WISE Australia
Summer 2005/06 edition
Regional TAM WISE Australia is a quarterly newsletter, produced by AGB Nielsen
Media Research Australia, intended to promote Television Audience Measurement
knowledge within regional TV networks, agency subscribers and other, interested parties.
In this issue:
Regional TV Marketing
Seachangers: Better life and now better off
2
Software Update
Arianna Express
2
Highlights for the Summer period from Regional Queensland
4
Highlights for the Summer period from Northern NSW
5
Highlights for the Summer period from Southern NSW
6
Highlights for the Summer period from Regional Victoria
7
Highlights for the Summer period from Tasmania
8
Highlights for survey 6-8 from Regional STV
9
TV News from around the Globe – Asia-Pacific
10
Parliamentary Standing Committee Report into Digital Television Uptake
Malaysia starts trial Digital TV programme in September
Taiwan to switch 0ff analogue TV by 2010
TV News from around the Globe – UK
13
Forecast: TV’s global reach will widen
£15m national advertising campaign to promote digital switchover brought forward
BSkyB breaks through £8 million revenue level for last quarter 2005
DTV UK reaches 63%
Latest UK Ratings
TV News from around the Globe – Europe
15
Several European countries will miss analogue switch-off targets
Product placement issue clouds EU media proposals
TV News from around the Globe – US
18
Congress approves new US switchover deadline off – April 7, 2009
Latest US Ratings
Summer 2005/06
1
Regional TV Marketing:
Seachangers: Better life and now better off
Up till now most city people considering a move from the big smoke have accepted the trade off for a better
lifestyle will be a bit of downsizing in terms of income and spending power. But according to a new report
released by research group RTM on 20th February it won’t be just the beach attracting Seachangers, it will be the
promise of more discretionary spending power.
Over the last two years spending power in the capital cities has declined sharply while in regional towns and cities
it has gone up according to RTM’s report Regional Consumer Pulse 2006. The reasons are largely to do with the
cost of housing and the buoyant Australian economy.
Author of the report Brian Hogan says, “The financial wellbeing of regional Australians has improved by 27%
over the last two years and now exceeds that of capital city residents whose financial wellbeing has fallen by 2%
over the same time.
People living in regional towns and cities are now more likely to fall into the highest discretionary spending group
known as profligate spenders. This is big news for retailers and manufacturers of premium goods because that is
where the greatest growth is going to come from during the next couple of years” 12
Regional Consumer Pulse 2006 is based on the latest household expenditure data from the ABS and the long
running consumer survey of economic forecaster Charlie Nelson.
Charlie Nelson says “Increases in earnings and tax cuts have been offset in the cities by rising interest payments
and a stagnant property market has left city dwellers feeling less able to spend on discretionary goods and
services.
On the other hand, the rising disposable incomes of regional Australians have not been eroded as much because of
their lower cost of living generally and housing in particular.”
Lower cost of living has been a major driver of higher population growth in regional Australia especially for
young families and retirees. Since 2001 the number of regional households with kids has grown by 9.3% and the
retiree population has grown by 17%. The numbers of households with kids and pensioners in capital cities have
grown by 2.3% and 14.9% respectively over the same period.
For further information, contact http://www.regionaltvmarketing.com.au
Software Update
Arianna Express
Whilst we at AGBNMR have been on the road
demonstrating and installing Arianna, clients have also
been asking us for a cut down version that can be given
to infrequent users such as Senior Executives, Sales
Representatives and Programming Departments, etc.
Taking this feedback on board, we have launched a
product called Arianna Express.
Arianna Express is just like Arianna, except it only has
Summer 2005/06
2
the main modules- Dayparts, Programmes and R&F those infrequent users are likely to use.
Menu items and toolbars have been shortened so that only the key functions are displayed, making navigation
for the user much easier.
We have also deleted the more advanced variables to leave just a common set of variables such as TARP, Share
and Reach.
Parameter windows such as Targets and Channels have been
stripped down to a common list of items.
On top of these changes, with Arianna Express, any parameter
window can be customised to suit your own organisation. This
could involve listing targets, channels, or markets in your preferred
order, or creating unique groupings of parameters such as eg.
“common demographics”.
If you would like to find out more, please call your Client Service, or Software Management Representative.
