For HGTV, old show gets new life — even in unfriendly market

HGTV, whose popular new show “Selling New York” follows agents as they market their million-dollar listings, has begun funneling ad money into a new program, according to Ad Age — but this time it’s an old show, not a new one, that’s getting the attention. “House Hunters” is roughly a decade old, but the channel is putting $6 million into advertising the show, treating it as though it were a new program. Lori Asbury, senior vice president for marketing at the channel, said that, despite the housing bubble bust, the show’s popularity has “proven to be independent of any volatility in the economy or housing market.” In fact, the “House Hunters” audience is actually larger in the post-boom era than it was at the height of the market. The show garnered 1.37 million views between Sept. 28, 2009 and Sept. 7, 2010, up from the 2006-2007 season, when the audience was 1.21 million strong. [Ad Age]