Boeing signs first major advertising deal around 9/11 broadcast

NEW YORK - Aerospace company Boeing has signed one of the first sponsorship deals around US television coverage on the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks as many advertisers stay away.

Boeing signs first major advertising deal around 9/11 broadcast

Boeing has signed a deal to sponsor NBC's commemorative two-hour 'Concert for America', which will air on the night of September 11, a Boeing spokeswoman said.

No commercials will run during the broadcast, although there may be a sponsorship announcement during the programme.

Advertisers and broadcasters have so far been reluctant to buy airtime commercials around programming on the day of the atrocity, out of sensitivity to public feeling. It is estimated that the anniversary of 9/11 will cost the big broadcast networks millions in lost revenues.

The Boeing spokeswoman said sponsoring the concert, produced by NBC and featuring first lady Barbara Bush as honorary chairman, was "the most fitting way for us to show our commitment to those who were affected by this tragedy".

The programme will feature a range of musical genres from rock and pop, classical and country.

Reports indicate that US TV networks are having a hard time selling advertising during programming to commemorate the attacks on New York and Washington. After the attacks themselves the networks went for days without showing ads as 24-hour news took over.

Some firms, including Dell Computer and PepsiCo, are reported to be dropping all advertising on September 11, although a survey last week indicated that 75% of Americans had no objection to seeing or hearing normal ads on the day.

ITV last week announced that it would forego at least £1m in peak-time advertising during an hour-long broadcast dedicated to victims of the terrorist attacks.

The decision represents the first time the commercial terrestrial network has shown a peak-time programme without advertising.

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