ITV

Tag: TV

  • Media pros find TAM blackout inconceivable; but readying for chaos

    Media pros find TAM blackout inconceivable; but readying for chaos

    MUMBAI: That Television Audience Measurement‘s (TAM‘s) ratings are battling for survival is common knowledge. But how this will affect the advertising process on television? And also what will happen if broadcasters force their hand and have TAM‘s ratings shut down, if but for a while? How will media professionals buy and sell? Definitely questions that are worth taking a looksee.

    And we spoke to that breed of professionals who create the ads, plan and do deals which go to make up the Rs 14,000 crore TV advertising spend in India – the ad agency pro, media planner and buyer.

    Most expressed outright discomfort about the possibility of there being no TAM ratings; some even went so far ahead, disregarding it as speculation which will not come to pass.

    AAAI president & Leo Burnett India south Asia chairman & CEO Arvind Sharma says: “We are crystal clear that advertisers will not work without the TAM ratings. There is no possibility that TAM ratings will be shut down.”

    Seconding Sharma, Maxus worldwide CEO Vikram Sakhuja states: “TAM shutdown for now seems to be speculation. We are not considering this scenario and will be looking for TAM ratings for media buying.”

    Mediacom MD Debraj Tripathy proffers his view: “Let‘s say hypothetically that I agree that there is a basic problem with the ratings. This doesn‘t mean that TAM has to be made to stop functioning. We have to address the problem instead of shutting down TAM. I am not open to discussion led by the mass and a unilateral decision. Any initiative against TAM has to be backed by data and research.”

    Tripathy, however, said if it is found that there is data insufficiency or incorrect data being dished out by TAM, then “it (shutdown) is permissible for a while, until TAM can make some perceived changes or until some other currency starts.”

    Most of them shuddered when they were told a TAM shutdown for a period is quite the way the broadcasters want to go. “There will be a chaotic situation,” says Vivaki Exchange COO Mona Jain. “Chaos,” shivers Tripathy. “I am not in favour of a unilateral decision by anyone as it will lead to utter chaos,” echoes Madison Media COO Karthik Laxminarayan.

    But nonetheless they have braced themselves for it and are open to using other methods to plan and buying for critical advertising buying decisions.

    Says Jain: “In the interim period when there will be no ratings, we will either go with earlier data; if not, for new shows that are being launched we will go by assumptions and gut-feel.”

    Agrees Laxminarayan: “In case of no TAM, I will refer to earlier data or general assumptions.”

    Is it possible that advertisers will hand TAM a life belt to allow it to stay afloat even though broadcasters are attempting to sink it, albeit temporarily? Sharma said, “Let‘s not get into that question because it is obvious that funds are needed for TAM; and worldwide, broadcasters have funded the TV ratings. The industry needs to find out a solution collectively.”

    Hopefully. Until they do, it would be wise for all in the TV advertising value chain to get ready for a chilling TV-rating-free vacation.

  • AAAI’s Sharma: “Use BARC to improve TAM now”

    AAAI’s Sharma: “Use BARC to improve TAM now”

    MUMBAI: Even as the day saw a couple of more notices to unsubscribe from TAM‘s TV ratings. The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) president Arvind Sharma proffered what could be the way out of the TV ratings crisis the industry is currently grappling with.

    “I understand broadcasters have shown a lot of dissatisfaction with TAM,” he said speaking to indiantelevision.com. Let us address the problems that they are having with TAM to a body which is mandated to do TV ratings in India going forward – that is the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC). It is an existing body with a CEO and a chairman. It has a strong technical committee and has representation from the IBF, the AAAI and the ISA.”

    Sharma highlighted that three constituents – advertisers, broadcasters and agencies – should filter down the various problems broadcasters are having with TAM to three or four issues of broad priority first.

    “The collective technical and business leadership of the industry under BARC will definitely find solutions. After all, BARC has developed an expertise and overview of what‘s happening in the world in terms of technology, methodology and what have you. They have gone through various requests for information. They are up to date,” Sharma said.

    And what about broadcasters‘ complaints that TAM has not paid heed and addressed their problems in the past? “Any player will listen to collective direction that is given in the interest of industry and business,” pointed out Sharma.

    Sharma once again reiterated that there is no question of a ratings blackout scenario becoming a reality in the industry. “We are reaching out to other BARC directors and other players,” he said. “I am optimistic that a solution is going to be found sooner before a situation of a total TV ratings blackout arises.”

