Category: News Broadcasting

News broadcasters look at innovative ad sales

Mumbai: The approximately Rs. 600-700 million news market in India may get radically stirred if a proposal being considered by the newly-formed News Broadcasters Association of India sees the light of day.

According to the still-under-discussion proposal, Hindi language news broadcasters with sizable market shares are looking at the pros cons of offering a uniform advertising rate to clients.

The proposal, reportedly mooted by a few news market leaders in India who are part of News Broadcasters Association of India, may initially exclude the English news channels from this proposed uniform approach to ad sales, which might be a stumbling block in it going through.

Scepticism notwithstanding, one news channel head admitted that the proposal is being considered.

“It’s (having common ad rates across Hindi news channels) certainly on the agenda, but there are too many ifs and buts to be sorted out before any possibility of actual implementation,” the chief executive who did not want to be named said.

The executive explained that the idea is to find common ground on various news broadcast-related issues, including infrastructure, distribution and, probably, ad sales too.

Still, the revenue sharing formula being suggested too is debatable. As per an initial suggestion, after offering common ad rates, the revenue would be split amongst news channels as per respective market share in terms of viewership and ratings.

For example, if Rs. 100 is generated through this common plank, then the bulk of it would go to the news channel boasting the largest market share and then split up as per market share percentage.

However, another news channel head questioned the model suggested, saying the proposal may be “lofty, but the revenue share formula would throw up various questions.”

Still, most news channels admit there’s no denying that having common approach to issues, including editorial, distribution and infrastructure, is worth exploring in the Indian market as certain expenses are spiraling.

For instance, distribution and placement charges of news channels have increased manifold over the last two years with limited bandwidth of cable networks and mushrooming news channels.

Presently, the major Indian news channels in Hindi and English include Aaj Tak, Star News, Zee News, NDTV India, NDTV 24×7, Sahara’s eight-odd channels, India TV, CNBC TV18, Awaaz, CNN IBN and IBN7.

The News Broadcasters Association of India is also in the process of finalizing content code for its member companies and exploring having an ombudsman on the lines of Editors’ Guild of India, which primarily oversees the print medium.

November 6, 2006
Reuters Television expands Teletrax agreement

MUMBAI: Global broadcast intelligence company Teletrax has reached agreement with news agency Reuters Television to expand its monitoring footprint in key strategic worldwide regions.

Teletrax says that it offers the first and only digital video monitoring and content tracking service that provides vital television intelligence on a global scale to video providers such as entertainment studios, news organisations, TV syndicators, and the advertising industry.

Teletrax is a joint venture between Phillips and Medialink.

At NewsXchange, the international news industry conference attended by more than 400 delegates from news organisations, Teletrax executives outlined the expansion of services to be provided to Reuters and Teletrax’s development of an array of new services: software tools to watermark content in both standard-definition and high-definition formats; software upgrades for watermarking digital, broadcast-quality MPEG-2 video files and for facilitating network integration into existing production systems; an easier- to-use interface; and an enhanced underlying technology that inserts a more robust, yet still imperceptible, watermark.

Teletrax will add more than 30 new channels to its current global monitoring capability beginning in January 2007. To service Reuters’ needs, Teletrax will build monitoring sites in Dubai, Taipei, Taiwan; Seoul, South Korea; and Istanbul, the Turkish capital. Reuters requested the additional channels to track its news broadcasts more comprehensively across the globe, with these geographic areas becoming increasingly important to its activities.

Reuters has been using the Teletrax suite of broadcast verification services to track ssubscribers’ actual usage of its news video across the world for more than four years.

Reuters Television MD Tony Donovan says, “We have been very pleased with the intelligence Teletrax has been providing us on the use of our news coverage, and appreciate the way that Teletrax has evolved to meet our changing needs.

“The data we receive provides us with very valuable editorial, marketing and developmental information, and has become central to our broadcast operations. In a logical progression of our partnership, we wish to expand the territories in which we monitor video so we are able to build a more detailed, complete, and ultimately,more global picture of how broadcasters use our news content.”

Teletrax’s technology embeds an imperceptible and indelible digital watermark into video whenever it is edited, transmitted, broadcast or duplicated. A global network of decoders, or “detectors,” then captures all occurrences of the embedded video being transmitted via satellite, cable or terrestrially and generates tracking reports for the content owners.

