Philadelphia

KNOWN AS THE CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE, PHILADELPHIA WAS AT THE FORE OF AMERIcan democracy, with the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution both signed at Independence Hall. The eclectic city, which still features centuries-old cobblestone streets, is just as famous for landmark sites like the Liberty Bell and Betsy Ross House as it is for its ubiquitous cheesesteaks.

Sports are another vital part of the city's emotional and economic fabric. Four prosports franchises make their home here, including Major League Baseball's Phillies, the National Basketball Association's 76ers, the National Hockey League's Flyers and the National Football League's Eagles, who made it to the Super Bowl this past February but lost to the New England Patriots.

The broadcast television and cable stations compete to provide as much coverage of the professional teams-as well as the active collegiate and high school prep sports arenas-as possible to the 2.9 million TV households in the nation's fourth-largest DMA. The market is a tri-state market, encompassing counties in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

The market also benefited tremendously from an unexpectedly robust political season. With Pennsylvania marked as a pivotal swing state in the 2004 presidential election, upwards of $50 million to $75 million flowed into the market in political ad dollars.

This year, the market faces a major change likely to influence the flow of ad dollars: the arrival of Nielsen Media Research's Local People Meters. Apparently some players aren't quite ready for it. The LPMs were deployed June 2, but at the request of many clients and the Media Rating Council, Nielsen extended the use of local market meters as the standard until June 30. But once the new methodology for determining viewership and ratings takes hold, ABC O&O WPVI-TV, the longtime market dominator, might face stiffer competition.

"It's a big change for the [media] buying community," says Vince Giannini, vp and general manager of Tribune Broadcasting's WB affiliate WPHL-TV. "Media buyers are taking a wait-and-see stance.. .We all want our ratings to go up, but the most important thing is to get a fair, representative sample."

Michael Colleran will certainly be looking to capitalize on the change. The new president and gm of Viacom's Philadelphia duopoly, CBS owned-and-operated KYW-TV and UPN O&O WPSG-TV, tips his...