Summer 2005/06
3
Highlights from Summer 2005/06 from Queensland
Queensland - Summer 05/06 - Total Individuals
November 27, 2005 - February 11, 2006
Sun - Sat 18:00 - 23:59pm
WIN 26.2%
TEN, 23.2%
7 QLD, 31.1%
ABC, 14.1%
SBS, 6.3%
Top 10 Ranking programmes Summer 2005/06
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Programme
AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2006 MEN'S FINAL - MATCH
20/20 MATCH - AUSTRALIA V SOUTH AFRICA
LOST
DA KATH AND KIM CODE-EV
ONE DAY CRICKET - AUSTRALIA V SOUTH AFRICA
- GAME 2 SESSION 2
GHOST WHISPERER
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
ONE DAY CRICKET - AUSTRALIA V SRI LANKA
- GAME 7 SESSION 2
AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2006 - DAY 8 NIGHT SESSION
AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2006 MEN'S FINAL - PREVIEW
Network
7QLD
WIN
7QLD
ABC
’000
257
247
209
197
WIN
7QLD
7QLD
195
187
187
WIN
7QLD
7QLD
178
175
174
Source: RegionalTAM data
Summer 2005/06
4
Highlights from Summer 2005/06 from Northern NSW
Northern NSW - Summer 05/06 - Total Individuals
November 27, 2005 - February 11, 2006
Sun - Sat 18:00 - 23:59pm
SBS, 7.7%
ABC, 15.5%
TEN, 22.7%
Prime, 23.7%
NBN, 30.4%
Top 10 Ranking programmes Summer 2005/06
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Programme
Network
20/20 MATCH - AUSTRALIA V SOUTH AFRICA
NBN
AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2006 MEN'S FINAL - MATCH
Prime
NATIONAL NEWS SUNDAY
NBN
ONE DAY CRICKET - AUSTRALIA V SOUTH AFRICA
- GAME 2 SESSION 2
NBN
DA KATH AND KIM CODE-EV
ABC
GETAWAY
NBN
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
Prime
A CURRENT AFAIR
NBN
CSI: NY
NBN
AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2006 - DAY 4 NIGHT SESSION Prime
’000
277
265
210
209
207
206
197
190
190
189
Source: RegionalTAM data
Summer 2005/06
5
Highlights from Summer 2005/06 from Queensland
Southern NSW - Summer 05/06 - Total Individuals
November 27, 2005 - February 11, 2006
Sun - Sat 18:00 - 23:59pm
SBS, 7.1%
TEN, 19.7%
ABC, 16.5%
Prime 25.1%
WIN, 31.6%
Top 10 Ranking programmes Summer 2005/06
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Programme
Network
AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2006 MEN'S FINAL
Prime
20/20 MATCH - AUSTRALIA V SOUTH AFRICA
WIN
DA KATH AND KIM CODE-EV
ABC
ONE DAY CRICKET - AUSTRALIA V SOUTH AFRICA
- GAME 2 SESSION 2
WIN
ONE DAY CRICKET - AUSTRALIA V SOUTH AFRICA
- GAME 11 SESSION 2
WIN
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
Prime
ONE DAY CRICKET - AUSTRALIA V SRI LANKA
- GAME 5 SESSION 2
WIN
PRISON BREAK
Prime
LOST
Prime
AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2006 - DAY 4 NIGHT SESSION Prime
’000
254
234
228
222
206
193
187
185
184
181
Source: RegionalTAM data
Summer 2005/06
6
Highlights from Summer 2005/06 from Victoria
Victoria - Summer 05/06 - Total Individuals
November 27, 2005 - February 11, 2006
Sun - Sat 18:00 - 23:59pm
SBS, 6.7%
TEN, 20.1%
ABC, 16.9%
Prime, 26.5%
WIN, 29.8%
Top 10 Ranking programmes Summer 2005/06
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Programme
Network
AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2006 MEN'S FINAL - MATCH
Prime
20/20 MATCH - AUSTRALIA V SOUTH AFRICA
WIN
ONE DAY CRICKET - AUSTRALIA V SOUTH AFRICA
- GAME 2 SESSION 2
WIN
CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT
WIN
ONE DAY CRICKET - AUSTRALIA V SOUTH AFRICA
- GAME 11 SESSION 2
WIN
LOST
Prime
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
Prime
AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2006 - DAY 4 NIGHT SESSION Prime
AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2006 - DAY 8 NIGHT SESSION Prime
ONE DAY CRICKET - AUSTRALIA V SRI LANKA
- 1ST FINAL SESSION 2
WIN
’000
263
224
199
187
179
177
174
173
169
167
Source: RegionalTAM data
Summer 2005/06
7
Highlights from Summer 2005/06 from Tasmania
Tasmania - Summer 05/06 - Total Individuals
November 27, 2005 - February 11, 2006
Sun - Sat 18:00 - 23:59pm
SBS, 6.7%
WIN, 31.9%
Southern Cross, 37.6%
ABC, 23.9%
Top 10 Ranking programmes Summer 2005/06
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Programme
Network
DA KATH AND KIM CODE-EV
ABC
20/20 MATCH - AUSTRALIA V SOUTH AFRICA
