(by Sherman Kizart) The 4As (American Association of Advertising Agencies) Media Policy Committee is easily the most powerful group in the advertising world. This group consists of media agency CEOs and senior executives whose companies plan and place over $200 billion in measured media including Radio. The 4As Media Policy is responsible for developing and implementing best practices and policies that impact all media platforms including traditional media such as Radio and new media including digital.
Bill Koenigsberg is the Chairman of the 4As Media Policy Committee and also CEO and Founder of Horizon Media, the largest independent media and buying agency in the United States. In October of 2011, Bill Koenigsberg revealed a historic document, the new 4As Non Discrimination Policy and Complaint Review Process.
FCC Commissioners Robert McDowell and Jonathan Adelstein were very concerned about the impact of No Urban and No Hispanic Dictates on African American and Hispanic radio stations. In 2007, Both Commissioners Adelstein and McDowell asked me to lead and spearhead a dialog with the advertising industry with the purpose of finding ways to help eliminate No Urban and No Hispanic Dictates.
Over a 4 year period, I worked with 4As Media Policy Committee Chairmen including Marc Goldstein, former CEO of Group M-North America, Koenigsberg and Nancy Hill, CEO of the 4As. What is the 4As Non Discrimination Policy and Complaint Review Process? The new 4As Non- Discrimination policy is designed to eliminate No Urban and No Hispanic Dictates from all media avails including radio avails. The goal is to have a Zero tolerance of No Urban and No Hispanic Dictates on all media buys. Unfortunately, Urban and Hispanic Radio stations continue to encounter both written and more commonly ?unwritten dictates? not to include African American and Hispanic Radio stations. The new 4As Non Discrimination Policy is designed to eliminate the practice and policy of No Urban and No Hispanic Dictates.
What?s the Complaint Review Process? Urban and Hispanic radio and media operators often times believed there is no recourse or road-map within the agency environment to effectively address suspected cases of No Urban and No Hispanic Dictates. Even if they suspected that to be the case, many Urban and Hispanic radio and media fear backlash from the media agency if they raised this issue.
The new 4As Complaint Review Process provides Urban and Hispanic Media companies and operators with access to the CEOs of these agencies. Secondly, as part of the Complaint Review Process, Urban and Hispanic Media companies and operators will have the issue investigated and addressed with-out any fear of retribution or backlash from the media buying organization at the agency.
4As Media Policy Committee Chairman Bill Koenigsberg , in his role as CEO of Horizon Media, was the first CEO to sign a pledge in adopting the new 4As Non Discrimination and Complaint Review Process. Koenigsberg has successfully initated a campaign to secure CEO pledges from most of the large publicly traded media companies in adopting this new policy.
All of the major publicly traded media buying companies control over 80% of all media dollars placed on various media platforms. Update-Koenigsberg has successfully received CEO pledges from these companies. Additionally, the 4As has sent out the new 4As Non Discrimination Policy and Complaint Review Process to over 800 member agencies. This policy is making a difference and re-directing dollars rightfully to Urban and Hispanic Radio?s bottom line.
Sherman Kizart is the Managing Director of Kizart Media Partners, a radio sales and management consulting firm in Chicago. He can be reached at 312-421-4803 or via e-mail at shermankizart@att.net
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