    Are advertisers and broadcasters going to toe the same line?

    Watch this space for further developments!

  • India to have second highest number of pay TV households by 2018

    India to have second highest number of pay TV households by 2018

    MUMBAI: Global pay TV households will reach nearly one billion by 2018, up from 772 million in 2012 and 814 million in 2013. According to the Digital TV World Household Forecasts report, the Asia Pacific region will contribute 59 per cent (587 million) of the global total by 2018.

    Based on forecasts for 97 countries by Digital TV Research, China will have the most pay TV subs, at 313 million by end-2018, followed by 158 million in India and 107 million in the US. These three countries will account for 58 per cent of global pay TV households by 2018.

    Pay TV penetration (analog and digital combined) reached 53.6 per cent of TV households by end-2012, and will rise to 55.7 per cent by end-2013 and 63.1 per cent by 2018. Penetration at end-2018 will range from 86 per cent in the US to 29 per cent in the Middle East and Africa. Pay TV penetration will remain highest in the Netherlands, at 99.5 per cent by end-2018.

    The number of digital TV homes will increase by 667 million between 2012 and 2018 to 1,453 million. The digital TV total will climb by 127 million in 2013 alone. Global digital penetration of TV households will climb from 54.7 per cent at end-2012 to 62.5 per cent by end-2013 and on to 92 per cent by 2018.

  • Social media to exert growing influence on TV viewing in the US

    Social media to exert growing influence on TV viewing in the US

    MUMBAI: Consumers‘ interaction with social media in relation to their television viewing in the US is relatively modest compared to other forms of communication and lags behind other online media, TV promotions and, especially, offline communication, according to a new study. Only 12 per cent of respondents use social media one or more times per day concerning TV.

    However, the number jumps to 37 per cent using social media one or more times per week-suggesting growth potential for social media as an influence on TV viewing. Half of these respondents report viewing TV concurrently with using social media.

    The research also identified several groups who are highly connected to social media and television, and who represent an important opportunity for marketers. These are among numerous findings from a multi-pronged study, entitled ‘Talking Social TV, to help determine how social media interaction impacts television viewing‘. The research was spearheaded by the Social Media Committee of the Council for Research Excellence (CRE), and included a quantitative study by the Keller Fay Group, an ethnographic study by Nielsen Life360, and social media analyses by NM Incite and Bluefin Labs.

    An academic team including Peter Fader of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Mitch Lovett of the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester, and Renana Peres of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem was engaged to undertake statistical modeling.

    Among the study‘s many findings:

    In terms of social-media influence, only 1.5 per cent of study respondents report being drawn to existing TV shows by social media -but that number increases to six per cent when asked about new shows; Social media use varies by genre; Sci-Fi, Sports and Talk/News show strong interaction overall, both while people are watching and while they are not watching.

    Reality programming‘s interaction is much stronger while People are watching, less so before or after the programme. Comedy follows an opposite pattern, with less interaction during the programme and more interaction in reaction to the programme;

    “Super Connectors”, defined as those most actively involved in social media usage related to TV viewing, are 12 per cent of the public, and tend to be younger and are more likely female. Other groups also are active, although Super Connectors are not well represented among adults over 45 years of age

    “Super Connectors” are far more likely to be involved with all means of communication about television (online, marketing and word of mouth). They were two-to-three times as likely to interact with social media related to television as the general population.

    “Hispanics” are more involved with social media than the general population, especially while watching television. However, they did not approach the level of interaction of the Super Connectors. While watching, Hispanics are 50 per cent more likely to interact with social media related to television, and to interact with most television genres, led by sports programming

    Mobile device ownership (smartphones and tablets) increases social media interaction; in on-demand and online watching occasions, social media played a role twice as often;

    People use social media to discuss TV shows even when others are watching with them.

  • BBC to live-stream the tennis grand slam Wimbledon

    BBC to live-stream the tennis grand slam Wimbledon

    MUMBAI: The BBC will offer a never before seen 10 live streams as part of its coverage of this year‘s Wimbledon tennis tournament.

    The BBC said the streams, which will give viewers access to alternative courts, will be accessible across PC, tablet, mobile and connected TV from the BBC Sport website.

    Live text commentaries, news, videos, highlights and a regular column and Q&As with British tennis star Andy Murray will be featured online, with the BBC Sport app available free for Apple and Android devices.

