TVB: 2006 Annual Marketing Conference


Highlights

	Television Bureau of Advertising Annual Marketing Conference Thursday, April 20, 2006 Jacob Javits Convention Center New York, NY (11th Avenue and 36th St.)

REMARKS of Alan Frank, President and CEO, Post-Newsweek Stations
Delivered at the TVB Annual Marketing Conference, April 20, 2006

Thank you, Chris.

It’s a pleasure to be here this morning and to see this great turnout. These TVB conferences have turned into real buzz-generators, and this year’s line-up of speakers and panels is especially exciting. It is our hope that the day will help you find new ways to put money in your pocket.

As Chris said, consumer empowerment is GOOD for originators of local content like local TV. As video travels to more screens, large and small, live and VOD, and wireless becomes ubiquitous, consumers will increasingly choose what they want to see, when they want to see it, on whatever device they want to see it. And let me quote the reaction to this media revolution by one such consumer: “I love TV wherever it happens to be.” That consumer happens to be Ian Beavis, the head of marketing for KIA Motors. Ian, wherever you are, let me say that love means never having to say you’re sorry for advertising on free local over-the-air television.

Local television’s greatest days are NOT behind us, they are in front of us.

Television stations are embracing change. They are in no way in denial. They are dramatically and smartly expanding their connect points with the consumer and the advertiser. On the Post-Newsweek stations, I have witnessed personally how complementary the new media can be with our traditional platform. We’re evolving our consumer relationship and business proposition because there is fertile new territory that we can bring real value to.

We are NOT evolving because our connection with the viewer thru the TV screen is fading. In fact, when you look at all the current figures on time-spent with media, it’s clear that this remains a very TV-centric world. And oh, by the way, here comes HD, high definition, which I am convinced will play out as the single greatest consumer benefit of the digital era.

As Chris mentioned, TVB has jumped into the industry-wide dialogue on engagement with a study from IAG. This research certifies the premise that engagement arises out of relevance. And relevance is the foundation of our consumer connections across all screens. The key is LOCALISM! The study will soon be posted on the TVB website and I hope you will all use it. It is an important piece of research and will reinforce with your clients how free local over-the-air television should remain at the heart of all their media buys.

So much of the change we are witnessing is driven by technology and regulated by government. These are the areas where our partner organization the NAB does its critical work. We simply must have standards and regulations that are sensible and fair for consumers and industry. And so I was very happy that David Rehr, the president of the NAB since December, was able to join us today. As a member of the search committee for the new president, I was particularly impressed that in his former life as president of the National Beer Wholesalers Association, he moved them into the top ten of Fortune Magazine’s Power Rankings of the 25 most influential lobbying groups in America . He observed that in a recent interview that “beer is probably more regulated than broadcast” and that it’s “important to understand how to work through regulations to ensure you’re in a good competitive position but staying entrepreneurial.” That’s as good a description as any of the challenge facing broadcasters in the multiplatform age. I give you, our man in Washington, the new president and CEO of the NAB, David Rehr.