10
August 2015
NEWS & VIEWS
Philippine broadcaster plans to cast wider net for its international brand
What was GMA ’ s vision for its international offerings ? When the network started building its international channels , what were the key challenges then ? Joseph Francia : GMA Network ’ s push for international distribution was an extension of the company ’ s corporate purpose , which is “ to enrich the lives of Filipinos everywhere with superior entertainment and the responsible delivery of news and information ”. As GMA was expanding domestically , we also had to reach out to the substantial number of Filipinos abroad .
When we launched 10 years ago , we were fortunate because pay-TV distribution had already embraced international programming as a revenue contributor . The demand for niche programming had already been established by then . Cable TV and DTH operators have made available bandwidth for language channels . The challenge then was that we had competition in the Philippine space that was ahead of us in international distribution by about 15 years . The conversation with pay-TV operators was why there was room for GMA , a strong content brand from the Philippines .
As GMA International , Philippine broadcaster GMA Network ’ s international business unit , celebrates its 10th year , Millette Manalo- Burgos prompts Joseph Jerome T Francia , first vice-president and head of international operations , GMA International , to know more about the group ’ s plans and strategies for the next decade .
❝ The main opportunity will be the strategic curation of our content assets to derive the most
value for us as programmers .❞
— Joseph Jerome T Francia ,
First Vice-President and Head of International
Operations , GMA International
Who were the target markets ? Are they still the same target markets today ? Francia : Our international channels ( flagship GMA Pinoy TV , GMA Life TV and GMA News TV ) serve the estimated 11 million expatriate Filipinos around the world , a little over 10 % of the country ’ s population . Then , as now , our core market segment are the first-generation immigrants and their families in territories like the US , Canada , Australia and Japan . Today , we are more conscious of the diverse segments we serve — such as second-generation immigrants , Overseas Filipino Workers ( OFWs ) with varying professions , purchasing power , and living conditions .
We notice that instead of just cable-TV platforms , GMA also deployed its international channels on platforms such as IPTV . What were the reasons behind this strategy ? Would you say that deploying content to these platforms proved more effective ? Francia : To serve our target markets , we needed to be available on as many pay-TV outlets as possible . As we were expanding our distribution , top telcos such as AT & T , Verizon , Telus , Bell , PCCW and Singtel started launching its IPTV services . We were able to leverage these telcos ’ existing Filipino subscriber base .
Did the network invest in additional facilities / infrastructures to enable delivery to these nontraditional platforms ? Francia : Our international channels are delivered to our global
cable , DTH and IPTV distributors via satellite . Over the years , GMA continuously invests on satelliterelated infrastructure that increases the efficiency of signal transport and enhance quality of the video services .
Earlier this year , GMA successfully implemented satellite transmission upgrade for all three channels — GMA Pinoy TV , GMA Life TV and GMA News TV International — from MPEG-2 system to MPEG-4 . This allowed us to cut the bandwidth of our international TV channels by almost 30 % of what was previously used by MPEG-2 .
GMA also spent US $ 4 million for its media asset management ( MAM ) system that enables the network today to migrate to a tapeless , file-based workflow . In addition , about half-a-million US dollars were spent on non-linear editing systems and structured cabling for MAM network connectivity .
Content-wise , what are the types of programming that have proven to be popular in GMA ’ s various international markets ? For example , are the popular programmes in North America as well-received in Asia ? Francia : Since its launch in 2005 , GMA ’ s top-rated award-winning news and public affairs programmes , long-running variety shows , reality and talk shows , and ground-breaking drama series are among the most popular programmes on the flagship channel GMA Pinoy TV — across all territories . In the Middle East and North Africa , we note that the markets like comedy and sports content .
GMA Life TV , which offers a diverse array of genres — movies , sports , reality , news , comedy , cooking , drama , travel , talk and fashion — was launched in 2008 and GMA News TV , backed by the GMA ’ s highly regarded news team , was launched in 2011 to satisfy the demand for more GMA-branded programming .
How do you build and sustain viewership in your markets ? Francia : Our programming considers the viewing habits and lifestyles of our viewers . We also produce and acquire content that enhances our product offerings , and serves specific programming needs of our
GMA ’ s top-rated award-winning news and public affairs programmes , longrunning variety shows , reality and talk shows , and ground-breaking drama series are among the most popular programmes on the flagship channel GMA Pinoy TV — across all territories . markets , such as : n English subtitled or dubbed programmes . n Community Billboard . n Filipino independent movies . n Programme fillers about Filipino culture and history . n Programme fillers about successful Filipinos abroad . n Sports tournament / specials ( boxing , volleyball , basketball ).
Our social media accounts act as an open , accessible venue for our subscribers to communicate with us . We are actively present in most social media networks and we try to engage with our viewers overseas in promoting our new programmes and artistes , as well as providing feedback on their comments , suggestions and other concerns .
The GMA International Web page serves as one of the main communication platforms for Pinoy communities and organisations overseas to share their events and other happenings . We also feature articles written by or about successful Filipinos abroad and their inspiring experiences in other countries .
GMA ’ s overseas events , featuring the network ’ s most popular stars , also play an important role because it ’ s a way for our subscribers to experience the GMA brand other than through television . Live social media coverage during GMA International events provide close-to-real-time updates for all our subscribers about what is happening on the ground and rare behind-the-scene photos of their favourite artistes .
In the future , how do you see the TV landscape for international channels ? Do you think there will be huge changes ? If so , in what areas ? Francia : The main opportunity , will be the strategic curation of our content assets to derive the most value for us as programmers . We know that there are segments of our potential market that have access to high-speed Internet but are not yet subscribed to our premium channels . We look at new distribution opportunities to complement our existing carriage and to reach these under-served segments of the market .
As with more widely distributed linear channels , there will be pressure to make available international channels on over-the-top ( OTT ) platforms . Aside from linear distribution , there will also be demand for more non-linear distribution as transactional and subscription video-on-demand ( SVoD ) options become more ubiquitous .