5 Qs with CNN Ad Sales COO Greg D'Alba

Fox News has better ratings. Why is it garnering ad rates that The WSJ says are 75-80% of CNN’s? Fox is a 1-dimensional product. They do a good job programming that way. But the real value comes within the organization itself. We were integration before integration was cool. In today’s fragmented media environment, advertisers are seeking solutions and opportunities to connect with the right consumers. With the breadth of our brand, only CNN can offer advertisers a broad spectrum of multi-platforms. … We’ve been able to provide 1-stop seamless marketing. CNN also has the overwhelming advantage in out-of-home viewing of news. And it has the advantage among light viewers, who when they’re watching TV, they’re only watching CNN. Do you believe Fox is close to closing that gap? We’re not real concerned with what they say they are getting. We don’t strategize on where we should be based on Fox. Whatever the financials work out to be, I think the marketplace will tell you we have a fair approach. It’s not about paying more for a particular product, but about getting that value. If you’re going to close the gap in some of these areas, you’d have to get astronomical increases. I don’t know if the marketplace gives those to any body. How’s the upfront? We’re encouraged by the 30% growth factor last year. We’ve cut some deal already, and we’re very encouraged by the volume. I think news is going to do well across the board. News companies that can extend beyond 30-sec spots will do even better. What’s your job like during a presidential election year? It’s exciting. There are very few jobs out there that keep us as close to the most dynamic event that shapes our country. It’s also a year where there is a lot of money in the market. Do you have an internal nickname for Fox News that’s printable? Yes, Fox Talk. There are no hard feelings. I think all cable news nets have helped the genre’s growth. We don’t get caught up with Fox. There’s still about $800mln being spent on network evening news. We’re looking at the bigger marketplace.