I’m not going to correct you about who clear channel xm channels, I will how ever point out that you really can’t compare the millions of satalite listeners to the billions of terestrial radio listeners……not really a fair comparison. It’s like all the people who make a big deal out of Howard Stern having over 4 million listers….great, until you remember that a year ago he had over 100 million listeners…….ANd don’t get me wrong, I’m a big Howard supporter, anyone that can make a hundred million dollars a year by delivering less listeners is ok in my book and it helps keep raising the bar for pay for everyone else……..

Also, whatever happened to the idea of eliminating clutter? Sticking mini-ads between songs hardly seems to me like a clutter reduction strategy.

Any wonder why millions of people are already listening to satellite radio which has NO ads on its all-music channels? (Yes, before you correct me, I AM aware of the handful of Clear Channel-programmed music channels on XM.)

Not that your point isn’t well taken, but unfortunately the listener is inevitably the weakest link in a long line of wheels that need to be greased at any given time.

I would imagine your Borg headgear will be arriving in the mail any day now…. ;)

As far as charging for them? At least initially, I see this as a great ‘added value’ tool…stations can hold their rate for full creative, and add these little blurps in to get the ‘cost per spot’ down. With the kinds of clients that these spots would be most appropriate for, they don’t necessarily pay for stuff like that…it’s thrown in to increase budget share, or to give them SOMETHING for free.

Also, if RDS is correct, then the one-second spots can’t be run at all, as a practical matter.

By now most people are familiar with Clear Channel Radio’s “Less Is More” initiative when it comes to commercials, but is a one-second spot taking the idea too far? Clear Channel is reportedly discussing the idea of one-second spots, dubbed “blinks,” with marketers and media buyers. The company’s Creative Services Group has already crafted a demonstration for the concept using the McDonald’s jingle, minus the “I’m lovin’ it” language, and placed it between one Hip-Hop song and another, according to Advertising Age. The group also created a blink for the Mini Cooper with a horn honking and a voice saying “Mini.” Other well-known branding sound effects that could fit into the one-second spot are the Intel chime and the NBC bells.

“It really is to find new uses of radio for advertisers who are continually asking us to demonstrate that our medium can successfully extend brands, can successfully reach the consumer with touchpoints that are new and surprising,” Jim Cook, SVP/Creative for Clear Channel Radio, told AdAge.

So far the idea seems to be getting mixed reviews. Jim Gaither, Director/Broadcast at Richards Group, said he has been in conversation with Clear Channel about three-second spots. “It’s not building a brand; it’s refreshing a brand,” he said to AdAge. “You can’t use a one-second campaign for something that generally has not been advertised before.” He also noted that a blink is best suited to a marketer’s core customer, because those are the people for whom the blink will have the most impact.

However, Andrew Goldstein, a copywriter at Zimmerman Advertising, is unsure whether advertisers would want a sound effect thrown into music programming. “You’re not going to know it’s connected to the brand, and it’s going to lose its value,” he said. Horizon Media’s Lauren Russo agreed, saying, “I can’t see any advertiser, any agency paying for a spot that’s one second,” according to AdAge.

With the blink concept still in the early stages, Clear Channel has not yet decided on pricing and package information. And another obstacle could be the ability to track such short spots to verify that they aired. Right now, TNS Media Intelligence can only track broadcast spots that are five-seconds or more in length.