Editorial
PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Nick Snow nick. snow @ advanced-television. com
MANAGING EDITOR
Colin Mann colin. mann @ advanced-television. com
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Chris Forrester
chris @ forrester-solutions. com
PUBLISHING ASSISTANT
Nik Roseveare
nik @ advanced-television. com
ART EDITOR
Steve Overbury steveoverbury @ yahoo. co. uk
CONTRIBUTORS
David del Valle- Madrid Pascale Paoli-Lebailly- Paris Branislav Pekic- Rome
INSIGHT ASSOCIATES
3Vision ABI Research Ampere Analysis Caretta Research Decipher Media Consultants Futuresource Consulting MIDiA Research Omdia Parks Associates PP Foresight SNL Kagan
SALES DIRECTOR
Sanjeev Bhavnani
sanjeev @ advanced-television. com
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ISSN 1477-8092
Inside information
In this issue we take the measure of the FAST phenomenon; the growing number of ad-supported‘ live’ stream channels that mimic old-time FTA commercial networks.
With a mix of aged classic TV and retro sports, or alternate ways to see premium content from global streamers, they prove popular among viewers, diverting eyes from networks and full-paid subscriptions. Of course, they also divert ad-dollars.
But how many and to who, and to what end? All the research here is about content, reach and ratings. There isn’ t so much available on CPMs or the P & L of FAST operators. Advertising on‘ real television’ has been under massive pressure for some time from‘ online’( and specifically now YouTube), and macro sluggishness in the world economy. Those gaps where following a few ads it says‘ your programme returns soon’ aren’ t an aesthetic choice, they are the broadcaster trying to keep their prices up.
Ads on TV now often serve two purposes, generate marginal income, but also drive viewers into( or back into) a premium tier as they become driven mad by the insane repetition of the same inane commercial messages.
I do wonder if some brands have thought this through. They buy – probably programmatically – a pile of inventory from a channel based on an audience guarantee. Of course, the channel performs less well than the original pitch they bought into and so their banal ad has to be played out hundreds of times, often in every ad break in that channel for days or weeks. What’ s not to like? Well, does anyone else find themselves vowing to never go near a brand again that has applied this kind of CIA devised sensory torture on the viewer?
Meanwhile, the industry lost a truly Big Beast recently, Ted Turner, the founder of CNN among much else. In 1993 Porter Bibb wrote a fascinating biography of T. T. called‘ It ain’ t as easy as it looks’. Never a truer word, this was before Turner, who got started when he inherited a billboard business after his father committed suicide, revealed he was a lifelong sufferer from bi-polar disorder.
Inside The Wrap 4-7 Research 8-9 Cover Story 10-13 Company contribution 14-15
Editorial
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