ABC Reexamines Ad on Jennings’ E-Mail Journal

After little more than one week and some reader complaints, ABC is rethinking the advertising it has begun selling on the daily e-mail that goes out to “World News Tonight” viewers.

Jennings Journal, the chatty missive from Peter Jennings, written by the anchor or one of his producers, goes out each afternoon to more than 60,000 subscribers who have signed up through the ABC News Web site. It details possible stories in the night’s broadcast, with personal commentary on the day’s events from the anchor, remarks about how the journalistic process of selecting stories works and, often, teasers designed to get viewers to tune in. Its recipients clearly feel strongly about it: Some 150 e-mail back each day.

But starting Nov. 1, recipients had to wade through a lengthy ad and e-mail link for American Express’ Platinum card before getting to Jennings’ report.

The ads were clearly labeled, but some readers were nonetheless upset--so much so that ABC pulled the ad from Friday’s Journal.

ABCNews.com spokeswoman Lauren Kapp said the company received complaints--she couldn’t say how many but said it was a “handful” in the first two days--that the ads made the e-mail too impersonal. “We take our user comments very seriously,” Kapp said, so ABC will go back to American Express to rework the ad so that it is less intrusive but the client is still happy.

The Internet site sends out more than a dozen such daily or weekly e-mails on behalf of ABC news operations, from one that alerts recipients to breaking news to a “Good Morning America” recipe and women’s health tips. Some carry ads, or have carried them in the past, largely without complaints from those who receive them, Kapp said.

But the Jennings e-mail and another one from the late-night “Nightline” have a different feel; the “Nightline” e-mail has taken on a particularly personal tone, including, in the last three months, ongoing news of executive producer Leroy Sievers’ successful treatment for colon cancer.

The Jennings e-mail started out as a way to reach out to viewers, Kapp said, but ABC decided to start selling ads because of the soft economy and the need for additional revenue. ABCNews.com laid off an unspecified number of employees last week, after it consolidated with ABC News. Other e-mails such as that for “Nightline” have yet to carry ads because advertisers haven’t expressed interest, she said.

Jennings declined through a spokesman to comment on the ads.