M6 ad sales surge with popular 'Loft'

Web one of few expected to reach ad targets this year

By ALISON JAMES

PARIS -- M6 has hit the jackpot with "Loft Story," raking in an estimated 250 million francs ($32 million) in extra advertising sales since France's first reality TV show began airing two months ago.

France's second biggest private web is one of the few European broadcasters expected to reach its end of year advertising target in the current downturn. Media analysts believe the channel's ad sales will grow 9%.

The Endemol-produced "Big Brother"-style show cost roughly $12.5 million to make.

But in a less welcome dose of reality, France's broadcasting authority has so far refused M6's request to up its ad time from six to nine minutes an hour. The Conseil Superieur de L'Audiovisuel is also cool to M6's plea to air fewer hours of music programming, part of ongoing negotiations over the renewal of the channel's broadcasting license.