Reports of individual broadcast airings are delivered online in near real-time to each client’s custom-designed portal or in data file transfers. Each client’s broadcast activity is updated dynamically, 24 hours a day, enabling clients to respond immediately to reported results such as changes in end-user preferences or detections of unauthourised use.

November 6, 2006
Educational TV has positive effects on toddlers, preschoolers

MUMBAI: A new study in the US suggests that educational television programmes are successful in broadening young children’s knowledge, affecting their racial attitudes and increasing their imaginations.

A study has been published in the November issue of Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Researchers Dimitri A. Christakis, Michelle M. Garrison and Rupin R. Thakkar, MD, of the Child Health Institute, conducted a systematic literature search and identified a total of 376 articles dealing with children and television. Of these, 12 met the criteria of being a controlled trial. The 12 studies were conducted between 1973 and 2000 and focused specifically on television content viewed by children under age six and its impact on learning, racial preference, aggression, pro-social behaviour, self-regulation and imagination. None of these studies looked at infant television viewing or examined the content of videos designed for
children.

The research found that there is evidence to suggest that educational television programs, such as Sesame Street and Mister Rogers can aid in the acquisition of general knowledge plus improve overall cognitive knowledge among young children.

There is also evidence in the literature that children’s imaginative play can be positively affected by television content. Furthermore, there is evidence that educational television programming that emphasizes diversity can improve children’s racial attitudes.

On the negative side, there is evidence that television viewing can increase a child’s display of aggression. Children who watch aggressive programmes and cartoons with lots of violence can be more likely to engage in aggressive behavior than those that do not.

Dr. Christakis says, “The bottom line is that content is key — high-quality educational programming can have a positive effect on children under age six. However, much more research is needed. It was disappointing that there are so few rigorous controlled trials of something that is so important and so prevalent.”

The study’s researchers also stress the importance of AAP recommendations that parents avoid letting their children under age 2 watch television and that parents exert caution — such as setting limits on TV viewing, helping children develop media literacy skills to questions, analyze and evaluate TV messages, and taking an active role in their children’s TV viewing — for children over age 2.

November 6, 2006
Multi-platform distribution strategy key to media success

MUMBAI: In a report on the future of the global media industry Standard & Poor’s Equity Research Services says that traditional media companies will need to develop multiple content distribution platforms to exploit the growth of digital and wireless opportunities, as well as the growth of online advertising in order to grow their businesses.

In the study Emerging Digital Strategies For Branded Entertainment Standard and Poor’s Media and Entertainment Equity Analyst, Tuna N. Amobi, explores the intersection of different digital growth strategies for traditional media companies. While in “Old Media and New Media-Friends, Not Foes,” Standard & Poor’s Internet Software and Services equity analyst Scott Kessler examines how traditional media companies could and should monetise their
content via partnerships with online media firms.

Amobi says, “If traditional media and content companies want to grow their businesses and maintain their relevance in the ever-changing entertainment landscape, they need to quickly devise and systematically execute new media strategies that are highly responsive to the digital entertainment revolution.

“Regardless if it’s through acquisition, partnership or organic growth, these companies need to leverage the growth associated with online advertising and video, as well as the various paid content, wireless and video game channels or risk the perils of a continued audience fragmentation across these emerging platforms.”

Kessler says, “Given the exciting opportunities and notable challenges constituted by this new Internet age, traditional media companies need to think big, and think differently. They will be best served by partnering with new media companies with specialised assets and competencies, rather than going it alone to monetise their content.”

November 6, 2006
Nielsen, NetRatings launch TV/Internet fusion database in the US

MUMBAI: US media research firm Nielsen Media Research and subsidiary NetRatings have launched their TV/Internet Fusion database.

This product merges information from television and Internet panels into a single dataset, and allows television programmers and advertisers to study and capitalize on the relationship between television and Internet use.

The new service is the first deliverable being developed through Nielsen’s Anytime Anywhere Media Measurement (A2/M2) initiative. This resource combines Nielsen’s National People Meter sample of more than 30,000 respondents with NetRatings’ NetView sample, which electronically tracks Internet use of approximately 29,000 panelists from homes and businesses.

The fused database uses panelist information, including age, sex, household income, household education and region of the US to link the two databases, thereby providing a picture of consumers’ TV and online activities.

