In releasing details on its interconnect initiative to date, National Cable
Communications said Tuesday that its CableLink Interconnects operation now runs
seven consolidated markets, and ad revenues for the first five rose almost 15
percent in the first quarter.
CEO Tom Olson added that the share of revenue for those five interconnects
jumped about 30 percent, since spot television spending on broadcast stations in
those same markets fell about 20 percent.
The top spot-cable ad-sales rep firm's CableLink division added Cleveland and
Albany/Schenectady/Troy, N.Y., in June. Cleveland is CableLink's largest
interconnect market so far, reaching about 1.35 million cable homes in the No.
15 DMA.
All told, CableLink now reaches nearly 4 million cable homes across its seven
DMAs.
NCC's previously consolidated markets are Providence/New Bedford, R.I.;
Hartford-New Haven, Conn.; and Buffalo, N.Y. (all begun late last year); as well
as Grand Rapids, Mich.; and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pa. (both launched in
January).
Besides the seven NCC-run interconnects, there are now 36 other MSO-run
interconnects within the top 50 DMAs.
NCC executives projected that the combined number of NCC-run and MSO-driven
interconnects should reach 50 by year's end, although they could not yet specify
the next DMAs on CableLink's list.
