According to reports, brand owners are reluctant to see their products advertised in the middle of coverage of September 11. The Wall Street Journal says that advertisers such as Dell Computer and PepsiCo have already decided that September 11 will be an advertising blackout.
Others have decided to wait until preview tapes are available before deciding if they will book time.
Major American television networks are all planning special coverage for September 11, including documentaries, interviews with survivors and families of those who died, as well as a 'Concert for America' to be held in Washington DC.
It is likely that many networks will not run their own promotions on September 11, which falls in the middle of a period where the stations are heavily promoting their autumn schedules.
The US public has proven super-sensitive to any coverage of the attacks, with networks criticised for showing footage from inside the World Trade Center as it was hit. Even a Starbucks poster that showed a dragonfly buzzing above two drinks with the words "Collapse into cool" was accused of making light of the attacks.
Immediately following the attacks, US networks suspended advertising for four days, as they ran 24-hour news coverage. This cost the networks an estimated $200m (£128m) in lost revenues.
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