Sellers Balk at 4A's Electronic-Buying Push

The ad industry’s effort to enlist broadcast networks in its drive to standardize electronic buying is off to a slow start.

The sellers are concerned that the security of their data would be at risk in any standardized online buying process. And none has responded yet to a Nov. 5 request by the American Association of Advertising Agencies for each to loan the trade group $10,000 to fund an “XML Repository.”

The networks are also put off by the way they were solicited for the loan—by letter.