The National TV/Internet Fusion database serves as a springboard toward the development of a single-sample Internet/television panel. In November, Nielsen Media Research will begin a test to identify the potential impact of Internet measurement on television panel-quality metrics, installing software meters – including NetRatings’ patented metering technology – on the laptops and personal computers of test homes installed with Nielsen People Meters. The company plans to fully deploy the meters during the 2007-2008 television season, assuming successful test results.

Nielsen Media Research chief research officer v says, “At a time when the importance of the Internet as an advertising vehicle continues to grow and expand with new streaming offerings, it’s particularly important to understand the interaction between these two media. The National TV/Internet Fusion database is an advanced multi-platform measurement service that offers advertisers, agencies and media companies an unparalleled view of this expanding relationship; and it represents a critical element in Nielsen’s commitment to measure television wherever and however it is viewed.”

NetRatings VP measurement science Mainak Mazumdar said, “The National TV/Internet Fusion database takes media measurement to a new level. As streaming content becomes ubiquitous on the Internet, the importance of a combined television and internet data set is critical for companies competing for the digital consumer.”

By reporting both national TV network viewership and web site usage in a single data set, the National TV/Internet Fusion database can provide media and advertising clients with a broad range of analysis, including:

– Assessment of Internet usage by TV audiences, including visits to media company web sites by viewers to their network.
– TV viewership by visitors to specific websites.
– Quantification of the unduplicated reach of television sources and Internet web sites.
– Segmentation of audiences to identify and target specific interest groups.
– Tracking of changing patterns of media consumption as more TV programming and other streaming content becomes available online.
– Improved measurement of the reach and frequency of combined TV/Internet campaigns.

In conjunction with the launch of the new service, the companies have produced a research report of their April 2006 fused data, based on time spent watching television and usage of more than 2,000 ad-supported web sites. Included in the key findings:

The analysis of the intersection of television and Internet quintiles reports that 40 per cent of the US 2+ population are more television-centric, 24 per cent are more Internet-centric, and 15 per cent are equally heavy users of TV and the Internet (the remaining portion of the population are light users of both media). Heavy Internet users also tend to watch more television than do light Internet users.

Broadcast and cable networks achieve higher ratings among people who visit their websites, however this relationship differs greatly by demographic and program genre. Visitors to pure-play Internet web sites tend to watch less television than average viewers.

November 4, 2006
CNN PRESENTS shows real-life drama inside Combat hospital in Iraq

MUMBAI: Over two weeks, CNN PRESENTS: Combat hospital looks at the life and death struggles that the medical team face every day in the Iraqi capital’s military emergency rooms at the 10 Combat Support hospital in Baghdad.

With exclusive and unprecedented access to the five doctors, 14 nurses and 22 medics who treat casualties from U.S. and coalition forces, the civilian population and even insurgents, in a building that Saddam Hussein once used for his own personal medical care, CNN PRESENTS: Combat hospital reveals the horror and humanity of present day Iraq.

Presented without narration, the programme is a compelling and gritty close-up look at the American military’s frontline hospital starkly depicted with the daily challenges that face the 10 Combat Support hospital in Baghdad. Graphic video and natural sound reflect the reality of the chaos and heroism in a wartime emergency room: gunshot wounds, burns, amputations and other devastating damage caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Filmed during 16 days of exclusive access to the Mountain Medic Combat Support hospital by CNN Baghdad bureau chief Cal Perry, CNN senior photojournalist Dominic Swann, and CNN’s Ryan Chilcote, viewers see why the maturity and professionalism required in a Combat emergency setting are hard-earned.

A young nurse, Lt. Riane Nelson, R.N., talks ruefully about how she was “picked” to come to Iraq after being called to replace another nurse who became pregnant shortly before her tour of duty.

Nelson’s supervisor, head nurse Lt. Col. John Groves, describes the back story of Nelson’s early inability to keep up with the requirements of their busy unit. Then, Nelson worked with other personnel to resuscitate a critical patient with CPR, saving her life. After that, says Groves, “her confidence skyrocketed.” By the time viewers meet Nelson, she is a self-assured and proficient team member, saving more lives during the programme.

Outside of the emergency room, the unit tries to maintain some normality by playing football and baseball in the alley behind the hospital and even celebrating a co-workers 21 birthday.