WIN
ONE DAY CRICKET - AUSTRALIA V SOUTH AFRICA
- GAME 2 SESSION 2
WIN
LOST
Southern Cross Tas
ONE DAY CRICKET - AUSTRALIA V SRI LANKA
- GAME 5 SESSION 2
WIN
NIGHTLY NEWS WEEKNIGHTS
Southern Cross Tas
ONE DAY CRICKET - AUSTRALIA V SRI LANKA
- GAME 7 SESSION 2
WIN
CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT
WIN
HOMES OF TASMANIA
Southern Cross Tas
ONE DAY CRICKET - AUSTRALIA V SOUTH AFRICA
- GAME 4 SESSION 2
WIN
’000
114
103
101
95
92
85
84
82
81
79
Source: RegionalTAM data
Summer 2005/06
8
Highlights from Summer 2005/06 – including STV
Regional STV - Summer 05/06 - Total Individuals
Mainland, excluding Tasmania
November 27th, 2005 - February 11th, 2006
Sun - Sat 18:00 - 23:59
Total STV Channels
ABC
SBS
Prime/ 7QLD
Southern Cross TEN
WIN/NBN
Regional STV - Summer 05/06 - Total Individuals
Tasmania
November 27th, 2005 - February 11th, 2006
Sun - Sat 18:00 - 23:59
Total STV Channels
Southern Cross
Tasmania
ABC
WIN
SBS
Source: RegionalTAM data
Summer 2005/06
9
TV News from around the Globe – Asia-Pacific
Australia - Parliamentary Standing Committee Report into Digital Television Uptake
A report was released by a Parliamentary Standing Committee (to advise the Communications
Minister on future steps) on February 13th.
Although not binding on the Minister, there were 12 recommendations made within the report.
They are:
1
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government switch-off analogue
television nationwide on 1 January 2010.
2
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government commission an independent
study into Australia’s current spectrum allocation and future requirements, reporting by 1
January 2008, and taking into account:
•
options for the utilisation of returned spectrum following analogue switch-off;
•
re-allocation of television network spectrum to group together additional
television networks, including community broadcasting stations offering a range
of programming aimed at indigenous and minority ethnic and community groups;
and
•
the spectrum needs of future technologies, in particular wireless and other
emerging technologies.
3
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government remove the programming
restrictions on multichannelling for national free-to-air networks as soon as possible and
no later than 1 January 2007.
4
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government remove all restrictions on
multichannelling for commercial free-to-air networks on 1 January 2008.
5
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government maintain the prohibition on
free-to-air networks offering subscription multichannelling.
6
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government maintain the current
minimum High Definition broadcasting quota for free-to-air networks until 1 January
2011.
7
The Committee recommends that, prior to 1 January 2011, the Australian Government
undertakes a review to determine whether current High Definition quotas for free-to-air
networks should be removed, increased or decreased.
8
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government reconsider current
restrictions on datacasting with a view to lifting restrictions on 1 January 2008.
9
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government ensure that the One Watt
initiative and the MEPS standard are fully operational by analogue switch-off at 1
January 2010.
10
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government:
Summer 2005/06
10
11
•
work with industry stakeholders to establish a testing and conformance centre for
digital television equipment; and
•
provide A$1 million as seed funding in the first year for the establishment of a
testing and conformance centre.
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government coordinate the
establishment of a mandatory labeling scheme that will accurately identify television and
digital reception products. The scheme should be based on the industry’s Digital
Television Marketing Code.
12
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government terminate the analogue
Television Black Spot program as a priority, and implement a Digital Television Black
Spots Program.
