Television advertising will always be with us, but the growth of the internet and other communication technologies has certainly changed it. Many feel that prime time commercials are not as effective as they once were, and viewers often tune them out or zip past them on TiVo. As a result, television networks are looking for new, creative ways to generate ad dollars, including selling some of their best shows to online outlets for people to enjoy on their computers, cell phones, or iPods.

The good news is that these new forms of online and internet programming offer a great advertising opportunity for small businesses. Although online programming contains fewer commercial breaks than television programming, these breaks can feature multiple commercials from the same advertiser, allowing the message to have a better chance of sinking in. Marketers also hope that having fewer commercials will be very popular with audiences, and that the ads shown will then have a stronger impact.

Although television networks depend on commercials, viewers are often frustrated with the number of ads they must view during a program. An average half-hour show contains about eight minutes of commercials, making it seem cluttered to both audiences and advertisers. With online programming, fewer commercials can feel like less of an interruption to viewers, and feel like less competition for advertisers, too. And since the audience for online programming is typically smaller than for television, the cost can be less expensive, yet reach a more targeted market segment.

As the networks continue their efforts to sell ads across various platforms (the internet, mobile phones, iPods, web sites, etc.), small businesses should watch for opportunities to reach their markets through these new methods. Television advertising isnt what it used to be, which may turn out to be good news for small businesses. Stay tuned.