In one of the most compelling sequences in the documentary, the film crew captures the arrival of 12 casualties during a few moments of relative quiet for the medical team. Four are already dead. Seven U.S. soldiers and CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier are critically injured and fighting for their lives. The team goes back to work; their trauma rooms are full again.

CNN PRESENTS is the most honoured documentary program in cable news. So far in 2006, CNN PRESENTS has been honoured by an Emmy, six New York Festivals Awards, two National Headliner Awards and a National Press Club Robert L. Kozik Award for environmental reporting.

November 4, 2006
CBS operating income up 4% to $646 million

MUMBAI: US media conglomerate CBS Corporation has reported results for the third quarter ended 30 September, 2006.

CBS’ operating income rose by four per cent to $646 million led by television and outdoor. Net earnings from continuing operations went up by 26 per cent to $324 million.

Revenues of $3.4 billion for the third quarter of 2006 were up slightly from the same quarter last year, as growth at outdoor and publishing was offset by a decline at radio, the shutdown of broadcaster and lower home entertainment revenues due to the switch from self-distribution in 2005 to third party distribution in 2006.

For the nine months ended 30 September 30, 2006, revenues were $10.4 billion which marked an increase of one per cent from the same prior-year period, as growth at outdoor, television and publishing was partially offset by a decline at Radio. Results for the first nine months of 2006 reflected $24.0 million of expenses related to the UPN shutdown as well as the impact of stock-based compensation expense of $51.7 million versus $13.1 million for the nine months ended 30 September, 2005.

For the quarter, television revenues of $2.2 billion decreased slightly from the prior year as growth in television license fee revenues and affiliate fees was more than offset by lower advertising and home entertainment revenues.

Television license fees increased by seven per cent principally due to the domestic syndication sale of CSI: Miami and higher foreign syndication revenues. Affiliate fees increased six per cent due to rate increases and subscriber growth at Showtime and the inclusion of CSTV Networks since its acquisition in January 2006. Ad revenues decreased by three per cent primarily due to the shutdown of UPN in September of 2006 and the absence of the Primetime Emmy telecast in 2006, partially offset by strong political advertising sales at the television stations.

Home entertainment revenues decreased by 35 per cent principally due to the switch from self-distribution in 2005 to third party distribution in 2006. The CW, a 50/50 per cent joint venture broadcast network with Warner Brothers Entertainment, was launched in September 2006 and has been accounted for as an equity investment in the third quarter of 2006.

CBS executive chairman Sumner Redstone says, “CBS Corporation is right on track. “We remain committed to escalating shareholder value as we continue to drive our businesses forward. I am encouraged by the strategic vision Leslie and his team have put forth to capitalize upon the tremendous opportunities unfolding in the digital age.”

CBS president, CEO Leslie Moonves says, “This was another strong quarter, posting solid profit increases in Television and Outdoor, generating significant free cash flow, and delivering the third of three dividend increases since the start of the year. In Radio, our plan to strategically reduce the number of markets in which we operate is well underway. We have signed agreements to sell 29 stations for a terrific value. We also believe that the growth we’re seeing in key formats such as Jack, Spanish and Talk bodes well for improved performance at Radio in 2007.

” Through innovative partnerships with YouTube, Yahoo, and many other key new media concerns, we’re aggressively pursuing opportunities that help us extend our world-class mass-appeal content to new digital platforms and channels and get paid for it. As a premier content company, we continue to be pleased with new technological developments that allow consumers to more easily enjoy our content, and extend our reach into the digital space.”

The company expects to deliver low single-digit growth in revenues, mid single-digit growth in operating income and high single-digit growth in earnings per share.

November 4, 2006
CNN increases funding for PTSD research for journalists

MUMBAI: The global news and current affairs channel CNN is teaming up with the world’s foremost authority on PTSD in journalists, Dr Anthony Feinstein to initially fund a unique web based clinical and research facility.

CNN, which is in safety training and research into post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), has announced a creation of a new site along with Dr Feinstein at the annual NewsXchange conference that took place in Istanbul Turkey on 2 November and will run till 3 November.

According to an official release, this site will be accessible to all media organizations and journalists around the world and this new website will provide a confidential and much needed self help resource for all journalists, even those who do not have access to a company supported PTSD resource. Further information as to how to access the new site will be announced shortly.

