Business briefs/leads.
P&G Cuts Commitment to TV Ads:
Procter & Gamble Co., the consumer-goods giant and marketing icon, is sharply cutting how much it commits in advance to buying television commercials next season, according to people familiar with the situation. The move by P&G, the maker of well-known brand items such as Tide, Crest and Pampers, is the latest sign of rapid changes in how companies reach consumers and TV networks and cable channels draw revenue. In recent years, many big companies have expressed doubts about the effectiveness of traditional TV advertising. Digital video recorders such as those made by TiVo Inc., which make it easier for TV viewers to skip commercials, are growing in popularity, while leisure activities like the Internet and videogames are competing for consumers' time. But big-spending P&G, with roots in the medium's earliest days, exerts wide influence on how other companies make their marketing and advertising decisions. In 2004, the Cincinnati-based company was the No. 1 U.S. advertiser, spending roughly $2.5 billion on TV -- more than 80% of its estimated $3 billion ad budget.
Good, less money in television means more money in 'alternative media' or 'out-of-home' media, which is what we do. Screw TV anyway.
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