NEW YORK, Oct. 2, 2001–The Television Bureau of Advertising and representatives of the nation's largest advertising agencies today released the basic business information elements that should be used in developing electronic standards for data transfer, thereby moving their industries closer to the day when paperless transactions would become a reality.

"The purpose of releasing these data elements is to provide vendors with the information that the local broadcast television trading partners have deemed essential for conducting business electronically," said Abby Auerbach, TVB executive vice president and the leader of TVB's EDI Committee. "This document will guide EDI vendors in developing common standards to the benefit of all the partners in this process."

Kathy Crawford, Initiative Media's executive vice president and chairperson of the Local TV/Radio Committee of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA), said: "The release of this document creates a wide-open door to the future. It is about e-commerce to its fullest."

EDI, or electronic data interchange, is the transfer of data from one computer to another. TVB formed its EDI committee in June 2000 to bring together the important players. The EDI committee in turn formed two task forces in May 2001 and today's report is the result of the work of the Standards Task Force.

Negotiating and buying television time is a detailed and complex process. In its simplest form, a typical broadcast purchase is conducted among three trading partners: agency buyer, sales rep, and station. "We must get all sellers and buyers to replace the paper touch points within their internal processes with electronic connections," said TVB President Chris Rohrs. "Streamlining back-room operations will lead naturally to more time for media negotiations and a more valuable result for both buyers and sellers."

Today's release was applauded by O. Burtch Drake, president/CEO of the AAAA. "We are pleased with today's announcement, which should facilitate all the various steps involved in an over-the-air television media buy. We applaud the efforts of both the TVB and the ad agencies that have participated in the hard work that resulted in this report."

Among the supporters of the EDI initiative and today's report are the ABC O&Os, BBDO/PentaMark, Blair Television, Cosmos Broadcasting, Cox Broadcasting, Emmis Broadcasting, GSD&M, Gannett Television, Hearst-Argyle Television, Initiative Media-North America, Katz Television Group, MayoSeltz Media, McKinney & Silver, Media General Broadcast Group, MediaVest, MindShare, Northlich, the NBC O&Os, Nexstar Broadcasting, Petry Television, Rubin Postaer, The Media Edge, Tribune Broadcasting, Universal McCann/LCI, Viacom Television Stations Group, Univision, and Zenith Media Services.

The formal report is entitled "Data Elements for the Electronic Transmission of Local Broadcast Television Business."

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