Spot Buy Spot, LLC will build TVB ePort; first phase to launch in November

New York, Aug. 8, 2007—The Television Bureau of Advertising announced today that 21 television broadcast groups and two Rep firms have committed to date to TVB ePort, an eBusiness platform that will enable a new wave of open-standard electronic transactions between advertisers, agencies, broadcasters and station reps.

The trade organization also announced that Chicago-based Spot Buy Spot, LLC will build the platform and that the first phase would launch in November, enabling Spot TV buyers to send 1Q 2008 orders electronically. The entire suite of open standard transactions--from avail through invoice for stations' airtime, websites, digital subchannels and other multiplatform offerings--is expected to be available through TVB ePort by March 2008.

“The station groups have stepped up to the plate and underlined the broadcasting industry's commitment to TVB ePort,” said TVB President Chris Rohrs.

Among the broadcast groups that have committed to TVB ePort to date are Belo Corporation, CBS Television Stations (and its rep firm), Citadel Communications, the Dispatch Broadcast Group, Duhamel Broadcasting Enterprises, E.W. Scripps Company, Emmis Communications, Fisher Broadcasting Inc., Gannett Broadcasting, Hearst-Argyle Television, LIN Television Corp., Media General Broadcast Group, Meredith Broadcasting, NBC Universal Television Stations (and its rep firm), Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Pappas Telecasting Companies, Post-Newsweek Stations, Quincy Newspapers, Raycom Media, Sagamore Hill Broadcasting, and the Tribune Company.

The builder of TVB ePort will be Chicago-based Spot Buy Spot, LLC, which delivers technology solutions to media companies, including media rep firms, media sellers, agencies and buying services. “We are very pleased that Spot Buy Spot will be our developer in creating a platform that will eliminate time-consuming and error-prone re-keying in the selling/buying process,” said Abby Auerbach, TVB executive vice president, who is spearheading the project. “We want to free sellers and buyers to have more time for professional negotiation of our airtime, websites and other digital assets, by reducing time spent on stewardship."

Spot Buy Spot CEO Joy Baer agrees that eBusiness is critical for the long-term health of the industry, and that's part of the reason SBS wanted to work with TVB. "The TVB has a vision to connect the television industry electronically and provide support for all its constituents,” she said. “Making eBiz easily accessible to everyone is the approach that will ensure success. We are excited to be working with the TVB on developing the ePort platform – this is truly a tipping point in the industry for eBusiness.”

SBS's Executive Vice President Paul Levy will lead the SBS/TVB project, bringing years of industry perspective in eBusiness. In addition to spearheading SBS' eBusiness initiatives, he was the former CEO of the AdValue Network, which introduced groundbreaking eBusiness capabilities and drew significant participation in the spot television industry. He said he is looking forward to leveraging Spot Buy Spot's expertise and the TVB's vision to provide a successful eBusiness platform in the television industry.

 “This is the right time and the right group to make this happen,” he said. “The TVB has a solid approach.  There's a good foundation of open XML standards work, the Internet and web services as a ubiquitous communication platform and a large group of clients anxious to use the system.”

Ms. Auerbach said, “Together with David Prager of Click IT Solutions and now with Spot Buy Spot, we have a great team in place to build a first-class eBusiness platform for the benefit of sellers and buyers.”

TVB ePort was announced on Feb. 21 with an infusion of seed money from the National Association of Broadcasters, with the remainder of funding to come from broadcast groups and rep firms. Paul Karpowicz, president of Meredith Broadcasting and chairman of the TVB board, said, “We are extremely gratified with the level of funding support from the broadcasting community for this very important initiative. We are tracking ahead of plan, and more broadcast groups, stations and rep firms are coming on-board every day.”

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