The complete report or section summaries are available to download at:
http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/cita/digitaltv/report.htm
Malaysia Starts Trial Programme For Digital TV In September
Malaysia will start its trial programme for digital television in September with an initial funding
of RM75 million to pave the way for the national digitalisation drive in broadcasting.
The trial programme will be led by Radio Television Malaysia (RTM).
Deputy Information Minister Datuk Donald Lim said the allocation would allow RTM to buy
digital equipment for its transmission centre as well as the digital TV transmitter system.
With the installation of the digital transmission system, RTM would be able to provide digital TV
broadcast for households in the Klang Valley, he told Bernama in an interview at Angkasapuri,
here.
Lim said the government would provide the free digital converter or set-top box (STB) to 2,000
selected households in the Klang Valley under a one-year digitalisation pilot project to be
conducted by KUB Telecommunications Sdn Bhd.
"We will study the viewers' acceptance at the end of the pilot project, before expanding the
coverage nationwide," he added.
Lim, who is also the chairman of RTM's Digital Task Force, said the TV station would be
transmitting Standard Definition (SD) TV services during the trial programme and, according to
RTM's technology roadmap, the trial for the High Definition (HD) TV services was scheduled to
commence in 2009.
He said that with the digital broadcast, viewers would be able to get better pictures and sound
quality plus the benefit of multi-channel TV, data and interactive services.
Currently, he said, all local free-to-air TV operators were using the analogue transmission except
the pay TVs, namely Astro and MiTV.
Summer 2005/06
11
The deputy minister said that while RTM was gearing up to conduct the digital TV trial, private
TV stations and radio operators were preparing themselves for the migration from analogue to
digital transmission.
"We are getting positive feedback and support from the industry players on the government's
decision to apply the Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting (DTTB)," he said.
Lim said the national rollout of digital TV would be conducted in phases, starting with major
cities and towns.
"The government has proposed that the analogue broadcast service shutoff be in 2015. According
to a study commissioned by the government in 2002, the estimated cost for extending its (digital)
coverage nationwide is around RM2 billion," he said.
This would mean that no more analogue TV sets would be available in the market after 2015 and
the public would have a choice -- either to buy a brand new digital TV set (which is a bit
expensive) or buy a converter to enable their TV sets to receive the digital services.
"In order to provide the digital broadcast system in Malaysia, new digital radio and TV
transmitters are needed for the transmission of digital radio and TV services.
"The people, on the other hand, need to invest in new radio and TV receivers (digital TV). To
receive digital TV broadcast using their existing TV receivers (analogue TV), they will need an
STB (converter)," he said.
An industry source said that based on the rapid development of the broadcasting industry, the
price of digital TV will slowly drop after several years when the demand and supply balance up.
But Lim said that the good news for everyone is that under the Malaysian National Digitalisation
Masterplan, "for the public, the government is looking at ways to minimise the cost of ownership
of STBs".
Source: bernama.com
Taiwan to switch off analogue TV by 2010
Officials of Taiwan's Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) said at the
weekend that the government will recall all analogue terrestrial television frequencies currently in
use by 2010, to make way for the full implementation of digital TV broadcasting.
There have been 14 digital terrestrial channels in Taiwan since digital terrestrial broadcasting
(DTT) was launched in July 2004, but there are only 130,000 users at present.
In addition to mapping out a timetable for the full digitization of television, the government has
also put forth a "digital Taiwan project" as part of the "Challenge 2008" national development
plan, which is aimed at improving the infrastructure that digital TV broadcasting requires, they
said.
Source: medianetwork.blogspot.com
Summer 2005/06
12
TV News from around the Globe – UK
Forecast: TV's global reach will widen, taking a rising share of consumer spending
Globally speaking, coach potatoes are shooting their roots out further and further, with consumer
spending on home entertainment continuing to rise. That should come as no surprise with the
spread of technology to less-developed markets.
What is surprising: Old-fashioned television will remain the dominant source of consumer media
spending at least through 2010. Indeed, it will actually grow, both in the U.S. and globally,
wrestling share from the other main forms of in-home entertainment, notably music, games and
films.
So says a new report from Informa Telecoms & Media, a London research firm. As a home
entertainment sector, says Simon Dyson, analyst at Inform, TV "has gone from good to good and
keeps getting better.”
Informa analysts looked at global in-home entertainment expenditure from 2000 to 2010 and
found that after stripping out inflation, the world’s households will spend 4.7 percent more per
year on average on home entertainment. By 2010, each household will spend, on average, $225.