    Coverage of the event will also be carried on the linear BBC One and BBC Two networks and on their respective HD feeds, and on BBC Radio 5 Live.

  • Advertisers rally around TAM; say TV ratings are imperative

    Advertisers rally around TAM; say TV ratings are imperative

    MUMBAI: It finally looks like the industry is rallying around TAM Media. First, the AAAI announced its support for TAM this morning. Now it is the turn of the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) which represents the interests of the marketing and advertising fraternity to do so.

    Bakhsi says: “Till the time we have BARC coming in, we need to continue to have TAM.”

    Speaking to indiantelevision.com, the ISA chairman media committee & HUL executive director Hemant Bakhsi emphasised that it is imperative that TAM continues with its TV ratings.

    He expounded: “TAM has been and is the currency which helps advertisers allocate their marketing expenditure better. While I agree that there is a need for a credible TV ratings system, we must remember that no measurement system is perfect. The industry has to work together to resolve the issues and move towards improved ratings. Till the time we have BARC coming in, we need to continue to have TAM. There cannot be a situation where we don‘t have ratings.”

    He pointed out that BARC is at a very early stage. “Yes we are putting together a very robust system under BARC which will be operational by next year at the timelines we have set for it. But we need TAM until that happens,” he emphasised.

    Bakshi said that he is very optimistic that the differences between IBF members and TAM – which have led to the former opting out of subscribing to its TV ratings service – will be sorted out. “Indeed things will get sorted. We will be working together to ensure they do,” he reaffirmed.

    To read the official release: Click here

  • Rajnigandha’s new TVC showing realisation of aspirations

    Rajnigandha’s new TVC showing realisation of aspirations

    NEW DELHI: The Dharampal Satyapal (DS) Group has launched a new campaign captioned “Stadium” for its mouth freshener brand Rajnigandha with the new punch line “Munh Mein Rajnigandha Dil Mein Hai Duniya”.

    The key message of the campaign is “Success that makes a difference evokes admiration”. The campaign is created by McCann Erickson. The campaign embarks by releasing TVC followed by digital, outdoor, and below the line (BTL) and POS medium.

    Commenting on the campaign Sr GM (Marketing) Rajeev Jain said, “Rajnigandha has always been a symbol of success, aspiration, stature and a perfect companion for the successful people for last three decades; it will now redefine the leadership aspect as well. The new punchline “Munh Mein Rajnigandha Dil Mein Hai Duniya” is a paradigm shift to a new benevolent and successful India.”

    The brand will now not only stand for success but will also mark a difference, by helping others in fulfilling their aspiration. While the earlier Rajnigandha campaign focused more on the success, the new Rajnigandha campaign has a more compassionate, humane and society-friendly approach. The campaign talks about an evolved person who is an equal contributor to the success of his fellow men. The protagonist of the commercial is shown as a successful business magnate, who not only has strong business acumen; but is also concerned for the wellbeing of society at large.

    The TVC flows with three investors presenting a blueprint to a young businessman in a field. This is followed by a well-heeled businessman with a calm and serene air around him, who steps out of a stretch Limousine. The elder brother surveys the land and sees few kids playing cricket. The younger brother then excitedly blurts his business plan to create India’s biggest mega mall consisting of theme parks, amusement grounds and 6 multiplexes on that land. A batsman is seen hitting the ball and it strikes the car. The elder brother throws back the ball to the kids and says “Yahan stadium ban-na chahiye”. One of the investors mutters under his breath “ Charity ke bare main soch rahe hain.” Elder brother responds “Kal ki soch rahe hain”. He opens a pack of Rajnigandha, pops in a spoonful and replies “kabhi toh aisa khwab dekhiye, jismain hazaro khwab shamil ho”. Followed by this sequence is a newsperson making an announcement “GR Enterprises ke international stadium ne iss sheher ke logon main garv ki bhaavna aur sports culture ko adbhutt badaava diya hai”.

    A cricket team is shown coming out in the stadium, with the same young guy who was batting earlier on the barren piece of land walking in with the cricket team. Recognizing him, younger brother says, “bhaiya yeh toh wahi…” Elder brother flicks the TV and we hear an excited journalist comments “GR Enterprises shares have reached an all-time high”. Elder brother says “Jab dusro ke khwab poore karoge na… toh apna kal bante dekhoge”. Elder brother stylishly pops a spoonful of Rajnigandha into his mouth & offers the same to younger brother and investors. The shot packs over with a voiceover: Mooh mein Rajnigandha. Dil mein hai duniya.

