AfterMath is a new sales tool that its creators say generates a cost-per-customer figure that shows that advertisers are often spending more and getting less on Google AdWords than they would if they'd bought spots on TV stations. The finding is confirmed by some advertisers who measure effectiveness by how much revenue is generated.

With an improving economy, TV stations and reps are seeing a return of car advertising. Predictions are the category will post improvements of up to 20% in the first quarter over the same period last year. And even better news is that the category's gains may be just one part of an overall ad improvement in 2010.

Readers respond to my last column and come down on both sides of the practice of using longform ads to gin up revenue at stations. Some feel this undermines a station's credibility and harms its news efforts, while others say viewers aren't stupid and easily identify such material for what it is.For some, the bottom line is whether stations are chasing away viewers by airing longform ads and branded entertainment. That's difficult to gauge, but I suspect that it's a function of how well it's done.

In attempts to lure more advertisers, TV stations are turning to product integration — so-called "branded entertainment" — to attract local businesses that want to feature their products or services on the air without buying traditional spots. In addition, stations are experimenting with longform ads and promotional segments, some two-minutes long, others five minutes.

While media buyers blast Nielsen for wanting to switch to live-plus-same-day ratings, broadcasters say the new scheme promises to show that their audience is larger than what they are currently getting credit for and that, ultimately, should lead to more revenue. The reason live-only is unfair, they say, is that it doesn't count viewers who use DVRs sparingly.

TV station sales managers are facing dramatically different job challenges than they did 10 years ago. To meet them, they are looking for salespeople who, in addition to knowing the TV marketplace, can also sell other media — mobile, online and, in some cases, even newspapers. And they also need to put a greater emphasis on drilling down into their markets to find advertisers who have never been on TV before because they couldn't afford it or simply because they were never asked.

There are real signs of growth in local spot in many markets. And, ironically, the growth is coming not despite the tough economy, but because of it. Among the categories that are catering to penny-pinchers are many that are turning to TV as they flee from yellow pages such as legal, health care, home improvement, used cars, banks and furniture.

A growing number of TV stations have found that one solution to the problem of late-paying advertisers is to allow clients to pay via credit cards to eliminate the revenue waiting game. Opinions are divided, however, over the practice at some stations of deducting the credit-card company processing fee out of account executive commissions.

Slow payment by advertisers is just one more unfortuante result of the recession. And while a first impulse may be to get tough, that could damage relationships and cost money when the good times return. Perry Sook and Abe Walkingbear Sanchez have a couple of ideas.to address the problem that are more carrot than stick.