TV ADVERTISING STARTER GUIDE
Before you buy, the very least you should know.
- Planning and reserving media as far ahead of time as possible yields the lowest rates.
- An experienced, unbiased professional media buyer is the most efficient way for a local advertiser to buy media. Most media buyers are paid on a 15% agency commission granted by the stations. Usually there are no added fees for the advertiser.
- Television station reps are usually knowledgeable only about the station they represent and, of course, are biased toward recommending their station only.
Local Broadcast Affiliates
On the local affiliates, KVUE, KXAN, KEYE and KTBC, local news programming, daytime television 9am-630pm and late night 1030pm-12am are the most cost effective time slots. Primetime spot costs range from $750-$5,000 per :30 spot.
Cable Television
Local cable television advertising—unlike the network affiliates—can be geographically targeted through Time Warner/AT&T. Original primetime programming can be affordable for most local advertisers with spot costs ranging from $150- $1,500 per spot market wide. Primetime rates are lower in the individual geographic zones.
KVUE (ABC) – Good for targeting middle and upper income women 35+.
Top programming for local advertisers
Daytime:
Good Morning America M-F 7am-9am, Kelly & Michael M-F 9am-10am
The View M-F 10am-11am, Midday News M-F 11a-12pm, Ellen M-F 4pm-5pm
Entertainment Tonight M-F 630pm-7pm
Local News M-F 5p-530p, 6pm-630pm, 10pm-1035pm
KXAN (NBC) – Also good for targeting middle and upper income women 35+ (generally a little more expensive per viewer than KVUE).
Top programming for local advertisers:
Daytime:
The Today Show M-F 7am-9am
Rachel Ray M-F 11am-12pm
Dr. Phil M-F 3pm-4pm
Jeopardy 4pm-5pm (Good for adults 50+)
Wheel of Fortune M-F 630pm-7pm (Great for adults 50+)
Local News: M-F 5p-530p, 6pm-630pm, 10pm-1035pm
KEYE (CBS) – Good for targeting adults 55+.
Top programming for local advertisers
Daytime:
CBS This Morning M-F 7am-9am
The Price is Right M-F 10am-11am
Young and the Restless M-F 11am-12pm
Who Wants to be a Millionaire M-F 3pm-330pm,
Local News:
M-F 5p-530p, 6pm-630pm Modern Family M-F 630pm-7pm
M-F 10pm-1035pm Local News
KTBC (Fox) Primary target adults 18-49
Top programming for local advertisers
Daytime:
Dr. Oz 3pm-4pm
Judge Judy M-F 4pm-5pm
TMZ 6pm-630pm
Big Bang M-F 630pm-7pm
Big Bang M-F 1030p-11pm
Simpsons 11pm -12M
Local News
Good Day Austin M-F 6am-9am
M-F 5p-6p, 9p-1030p,
M-F 9p-1030p local news
Time Warner/AT&T Cable/Direct TV
Time Warner is the primary cable provider in Austin. Time Warner’s television advertising interconnect has approximately 420,000 households (this includes Austin’s AT&T Uverse households). AT&T households are located primarily in the northwest and west parts of the Austin DMA. Cable advertising can be targeted geographically by placing ads in eight individual zones offered by Time Warner from San Marcos to Georgetown. The zones range in size from 25,000-111,000 households.
Local advertising can also be placed in Direct TV households. There are approximately 78,000 Direct TV households in the Austin 12 county DMA.
Cable Networks available for local advertising
Entertainment for general audiences:
ABC-Family
AMC
A&E
BET
Comedy
Discovery
FX
Hallmark
History
Spike
SyFy
TBS
TLC
TNT
TRU
TVLand
USA
News:
CNN
CNBC
FoxNews
Fox Business
Headline News
MSNBC
TWC-News
Weather
Sports
ESPN
ESPN2
ESPNU
Fox Sports
Fox Sports 1
Golf Channel
Longhorn Channel
NBC Sports
NFL Network
Women’s Entertainment
Bravo
E!
Lifetime
Lifetime Movie
Oxygen
Special Interest, Children’s & Music
Animal Planet
Food
HGTV
National Geographic
History
Travel
Galavision
Cartoon
Nickelodeon
CMT
MTV
VH1
Producing a television spot
We recommend hiring a local independent video production company to produce your television spots. Frink Inc. Advertising has one of the most experienced and recommended television and video production departments in Central Texas.
The local affiliates and Time Warner have video production departments and in some cases will produce a television spot for an advertiser as a value ad to the purchase of media. KEYE has the best production department among the affiliates and cable. If you decide to use a television station’s production department, make sure you get full ownership of the spot without restrictions on its use with other media outlets.
Recommendations
We have a bias toward recommending that you hire an experienced and proven advertising agency or independent media buyer to manage your television advertising campaign. If you decide to run a television campaign in-house, we recommend that you vet the media outlets and their sales representatives as thoroughly as possible starting with the following procedures.
- Planning and reserving media as far ahead of time as possible yields the lowest rates.
- Establish your demographic and geographic target for your campaign and make sure your sales reps are recommending programs that suitable and efficient in reaching your target.
- Ask each station rep about other businesses and competitors in your industry that have had success advertising on their station.
- If you’re not satisfied with your sales rep’s expertise request a new rep at the outset of the process and request a meeting with the stations sales mangers before buying.
- Track and review results after the first two weeks of the campaign. If you’re not seeing a measurable response to your campaign reevaluate your media messaging and placement strategy and perhaps consult with an advertising agent or independent media buyer.
If you have questions concerning this guide please contact Bill Frink at bill@frinkadvertising.com