Media Planning: Broadcasters Must Make Themselves Visible to AI

An interesting article regarding broadcasting and AI appeared in TV NewsCheck.  Written by media expert Tom Sly, the article notes that entities using AI to create a media plan often overlook broadcasting.  The issue is that large language model AI systems don’t have sufficient information regarding broadcasting.  As a result, when an AI system creates a “media plan,” it undervalues broadcast.  The article notes:

“If an advertiser asked an AI system to build a media plan today, broadcast television would rarely make the recommendation.  That’s not because TV is ineffective, but because AI systems cannot see it...

If an AI system cannot find anything about broadcast stations other than their news websites or call letters, how can a prompt from an advertiser or agency reasonably result in broadcast TV being recommended as part of a media plan?”

The solution is for broadcasters to help train AI systems regarding the value of broadcasting as a media tool.  The article goes on to suggest:

“First, broadcasters must make their inventory, including rates and ratings, available in ways LLMs can easily find and understand.

Second, broadcasters must actively train AI systems to understand the strengths and proven success of broadcast television.”

AI systems must be given data regarding the effectiveness of broadcast advertising from which to learn.  Absent such training, AI media plans will remain biased against broadcasting.  This is an important article and worth reading.

You can access Tom Sly’s article in TV NewsCheck here.