    Creative Credits:

    Creative Agency: McCann Erickson

    Creative Head: Prasoon Joshi

    Account management: Rajeev Rakshit, Bhaskar Preenja, Shourabh Verma, Ayesha Mehra

    Planning: Jitendra Dabas and Srayan Ghosh

    National Creative Director: Nakul Sharma and Tirtha Ghosh

    Director (of the film): Rajesh Saathi

    Production House: Kerosene Films

  • Samsung supposedly working on CableCard video set top box

    Samsung supposedly working on CableCard video set top box

    MUMBAI: Samsung is planning to bring to the market a new Smart Media Player set top box with a CableCard slot for traditional subscription video services and a broadband connection for over-the-top (OTT) streaming video services, according to a recent filing with the FCC.

    The device is slated for a summer release, though no other launch details have been confirmed since the filing still has to meet FCC approval.

    TiVo already makes a DVR set top box with CableCard that covers both traditional TV and OTT video, and actually requested the same allowance from the FCC previously, but the governing body has yet to make a ruling.

    The FCC stipulated new rules in December 2012 that allows cable operators to add basic tiers to their all-digital systems. Samsung‘s proposed media player would apparently include a QAM digital tuner, but not an analog one. The company cites fall in demand now that cable operators are almost fully digital as its reason. Adding analog tuners to conform to the FCC rules would make the device more expensive because of power requirements and other factors.

    Samsung hopes the FCC can expedite the waiver to enable the company to launch the box this summer. Since TiVo also petitioned for a similar change, it might give the regulatory body the chance to broaden the scope of the waiver so as to cover CableCard-enabled devices in one fell swoop.

    Eager to get the device to market, Samsung issued a statement: “If Samsung cannot provide Smart Media Players to retailers by the end of the summer, it risks losing the opportunity to obtain any shelf space in 2013, including during the all-important holiday season. This would delay consumer access to the Smart Media Player until early in 2014, an unnecessary wait that would be unfair to consumers and serve no purpose.”

  • Thai Global Network uses Harmonic for end-to-end video workflow

    Thai Global Network uses Harmonic for end-to-end video workflow

    MUMBAI: Harmonic which offers video delivery infrastructure, has announced that Thai Global Network (TGN), Thailand‘s first and only satellite TV broadcasting center, has chosen Harmonic production and playout solutions. TGN has built a seamless workflow, from acquisition to transmission, on a Harmonic media storage, asset management and playout server platform. Installed along with an MXFserver production management system from FilmPartners, the solution has enabled TGN to optimise and streamline its broadcast operations from end to end.

    Thai TV Global Network director Col. Sarawut Karbdecho said, “By implementing tightly integrated solutions from Harmonic and FilmPartners, we have created a highly efficient collaborative editing environment with content stored sitting at the center of the workflow.

    “In day-to-day operations, this powerful pairing enables us to produce and deliver content with much greater speed and flexibility.”

    TGN has installed Harmonic Spectrum MediaCenter media servers, the MediaGrid 3000 shared storage system, the Media Application Server (MAS) asset management platform with ProXplore and the ProDrive media server controller software. Used as an ingest server, the MediaCenter records VTR feeds under the control of ProDrive, which allows operators to capture content automatically according to a schedule or instantly specify a channel with the application‘s crash-record feature.

    As feeds are recorded, the Harmonic ProXplore launches the transfer of growing files in the MediaCenter server system over to the MediaGrid 3000 shared storage system, which supports TGN staff working on Avid nonlinear edit systems. MXFserver enables file sharing and project sharing across multiple Avid editors. The FilmPartners‘ system makes it easy for editors, graphic artists, producers and other users to find the materials they need for both private and collaborative projects.

    Finished projects are exported, at which point ProXplore automatically transfers files to a second MediaCenter server dedicated to playout. ProDrive software allows TGN staff to create scheduled playlists and to control the server‘s playout operations.

    Harmonic Asia-Pacific VP sales Andrew Thornton said, “The Harmonic media storage, asset management and server systems installed by TGN enable a very efficient file-based workflow, with the benefit of optimised file transfers over a Gigabit Ethernet network. Bringing speed, reliability, and flexibility to TGN‘s operations, Harmonic transforms the broadcaster‘s ability to create and deliver timely and compelling content.”