In terms of total share of spending, TV will grow from a 44 percent share in 2000 to 53 percent in
2010, continuing a solid upward growth trend, predicts Informa.
The only other category expected to grow its share during the period is games, which the analysts
believe will hit 13 percent by 2010, up from 9 percent in 2000.
Music, which includes traditional CDs and downloads, and film, which is basically spending on
DVD and VHS, are both expected to lose share. Music’s share is forecast to drop from 23 percent
to 15 percent, while film’s share will slump from 24 percent to 19 percent.
Why such strong growth for TV? Credit the increasing adoption of digital TV technologies. With
much of the world's digital penetration way below 50 percent, there's still plenty of room for
growth.
TV has historically managed steady growth.
“TV has not had blips like the other mediums. It has basically had straight-line growth, which you
don’t get in other sectors,” says Dyson. He says spending on TV is largely in the form of pay-TV
subscriptions, although pay-per-view and video on demand are a growing part of this category.
This real strength, says Dyson, is that it is the primary source of entertainment in the home.
People come home and switch on the TV. If nothing is on, they then go off and do something
else, such as listen to music.
Global spending on music has fallen to $29.40 per household from $33.50 in 2000. Much of this
is due to the rise of free downloads, but Dyson expects recovery over the next five years, with the
figure rising again to $33.10 per household as more and more get their tunes delivered through
the internet and by mobile phone handsets.
Summer 2005/06
13
Looking at the U.S., Informa expects spending on TV will grow from a 54.2 percent share of inhome entertainment spending in 2005 to a 55.7 percent share in 2010. In 2000 it had a 50 percent
share. That means that each household, on average, will go from spending $368.70 in 2000 to
$597.60 in 2010.
Global average annual (Household) spending
by home entertainment category
In dollars ($) and percentage share (%)
2000
Medium
2005
2010
Music
$33.50
23%
$29.40
$33.10
15%
TV
$61.80
44%
$90.10
$119.00
53%
Game
$13.40
9%
$20.80
$29.80
13%
Film
$33.90
24%
$42.00
$43.20
19%
Total
$142.60
100%
$182.40
$225.10
100%
Source: Informa Telecoms & Media
The launch of a £15m (E21.7m) national advertising campaign to promote digital
switchover has been brought forward from the autumn to May to catch World Cup fever.
The campaign will aim to persuade TV buyers to go digital to watch England's matches in the
tournament, which takes place in Germany from June 9.
Digital UK, the broadcaster-backed group in charge of implementing the government's plan to
turn off analogue TV signals by 2012, will spend £5m in May alone. Four years ago, prior to the
World Cup in Japan and South Korea, Sony recorded a 30% upturn in its UK TV sales.
source: - advanced-television.com
BskyB breaks £8m
BSkyB subscribers rose £215,000 to £8.1 million in the quarter to 31 December, it reported along
with its half-year financials showing pre-tax profit of £390m (E565m) up 14% year on year.
Chief executive James Murdoch said more customers signed up to Sky during the last three
months of 2005 than at any time in the last three years. "This year we'll push the bar further with
the launch of high-definition TV and our broadband service. Results like these reinforce our
confidence that we will achieve our goal of 10 million customers in 2010."
Helping the increased subscriber number was lower churn, down to 10.6% from 11.7% the
previous quarter. BSkyB expects to add 100,000 net subscribers in the half year to 30 June,
compared with 178,000 in the same period last year.
