Phillips Electronics is paying TV network CBS about $2 million to be the sole advertiser on this week's edition of 60 Minutes. This deal will result in actually fewer commercials breaks and therefore longer stories on the news magazine show. While there will be about half the time normally alloted to national ads, network promotions and local ad time will not be affected by the deal. CBS will reportedly run a graphic on screen explaining the deal and solicite viewer feedback.

Sole sponsorships are becoming an increasingly attractive way for advertisers to break through ad clutter, both in print (see the recent Target buyout of an issue of The New Yorker) and on TV. 60 Minutes producer Jeff Fager says he'd love to do this more often and Phillips Electronics is reportedly looking for future opportunities, in whatever medium, to repeat this kind of sponsorship deal.