One of the innovative aspects to this service is that journalists will be able to use it while on assignment in zones of conflict. “Research over the past six years has shown that journalists and media workers assigned front-line assignments may develop symptoms of distress due to the escalating dangers confronted,” said Dr Feinstein. “This new website will enable us to broaden our understanding of how journalists are responding emotionally to these challenges while also providing immediate feedback to those who are searching for answers and guidance.”

The web based program will allow journalists to complete self assessments with respect to symptoms of PTSD, depression, general psychological well being and alcohol and substance use. Immediate feedback with the option of a printout will be given to all web users. This can then be used to facilitate access to a family doctor or an Employee Assistance Program for therapy, if required. Future development of the site is to include versions in different languages.

“Dr Feinstein’s previous research has helped countless colleagues inside and outside of CNN, said CNN International MD Chris Cramer. “This is an area of staff welfare that media companies need to address, particularly in an era where the media is seen as being fair game in many parts of the world.”

November 3, 2006
BBC to make big screen wildlife film on ‘The Meerkats’

MUMBAI: BBC Films will collaborate with the BBC Natural History Unit to produce their first ever feature film together, The Meerkats.

The film is set to start principal photography this month in the Kalahari Desert. The Weinstein Company are co-financing the project, and will distribute the film internationally.

The Meerkats is directed by James Honeyborne, with Joe Oppenheimer and Trevor Ingman as producers. BBC Natural History Unit head Neil Nightingale and BBC Films head David M Thompson will serve as executive producers with co-president of production, Michael Cole and director of development and production Rhodri Thomas overseeing the project on behalf of The Weinstein Company.

The BBC Natural History Unit has been involved in feature films emanating from their own television series – Blue Planet and the forthcoming Planet Earth. But this is the first time such a project has been produced as a feature film right from the outset, asserts an official release.

The Meerkats is a revealing look at one family’s daily struggle for survival in the harshest environment on earth. But what makes these natives of the African plains even more remarkable is a family dynamic which bears an uncanny resemblance to our own.

Whether they are going through the routines of daily life or locked in a very real battle to stay alive, The Meerkats is a look at how one family’s connection to each other and their surroundings stands as a model of resilience and fortitude.

Talking about the film Thompson said, “This is a tremendously exciting collaboration. The Natural History Unit is the best in the world at what they do and we’re really thrilled to be working with them at last. The film has huge emotional appeal and will really travel internationally. It’s a great story, with a fantastic team behind it, and we hope this will be the start of a great partnership for the future.”

Nightingale added, “I am very excited about the potential of this film project, combining the talents of the BBC Natural History Unit and BBC Films. With a strong and emotional story, featuring some of the most charismatic of wildlife characters, this film will appeal to a very broad cinema audience, in Britain and around the world.”

BBC Films is the feature film-making arm of the BBC, developing, producing and financing an average of eight feature films each year.

November 3, 2006
CNN increases funding for PTSD research for journalists

MUMBAI: The global news and current affairs channel CNN is teaming up with the world’s foremost authority on PTSD in journalists, Dr Anthony Feinstein to initially fund a unique web based clinical and research facility.

CNN, which is in safety training and research into post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), has announced a creation of a new site along with Dr Feinstein at the annual NewsXchange conference that took place in Istanbul Turkey on 2 November and will run till 3 November.

According to an official release, this site will be accessible to all media organizations and journalists around the world and this new website will provide a confidential and much needed self help resource for all journalists, even those who do not have access to a company supported PTSD resource. Further information as to how to access the new site will be announced shortly.

One of the innovative aspects to this service is that journalists will be able to use it while on assignment in zones of conflict. “Research over the past six years has shown that journalists and media workers assigned front-line assignments may develop symptoms of distress due to the escalating dangers confronted,” said Dr Feinstein. “This new website will enable us to broaden our understanding of how journalists are responding emotionally to these challenges while also providing immediate feedback to those who are searching for answers and guidance.”

The web based program will allow journalists to complete self assessments with respect to symptoms of PTSD, depression, general psychological well being and alcohol and substance use. Immediate feedback with the option of a printout will be given to all web users. This can then be used to facilitate access to a family doctor or an Employee Assistance Program for therapy, if required. Future development of the site is to include versions in different languages.

“Dr Feinstein’s previous research has helped countless colleagues inside and outside of CNN, said CNN International MD Chris Cramer. “This is an area of staff welfare that media companies need to address, particularly in an era where the media is seen as being fair game in many parts of the world.”

November 3, 2006