Channel 4 chief tackles the issue of media buyers taking their money elsewhere now the reality show has been droppedDavid Abraham, the chief executive of Channel 4, has called on media buying agencies not to penalise Channel 4 for not having Big Brother in its schedule for the first time in a decade by cutting their spend with the broadcaster.
Abraham, delivering Channel 4's 2011 "upfront" presentation to several hundred media buying agency executives at the Freemasons' Hall in Covent Garden last night, addressed head-on the murmurings in the industry that the broadcaster will face a tough advertising airtime trading season without the reality franchise.
Despite declining viewing figures the Big Brother franchise has always been massively important to Channel 4's overall audience share and delivering the key 16- to 34-year-old demographic. This is not lost on media buyers, who will look to drive hard bargains on behalf of their clients as deals are struck between now and Christmas that will account for more than 80% of more than the £3bn UK TV ad spend for 2011.
Guardian
