Comcast offers ad time, money to local artists

The Comcast channel Ovation is offering $500,000 in airtime and production costs for ads for Philadelphia arts organizations.

Comcast is offering small neighborhood organizations a chance to advertise across the country. Representatives from 100 regional arts organizations crowded into a room in City Hall on April 8, each vying to market to a national audience.

One of the newer digital cable channels offered by Comcast is called Ovation – it brings arts programming into 40 million households nationwide. Ovation is offering $500,000 in airtime and production costs for ads for Philadelphia arts organizations.

It’s a competitive application process.  Ted Enoch of Spiral Q Puppet Theater will be applying.  He thinks their puppetry plays about neighborhood issues will play well to a national audience.

Enoch: “We think we offer something unique to Philadelphia, there’s a lot of tourist and cultural value to the region. When neighborhoods are making art, it’s compelling.”

Some of the public-service announcements will feature several organizations reflecting a similar theme – like public art, history, music. Applicants will be judged on the broadcast quality of their video material, and how well they fit into the six themes. The 30-second ads are expected to broadcast nationally in July.