EDI Solution comes to Harrisburg - National Rollout Brings Electronic Orders to Mid-Atlantic Region WHP-TV / WLYH-TV First to Offer Area Buyers New Solution

June 19, 2005 -- As part of its national EDI (electronic data interchange) rollout, Strata Marketing, Inc., is proud to announce state-of-the-art electronic connectivity is now available for the first time in Harrisburg, PA. This technology allows media buyers and TV account executives who are Strata clients to exchange proposals electronically, doing away with time-consuming, labor-intensive paper orders. This solution means printing, faxing and re-entering data is no longer necessary. Through electronic communication, buyers and sellers can do business faster while significantly reducing the chance for errors.

WHP-TV and WLYH-TV are the first Harrisburg TV stations to offer this technology to media buyers at more than 700 Strata agencies nationwide. This week, more than forty media buyers and TV sales executives from Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre, Philadelphia and Baltimore, MD, met to see how they can connect electronically through Strata’s software. Scott Beaver, General Sales Manager at WHP-TV in Harrisburg, PA, sees the benefit in being among the first to bring EDI to Harrisburg. He said, “EDI is moving forward, and if the process improves the way our agencies and clients conduct business, then we’re happy to be part of the solution.” Barbara Shimp, Media Director at Neiman Group said, “…Speed, man hours saved, accuracy in inputting, there are definitely a lot of benefits. Time not inputting will give us more time for the real nuts and bolts of what we do." Jennifer Kehler of Pavone Advertising agrees. “The implementation of EDI will allow us to focus more so on the thinking, strategy and rationale behind the plan rather than worrying about if we entered all of our avails correctly.” That’s why Kehler expects the use of EDI by all trading partners to grow. “At this point, we will continue to ask our vendors to use EDI, but over time will demand it from the non-participants.”

The benefits to buyers and sellers of TV advertising are clear. Sellers can send their entire “avails” list (with rates and rationale), including sports and special programming. The buyer can review that information in his/her software without having to re-type it. And, with an electronic response, buyers can be assured they’re getting what they ordered. Direct, two-way electronic connectivity covers all aspects of electronic ordering. Send rate requests, receive avails, exchange proposals, accept or reject broadcast orders with just a few computer keystrokes. No waiting for a fax, no need for paper orders! Strata technology virtually eliminates the chance for mistakes, allowing buyers and sellers to be more productive, dramatically shortening the time it takes to buy or sell media. This latest enhancement streamlines the sales process, making both stations and agencies more efficient.

Strata continues to take the lead in the development and deployment of EDI solutions. Through its ongoing commitment to the Television Bureau of Advertising’s (TVB) EDI open standards, Strata has been a driving force in providing electronic solutions for the broadcast industry, to local stations directly and through the TV rep firms. When the TVB asked software companies to make the EDI dream a reality, Strata delivered. The Chicago-based company has more than 1,000 clients in the media industry.