ABC Television affiliates have approved a new network-affiliate plan for the next two years in an effort to strengthen the company’s distribution system. The agreement covers a range of issues, including continued financial support from affiliates for “Monday Night Football,” parameters on repurposing of network programming, additional prime-time advertising inventory for affiliates, inventory guarantees, assurances for affiliation agreement assignments and continued affiliate participation in ABC’s SoapNet. The deal is slated to run through July 31, 2004.
Virtual ads on Fox World Series
Fox will air virtual advertising behind home plate during its World Series broadcasts. Advertisers that have signed up for the virtual billboards include MasterCard, John Hancock, Budweiser, Gillette and Radio Shack. Fox will also use the ads to promote its shows such as “Boston Public,” “girls club,” “24,” “The Bernie Mac Show,” “John Doe,” “The Simpsons” and “Malcolm in the Middle.” Princeton Video Image will produce the virtual ads for Fox Sports and Major League Baseball. Virtual home-plate ads during the World Series first appeared during last year’s coverage.
Short takes
Toby Graff has been promoted to VP, public affairs at Lifetime, moving up from director, corporate communications. Ms. Graff, formerly deputy press secretary to then-first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, will be responsible for expanding Lifetime’s Washington-focused public affairs and public advocacy initiatives on behalf of women, including specifically the fight against breast cancer and the movement to end violence against women. … Steve Webster has been named senior VP, communications, Universal Television Group. He joins Universal from Sony Pictures Entertainment, where he served as VP, corporate communications and marketing planning, for the Game Show Network. … Cindy Ronzoni has been named VP of publicity and corporate communications for Game Show Network. Ms. Ronzoni spent almost 15 years at Fox, most recently as VP of corporate communications at Fox Cable Networks Group. She left Fox Cable Networks Group last year and since then has served as a public relations consultant for cable television publicity departments, including assignments at Game Show Network.