TV execs demand tech tie-ins

Networks are getting ready to sell the fall’s new TV shows to advertisers in what’s known as the “upfront period,” and technology is playing a bigger part than ever before.

USA Today reports that NBC Universal TV head Jeff Zucker has mandated that all new shows have an interactive fan element, be it by cellphone, PC or iPod.

To give advertisers even more for their dollar, experts say all networks will heavily push technological value-adds:

“There are more ingredients and components than ever before,” says Brad Adgate, research director at ad-buying firm Horizon Media. “If I had to pick one word to sum up what this…is going to be, it’s ‘confusion.’ “

Hey, that was the original reaction to Layer 8, too.