Web Passes Papers as a News Source 
By ALEX MINDLIN  |  THE NEW YORK TIMES

The Internet overtook print newspapers as a news source this year, according to a report by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, which asked more than a thousand people where they got “most of” their national and international news. (Respondents were allowed to name more than one medium.)

The change does not represent a decline in the popularity of newspapers, which actually picked up a percentage point over last year. Rather, it represents a near-doubling, from 24 percent last year, in the number of people naming the Internet as their primary news source.

Michael Dimock, the Pew Center’s associate director, credited the presidential election, which he said lent itself to online coverage. “People often don’t want the general overview of an election,” he said. “They may want to follow their candidate, picking and choosing what they’re looking at in a way that mainstream media doesn’t allow.”

He added that political coverage works well with interactive features like Web polls and comment threads, whereas, for example, “the war in Iraq is a story well told by newspapers and television.”
   
         
   

Television Advertising Costs

Costs of a 30-second spot on top television shows:
American Idol $705,000.00
Desperate Housewives $560,000.00
CSI $465.000.00
Grey's Anatomy $440,000.00
ER $400,000.00
Extreme Makeover Home Edition $355,000.00
Survivor $350,000.00
The Apprentice $350,000.00
Two And A Half Men $293,000.00
Source: Advertising Age
   
         
   

A Look At Advertising Prices In Different Media
(The Wall Street Journal)

    
    Local TV: A 30-second television commercial on a local station in a top 10 market ranges from $4,000, generally during a movie, to $45,000 for time on one of the highest-rated shows.

Network TV: A 30-second spot in prime time ranges from $80,000 to $600,000, depending on how high a show is rated and the show's genre. The average is $120,000 to $140,000.

Cable TV: A 30-second spot in prime time runs between $5,000 and $8,000, depending on the network.Radio: Commercials range from $200 to $1,000 for a 60-second spot, depending on criteria such as the time of day and the program's ratings.

Newspapers: A full-page ad in the top 10 markets runs an estimated $120 per 1,000 circulation.

Magazines: Ads in regional editions of national magazines cost an average of about $50 per 1,000 circulation. The average cost of an ad in a local magazine is about $120 per 1,000 circulation.

Direct mail: The most common forms of direct mail include packages of coupons in letter-sized envelopes, which cost $15 to $20 per 1,000 delivered, and single-sheet newspaper inserts like fliers, which cost between $25 and $40 per 1,000 circulation.

Billboards: To place several short-term ads for one to three months on those 14x48 signs along the freeway ranges from $5,000 to $25,000 in top 10 markets.

Banner ads: Banner ads range from $5 to $50 for every 1,000 ad impressions that appear on the site, depending on how targeted the ad and the site where it appears.

Rich media: Rich-media ads that appear in pop-up windows run between $40 and $50 per 1,000 ads that appear, depending on the quality and demographic of the site's audience.

E-mail newsletters: Content sponsored by an advertiser in a newsletter format ranges from $15 to $25 per 1,000 e-mail addresses targeted, depending on the cost to create and develop the e-mail. An e-mail in the form of an advertisement ranges from $100 to $300 per 1,000 e-mail addresses targeted, depending on the quality and demographic of the list of addresses.

Sponsorships: A sponsorship per 1,000 viewers ranges from $30 to $75, depending on the exclusivity of the sponsorship. (The more exclusive, the higher the cost.).