Digital-TV news channels turn focus on segmentation as competition heats up
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In preparation for intense competition next year in the television broadcasting industry, major news channels on terrestrial digital-TV platforms are focusing more on segmentation strategies, offering programmes to more specific audiences in order to attr
While the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission reserved seven of the 24 terrestrial digital-TV channels for news, in reality all players are offering news programmes, albeit in different proportions.
Channels specifically licensed to operate under the news category must provide information and educational programmes for at least 50 per cent of their overall air-time, while those in the variety and family categories must allocate at least 25 per cent to such programming.
Adisak Limprungpatanakij, president of National Broadcasting Corp – the operator of Nation TV – said that not only would the seven news channels on digital terrestrial platforms compete with each other, but they also had to “catch the same eyeballs” with other digital-TV players in the variety and family categories.
Market leaders such as Channel 7 and Channel 3 have also continued to put more focus on news programmes as well as entertainment programming, in order to maintain their audience base and revenue after the birth of terrestrial digital-TV channels.
With a strong legacy inherited from the 60-year-old Thai Rath daily newspaper, Thairath TV, a digital-TV channel for high-definition variety programmes, is also recognised as a leading top news station by audiences after six operational months, he said.
Watchara Vacharapol, chief executive officer of Triple V Broadcast, the operator of Thairath TV, said in a previous interview that to strengthen this leading position in news coverage next year, the station would work closely with its affiliate, Thai Rath, to produce more comprehensive local news.
To cope with such intense competition from big players, Adisak said he had prepared content and marketing strategies to expand news consumers into young audiences, aged below 30.
“Next month is the right time to rebrand and re-image Nation TV,” he said, adding that it would offer more choices such as variety shows on weekends, sport programmes, and shows for teenagers, on top of its hard-news programmes.
More content partners
The company chief also said more content partners were coming to Nation TV.
For example, Siam Sport Syndicate will provide sports programmes for the station, Rose Media and Entertainment will produce programmes targeting teens, while U-Channel will help Nation TV reach university students by creating the “Campus TV” show.
“We hope that those non-news programmes will be able to reach a wider audience base in the near future,” said Adisak.
Another news station, Voice TV, is focusing on a similar target.
After the channel’s latest management reshuffle, new chief executive officer Makin Petplai said that under his administration, Voice TV had high hopes of expanding its audience to first-time job seekers.
Voice TV’s strong audience base largely covers working people above the age of 35, who earn more than Bt30,000 per month on average.
However, it needs a wider audience, and therefore plans to offer three new programmes aimed at the young job-seeker sector – a news commentary segment, “Club Jobber” and “U Debate” – he said.
The news commentary will be aired from 9.30pm to 11pm, followed by the other two shows.
Moreover, Makin said Bt600 million had been set aside for content development and production costs next year, an increase from this year’s Bt400-million budget.
Meanwhile, newcomers Bright TV and New TV share the same goal, with both aiming to become alternative quality news stations.
Among their top priorities next year is to publicise themselves in key media, in line with offering quality programmes to attract more viewers and advertising revenue.