Source: advanced-television.com
Summer 2005/06
14
UK TV ratings for w/e 12th March, 2006
Individuals 4+ (Including Timeshift) - w/e 12/03/2006
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
CORONATION STREET (MON 1934)
CORONATION STREET (MON 2030)
EASTENDERS (MON 2000)
CORONATION STREET (WED 1932)
CORONATION STREET (FRI 1932)
CORONATION STREET (SUN 1929)
EASTENDERS (THU 1932)
EASTENDERS (TUE 1931)
EASTENDERS (FRI 2001)
EMMERDALE (THU 1902)
EMMERDALE (MON 1903)
EMMERDALE (WED 1901)
EMMERDALE (TUE 1900)
EMMERDALE (FRI 1901)
THE ROYAL (SUN 2000)
EMMERDALE (SUN 1902)
PLANET EARTH (SUN 2101)
MIDSOMER MURDERS (SUN 2104)
CASUALTY (SAT 2010)
MY FAMILY (FRI 2030)
THE BILL (WED 2001)
DALZIEL AND PASCOE (MON 2100)
HUSTLE (FRI 2100)
HOLBY CITY (TUE 2001)
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW (SUN 1845)
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (TUE 1930)
THE BILL (THU 1959)
REBUS (MON 2101)
DALZIEL AND PASCOE (TUE 2059)
WATCHDOG (TUE 1859)
millions
ITV1
ITV1
BBC1
ITV1
ITV1
ITV1
BBC1
BBC1
BBC1
ITV1
ITV1
ITV1
ITV1
ITV1
ITV1
ITV1
BBC1
ITV1
BBC1
BBC1
ITV1
BBC1
BBC1
BBC1
BBC1
ITV1
ITV1
ITV1
BBC1
BBC1
12.39
12.08
11.57
11.49
11.34
11.17
10.35
9.87
9.78
9.32
9.26
9.15
9.12
8.88
8.78
8.64
8.57
8.07
7.89
7.17
6.88
6.67
6.48
6.40
6.33
6.30
6.30
6.27
6.01
5.91
Source: barb.co.uk
Summer 2005/06
15
TV News from around the Globe – Europe
Several European countries will miss deadlines for switching off analogue television signals,
according to a new report from Screen Digest.
With some markets just two years away from their target switchover date, the report, European
Digital Terrestrial Television: Market Assessment and Forecasts, says many nations now appear
to have "set ambitious targets that, on the face of it, can never be met".
Italy, France and Spain face the biggest challenges. Though each nation set switchover dates
between 2010 and 2012, two to four years later than most Benelux and Nordic markets, they have
the largest number of analogue-reliant households in Europe—with Italy at nearly 14m, France at
12m and Spain at 9.3m at the end of 2005. The report says the UK, with 7.5m analogue-reliant
homes, is expected to meet its 2008-2012 switchover timetable.
Screen Digest believes Germany will meet its 2008 target, having already completed switchover
in Berlin. The report says just 5% of German households rely on analogue terrestrial television in
a market dominated by low-cost cable and free-to-air satellite services.
Report author Guy Bisson said: "Analogue switch-off is currently top of the media agenda in
many European countries and a number of Europe's most important television markets look set to
fall woefully short of their targets. Analogue switch-off dates therefore seem bound to slip.
Several European markets will have to face that fact that significant investment in consumer
equipment will be required over the next few years."
Screen Digest country forecasts:
UK:
6.5m DTT homes by year-end 2005
11.6m DTT homes by 2009
Expected analogue switch-off complete by end of 2012
France:
1.1m DTT homes by year-end 2005
5.7m DTT homes by 2009
Expected analogue switch-off 2010
Germany:
1.64m DTT homes by year-end 2005
3.4m DTT homes by 2009
Analogue switch-off target date 2008
3.3m DTT homes by year-end 2005
8.8m DTT homes by 2009
Analogue switch off-target date December 2008
Italy:
Spain:
700,000 DTT homes at year-end 2005
Summer 2005/06
16
3.7m DTT homes by 2009
Analogue switch-off target date April 2010
Netherlands:
160,000 DTT homes by year-end 2005
384,000 DTT homes by 2009
Analogue switch-off 2007/2008 although could be moved forward to 2006
Sweden:
520,000 DTT homes by year-end 2005
625,000 DTT homes by 2009
Analogue switch-off February 2008
Product placement issue clouds EU media proposals
The use of product placements to fund TV programmes has become a sticking point that makes
consensus difficult for EU plans to bring media regulations into the digital age, Austrian Media
Minister Franz Morak said. In December, the European Commission presented proposals for
updating EU media content rules that were written when most people viewed programmes on
terrestrial, analogue channels. The proposals seek to accommodate a world of programmes on
demand, on the Web and on mobile phones while seeking to protect minors and liberalise
restrictions such as the number of commercial breaks per hour.
The bill contains a proposal to legalise product placement across the European Union to allow a
producer to raise cash by highlighting branded goods such as a car or luxury item. Backers see
product placement as a revenue source in an age when viewers can use personal video recorders
to skip traditional advertisements. The practice is widespread in the United States and in USproduced shows that are broadcast in Europe. However, many EU member states ban the practice
and the Commission says product placement will allow EU programmers to compete better with
US rivals.
