RS spruces up programming for Channel 8 with view to making it No 3
Amid expectations that analog free-TV channels will see their market share decline, RS is adding more drama, variety and sport programmes to its digital Channel 8 as a key strategy to become No 3 in the industry by the end of this year.
“We believe the combined market share of Channel 7 and Channel 3 is being eaten away by leading digital terrestrial TV operators,” Pornpan Techarungchaikul, chief operating officer of RS, said yesterday.
She said that by the year-end, their combined market share was expected to be slashed to 55 per cent of the Bt80-billion TV broadcasting business, from 75 per cent now. This proportion would continue to fall to 45 per cent next year and to 35 per cent in 2017.
“The decline is faster than our previous estimation.”
Based on audience and revenue share, Channel 8 currently ranks fourth, after Channel 7, Channel 3 and Workpoint TV.
To gain more viewers and revenue, the company is adding more dramas, series and sport programmes to its new schedule, particularly on weekends. This new TV schedule will be in effect from this month through August.
Ongart Singlumpong, executive vice president of RS Channel 8, said the revamp would help the channel gain a wider audience and attract more advertising income.
This strong programming would help Channel 8 become No 3 this year with revenue of Bt1.9 billion, and to bring in more than Bt3 billion next year. Pornpan said Channel 8 would focus more on quarterly |contracts with advertisers, rather than one-year or six-month agreements.
She explained that the short-term agreements would help the channel improve the utilisation of its commercial airtime, and make it easy to manage its advertising rates. The company targets increasing its average advertising rate to Bt100,000 per minute next year from Bt50,000 now.
Last year, RS generated revenue of Bt4.3 billion, a rise of 24 per cent from 2013. Channel 8 was its key growth engine.
Media business, which included Channel 8, generated 78.7 per cent of the company’s revenue, contributing Bt3.356 billion.
