A trio of top Canadian media strategists say that -- with very few new shows to pick from thanks to the recent writers' strike -- they're advising their clients to invest in proven hits, with an eye to cross-plaform deals taking shape at the end of the year.

Which series, old and new, are the most sought after?

Valerie McMorran, Starcom MediaVest Group: "Returning favorites, including Grey's Anatomy, CSI: Miami, House and Bones, are still in high demand -- perhaps because there are very few new shows this fall, and fewer pilots to view as a result of the writers' strike last winter.

"Of the new shows set to debut, there really isn't a great deal to get excited about and any buzz seems to be limited to J.J. Abrams' new series, Fringe, and how well the new versions of Knight Rider and 90210 will fare. Canadian and specialty programming continues to have appeal, particularly for product placement/product integration initiatives."

Florence Ng, ZenithOptimedia: "For Q1, there are reduced numbers of new entries this year and limited pilots are available. There's a tendency to stay with the proven properties. Criminal Minds, which will be in simulcast this fall, and Dancing With The Stars are the more sought-after returning series. Of the new series, 90210 is popular, especially for the women 18-34/women 18-49 demo.

"For Q2, drama continues to dominate the schedules, followed by proven reality shows such as The Amazing Race, Survivor, Dancing With The Stars and America's Top Model, etc."

Kim Osborne Duarte, PHD Canada: "Due to the fact that there is little new programming, the tried and true are selling first."

Which programming categories are the hottest?

McMorran: "If an advertiser is looking to be in primetime, it's a little difficult to avoid participation in the vast number of top-rated dramatic series available, particularly of the crime-, investigative- and medical-based premise. The reality genre also does well, has broad demographic appeal, and can often fit the ever increasing demand for family-friendly viewing."

Duarte: "Dramas, reality."

How does this year compare with last year sales-wise?

McMorran: "It's difficult to determine, as the month of June continued to be the window during which the bulk of fall buying is purchased, whether the demand is 'real' or 'hyped.' The buying pace during June can be frenetic, as buyers quickly secure programming on first-rate card and before the 'sought-after' inventory is depleted. The telling tale of how well fall TV sales will do versus a year ago largely depends on the momentum throughout the summer and early fall months. Despite a weakened economy, we do not predict any drastic decline in fall TV sales. A slowdown, if any, will more likely occur in winter/spring 2009."

Ng: "Overall, Q3 is rather similar to last year, perhaps with some stations doing better than others."

Duarte: "It's pretty consistent with previous years."

Are any cross-platform deals in the works?

McMorran: "We cannot verify any cross-platform deals, but we do predict that bigger-volume agency deals occurred with the new merged entities 'in play' this upfront -- bigger CTVglobemedia, bigger Canwest, bigger Rogers deals, deals which could include television and beyond. The extent of bigger multimedia deals depends on the fit of all the combined assets of a given media owner -- assets which would be more applicable and of greater value perhaps on the basis of a client-specific negotiation, versus agency deal."

Ng: "Q4. The priorities during the few weeks after the fall launches are to finalize TV purchases based on the lowest grid and renew volume deals and 52-week commitments. There are ongoing interests in cross-platform opportunities which are either presented or in the works."

Duarte: "These are done on a client-by-client basis and we have not being doing any at this time."

From Media in Canada