Ambitious New TV eyes top 5 within 3 years

After spinning off from the country’s second-largest newspaper, the Daily News, New TV has set its sights on becoming one of the top five terrestrial-based digital TV channels in three years. 

The news channel plans to lavish more than Bt1.2 billion mainly on content, to meet its conservative goal of Bt800 million in revenue next year. 

Panuchai Srinualnad, general director of DN Broadcast, told The Nation yesterday that besides Bt1 billion for producing its own programmes and acquiring foreign shows, particularly documentaries, New TV had about Bt200 million for land to construct its new studio. 

It is looking for the right location to build its production base with two studios equipped with cutting-edge technology that are expected to be completed by 2016. 

The company is also recruiting staff, particularly to produce its own documentaries, which will underscore the channel’s brand positioning as the top supplier of news and information for the mass audience. 

New TV expects to boost its headcount to more than 200 in 2015 from 160 this year to turn out more investigative reports and edutainment shows. 

“Brand positioning is very important for New TV amid the intense competition with key rivals. We need to make a difference through programmes produced in-house that can inspire people and make their lives better,” said the boss of New TV channel. He has been witnessing the rise and fall of the print-media business for more than 11 years at the Daily News, the Thai-language newspaper that is his family’s business. 

For content development to attract more viewers as well as more revenue from advertisers, the station will next year focus more on its prime-time line-up, which runs from 6-10pm.

“Marketing communications strategy is also key to awareness among target audiences and to build engagement with them,” said Panitee Pliancheewin, marketing and advertising director at DN Broadcast.

The company has prepared Bt80 million for marketing and building the station’s awareness next year, up from this year’s Bt50 million. 

New TV will continue to publicise itself on key media such as bus wraps, transit and outdoor media as well as online media like Line stickers and official accounts to communicate to its target audiences. 

To get more exposure among free copy readers, the station will continue publishing new)108, a daily tabloid, with the same daily circulation of 100,000 copies.

New TV is also looking for an opportunity to produce branded contents with its key customers. 

“Various ad and media agencies account for half of this year’s total revenue, while the other half comes from direct customers, so there is more potential to create such branded content for our TV station,” Panitee said. 

Though the digital terrestrial TV market appears to be a fierce battleground with more than 20 players on a limited playing field, there is more room to grow in this market, Panuchai said.

“This digital-TV business remains our bright future.”