Irish television channels to feel the pinch as the TV revolution gathers pace?
Published September 15th, 2006 in PR in IrelandTCAL.net draws to my attention that TG4, the native Irish language television station, is now almost ten years old. Quite a feat when you consider that few people would have thought it would have lasted this long.
Anyhow, TCAL.net points out that it has a poll for the best shows over the past few years. I couldn’t help but note that the programmes that spring to my mind are foreign imports such as The Wire or Oz. Not exactly your typical Irish programming.
Apple’s announcement of iTV this week is just the tip of a growing trend that could spell doom for some Irish TV channels. There simply isn’t enough investment in Irish programming and with the sudden explosion of channels available at the moment, a figure which will multiply following the completion of DTT and the advent of IPTV, some channels are going to struggle to distinguish themselves from their competitors.
In PR circles there’s lots of talk about how difficult it is becoming to reach a wide audience because of the explosion of media sources. In the exact same way, as the TV revolution gathers pace some Irish channels will struggle to attract a large enough audience and ultimately the advertising that pays the wages.
Technorati Tags: Piaras Kelly, TG4
Search
Categories
- Books (4)
- Buzz (6)
- E-PR (210)
- General (390)
- Ideas (8)
- Personal (109)
- PR in Ireland (153)
- Resources (12)
- Technology & PR (8)
Archives
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- August 2005
- July 2005
- June 2005
- May 2005
In some respects, I think TG4 is well positioned to ride out this transition. In terms of their programme offerings, Laochra Gael and some of their documentaries, even their Hector Amú stuff, is aimed at a specific demographic, Irish speakers, and Irish leaving cert students!, that will rarely be served by other sources. Niche TV channels will have a better chance of maintaining audience share than the likes of RTE or the BBC which try to be all things to all people. I think that’s a shame, because I’m a big believer in public service broadcasting, but unless they adapt, as you say, they’re in trouble.
Also, I’m not sure about watching a movie on an ipod. Frankly, the thought of staring at that small screen for about two hours makes my eyes hurt and gives me a headache. I’d much rather use for my ipod to listen to some music while I read a book. It’s the same with my phone. I use the three network so I can get premiership goals, and I do occasionally look at a comedy clip or two, but I’m not going to watch anything too long because the screen is too small.
fyi, peter bazalgette (changing rooms, ready steady cook, big brother, deal or no deal - what a track record) had a piece in yesterday’s ft which argues that the internet won’t kill tv: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/cbfacaa2-4356-11db-9574-0000779e2340.html
“the future of commercial broadcasting is much brighter than many of its own practitioners dare hope. [...] Currently disdained as a blunt instrument, in time commercial television will be seen as having premium value, especially for major exercises such as product launches and brand campaigns. And recall of television spots remains more powerful than most other media. [...] We may be seeing the erosion of the fixed television schedule. But broadcasters are finding other ways to distribute their programmes and bind advertisements to them. Some might actually grow their businesses.”
the real clue to bazalgette’s agenda (if you’re not already familiar with it) is contained in this sentence: “But allowing advertisers to get closer to programmes – sponsoring direct downloads and legalising product placement – will eventually take up the slack [of the current decreases in advertising revenue].”
in terms of niche versus the big broadcasters. i firmly believe in the value of niche, but don’t write off the big broadcasters. they will still steal the middle ground on mass events. the best argument i’ve heard for the future of the big broadcasters is that they will revert more and more to what they were initially like: live broadcasting (eg major events like news, culture and sports). rumours of their impending death are greatly exaggerated.
FMK,
The only way that big broadcasters will be able to move back to covering major events is if the continued rise of subsription only channels buying rights to events is slowed or reversed. RTE will only be able to show extended, delayed, highlights of the Ryder Cup, the Heineken Cup has now been taken from RTE, the premiership is unavailable except in highlight form and a few games during the year.
There is also the point that closer work between advertisers and the TV channels will further degrade the reputation of channels like the BBC and RTE, and is currently not allowed under their public service broadcasting remit. In that sense, the FT article isn’t talking about the revival of traditional broadcasting, it is talking about changing it’s remit, it’s methods and the value that society place on it.
I wouldn’t be afraid of the likes of the BBC, RTE et al being majorly affected, more stations like Channel 6.
iTV is apple’s answer to the media center rather than simply offering movies on the iPod, something compeltely seperate altogether. It’d the trend itself of companies like Apple, Vodafone or broadband providers effectively becoming media companies and snapping at the heels of Channel 6 et al.
How a station like that is going to survive off American imports is beyond me when you can get the episodes on DVD via Amazon before their shown here, VOD becoming available and lots more channels thanks to Sky or IPTV.
tom - don’t get all dewey eyed about TV’ds golden age. the sort of future bazalgette is calling for is actually the past. that’s why we call eastenders and coronation street soap operas, after all.
piaras - wrt apple’s iTV offering, this philips research piece might interest you: http://www.research.philips.com/password/archive/26/pw26_digitalhome.html
you are right to argue that channels relying on secondary rights programming face the toughest task in the digital age, and many of them *will* go to the wall, there won’t be enough digital refusniks to keep them going.
There’s a channel 6 in Ireland? I didn’t even know about channel 5! I have sky plus, but regularly tune into RTE and BBC as they are consistently the best channels for news and the Irish standard of sports pundits is higher than that available on UK TV.
And never having watched a soap opera, apart from Home and Away while I was in school, I didn’t realise that product placement was so common place. Ignorance is bliss! Hopefully you’re right, but I do see changes ahead for the national stations as more and more private companies lobby against the license fees. For their point of view, that kind of state subsidy makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to compete on a level playing field. And with the BBC taking such an active role in the new market of digital TV, and with such a strong online presence for both RTE and the BBC, I can see those battles over the license fee continuing and changes having to be made.