TAM gears up for new broadcasting era

MUMBAI: If content is the king in the age of media-convergence, and if distribution is the god, then pray, God save the king. Despite many concerns raised by the media industry over the new television scenario at a TAM Media Research meet held in Mumbai on April 4, the audit major said it is completely ready for the new broadcast scenario with its new peoplemeter, TVM5.

It said TVM5 can work with converging technologies such as conditional access system (CAS), door-to-home satellite TV (DTH) and internet protocol television (IPTV). This is a digital peoplemeter, which can collect data through technologies such as PVRs, Tivo or VCP/DVD.

LV Krishnan, chief executive officer, TAM, said, “The sensors on the TVM5 meter pick up signals when placed on the top of a television set and measures digital signals akin to CAS, through STB, DTH, broadband and platforms such as videogames and DVDs.  The technology is compatible with both analog and digital set top boxes. The peoplemeter has been the only working solution in the digital environment across the globe and the same is in use in India now,” he said.

TVM5 is technology and platform neutral and caters to CAS, DTH and broadband, it is compatible with both GSM and landline polling of data, tested and implemented in many countries including Mexico, South-Africa, Thailand, Korea, Malaysia and the UK. TAM will the system in India along with the world’s first elite TV panel, a separate parallel panel set up to measure TV viewing behaviour of the elite/premium section of society.

Krishnan burst the bubble for most broadcasters, advertisers and media agencies when he stated that feedback from various Neilson centres showed that increasing number of channels in the broadcast scenario did not necessarily mean that more channels are being watched.

“Reach of individual media vehicles will drop, leading to a widening of the TV plan basket. Clearly defined niches will help advertisers in micro-targeting the consumer.

With more zero-point ratings, media planners will have to juggle added data and inventories. Post-CAS, we could see a drop in the over-all reach, more air-time at more cost, with less results,” he said. A DTH study, conducted by TAM in association with IMRB says that DTH is carrying on completely on its own in rural markets, whereas in urban markets, it’s hinged into the cable-market route. Out of total DTH market, 88% is rural and 12% is urban.

In the urban market, Dish TV hogs the lion’s share whereas DD Direct rules in the rural market.  At a panel discussion held during the meeting on ‘Addressability on TV- A challenge or opportunity’, CAS emerged as a mystic with all participants dispelling myths of CAS being a consumer-friendly policy.

They said the consumer already gets 54 channels and more, completely free, at a minimum cable-price. With CAS, the number could go down to 32 at Rs.72 with the added price of installing a set top box. Again, most pay-channels could turn FTA in the new regime.