggle – comes after CNN has reworked its positioning . The network, part of Time Warner’’s Turner unit, is relying more heavily in primetime on documentary series and during the rest of the day seeking out stories that help it stand apart from competitors, as it did when it followed the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
Doing so, however, has CNN veering slightly from the pitch it has long thrown to Madison Avenue: For years, CNN has portrayed itself as a high-quality source of straight news, one that ought to command a premium. And the network still inhabits that role. But with its ratings slipping over the long term, and a new emphasis being placed on what buyers view as “entertainment programming” for an hour of primetime, sponsors are pushing for a reworking of the relationship CNN has had with advertisers.
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http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/ad-buyers-resist-cnns-upfront-pitch-1201222831/+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
