Google Says Ad-Words Recession Resistant: MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer November 20, 2008

Google is urging clients not to give up on digital ads during the recession. In a conference today in London, Google VP Nikesh Arora will note that "We are making a very explicit pitch to clients about using the internet to speed up in a slowdown. We want to make sure people don't sacrifice the digital imperative because of other issues in their business."

CBS changed its media buying business company from Initiative to OMD. While the move may seem shocking, it makes more sense when noted that former Initiative exec Alan Cohen was named CEO of OMD's US operations. CBS cited Cohen's "depth of experience in TV and entertainment marketing" as the reason for the switch.

Guns N Roses are streaming Chinese Democracy on their MySpace page in full. The album will buck traditional retail sales strategies and will be released this Sunday exclusively at Best Buy.

Summit Entertainment's Twilight has sold out roughly 2,000 screenings across the country, including 600 midnight shows. Analysts believe the teen vampire romance, which has yielded an exceptional amount of hype recently, could take in as much as $60 million this weekend, on the strength of teenage girls and moms alone.

Plus, today's consulting question, "Can you explain what's going on with Comcast and the NFL Network?" Shelly has the answer on today's MediaBytes.

Shelly Palmer is a consultant and the host of MediaBytes a daily show featuring news you can use about technology, media & entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group LLC and the author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV (2008, York House Press). Shelly is also President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, NY (the organization that bestows the coveted Emmy® Awards). You can join the MediaBytes mailing list here. Shelly can be reached at [e-mail]