"Product placement will be the most difficult issue to resolve," Morak told Reuters in an
interview earlier this week. "If we don't succeed in getting precise definitions, then we will get
more complications after that than we had before," said Morak, a former stage actor turned
politician.
Austria holds the rotating EU presidency and has taken the novel approach of sending the 25
member states a questionnaire to sound out positions before starting negotiations. Britain is
skeptical about the bill extending EU content rules to programmes broadcast over the Web.
Sweden is hostile to the principle that broadcasters are answerable to a home watchdog and not
regulators in each country of the EU where they beam programmes, industry sources said.
The bill becomes law if there is joint agreement with the European Parliament. Leading
lawmakers expect a bumpy ride. "I have big problems with product placement," German centreright deputy Ruth Hieronymi, who will steer the bill through parliament, told Reuters. "It will be
difficult to have a clear distinction and separation between advertising and editorial content. It's
huge work to clarify the situation and get consensus," she said.
Summer 2005/06
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The Commission proposes allowing product placement in fictional programmes but not in news
and documentaries, and not in programmes for children. "Product placement will become an
important financing element for programme makers," Morak said. British television regulator
Ofcom is consulting on introducing product placement and estimates it will raise just £25 million
to £50 million ($90 million) a year by 2010, barely 1 percent of the £3.5 billion currently spent on
TV advertising.
"There is a misconception that this is a kind of magic bullet, though advertisers would be more
interested in spending money on television if they see different ways of attracting audiences,"
said Ross Biggam, director general of ACT, a commercial television lobby group.
The bill will become law around 2010 but critics say that by then most of Europe will have
dumped their analogue TV sets and gone digital, rendering fundamental parts of the new rules
irrelevant as viewers’ access programmes from across the world.
source: medianetwork.blogspot.com
TV News from around the Globe - US
Congress approves new US switchover deadline
The US House of Representatives has narrowly backed a new deadline for digital switchover:
February 17, 2009. The bill introducing the new deadline—April 7, 2009, had been the approved
date—was backed by the Senate in December, but required final clearance in the House.
Representatives voted by 216 to 214 to approve the deadline, which was part of a wider package
of budget measures. The bill now goes to President Bush to be signed into law.
Texan Republican Joe Barton, chairman of the House Commerce Committee, championed the
move to set a so-called 'hard date' for analogue switch-off.
Under current legislation switchover had to take place by December 31 this year, or when 85% of
US households had digital receivers. With an estimated 21m US homes still relying on analogueonly television, that transition could take a decade or more to complete, hence the desire by
lawmakers, backed by consumer electronics firms and broadcasters, to call for a hard date.
Barton said the adoption of the February 17, 2009 switchover deadline meant "a great technical
revolution that has been in the making for years will finally be complete".
The switchover bill establishes a fund of $1.5bn to provide subsidies for consumers in making the
transition. Households will be provided with up to two coupons each worth $40 to be spent on
analogue television converter boxes.
source: Digital TV Group
Summer 2005/06
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US TV Ratings Season – season-to-date:
Season-to-Date by Total Households
2005 - 2006 Season through to March 19, 2006
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
14
16
17
18
19
20
AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY
AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY
CSI
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
GREY'S ANATOMY
WITHOUT A TRACE
DANCING WITH THE STARS
CSI: MIAMI
UNIT, THE
SURVIVOR: GUATEMALA
NFL MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
TWO AND A HALF MEN
NCIS
SURVIVOR: PANAMA-EXILE IS.
OLD CHRISTINE
DANCING W/STARS RESULTS
COLD CASE
LAW AND ORDER: SVU
CSI: NY
EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME ED.
FOX
FOX
CBS
ABC
ABC
CBS
ABC
CBS
CBS
CBS
ABC
CBS
CBS
CBS
CBS
ABC
CBS
NBC
CBS
ABC
Millions
19.71
19.11
17.27
15.49
14.00
13.67
13.20
12.95
12.47
11.98
11.84
10.99
10.93
10.65
10.72
10.62
10.52
10.39
10.23
10.09
Source: Zap2it.com, © 2005 Nielsen Media Research, Inc. The Information contained
herein is the copyrighted property of Nielsen Media Research, Inc. Unauthorized use of
this copyrighted material is expressly prohibited. All Rights Reserved.
Summer 2005/06
19