Digital TV, media operators bullish

RS Plc's chief executive officer Surachai Chetchotisak said yesterday that Thailand's digital TV industry has embarked on its fourth year, with all players manoeuvring to take the lead.
Media spending is on the rise and the industry is expected to grow in 2018. Channel 8 is growing in line with the company’s plans is set to be among the country's top 5 channels, the chief executive said.
“Although it's already a winner, there's still room for growth, and more viewership means higher advertising rate,” Surachai said. “Therefore, the goal for 2018 is to exceed 700,000 viewers per minute, and to increase its advertising rate by 40 per cent, resulting in its revenue exceeding Bt2 billion.”
Channel 8's strategy is Prime Time Focus, as it invests in premium content from Thailand and overseas to be aired during prime-time slots, from 6am-9am and 6pm-11.30pm. The goal is to increase viewership throughout the year, the company said
It has secured famous Bollywood series while continuing with the popular Hanumaan, Wallop Maharaja and Legend of Ganesha titles from India. The company says its news contents is going strong, offering news in all categories – politics, economy, sports, entertainment, and social issues, with a goal to retain top spot among the new players under the concept “easy words, easy to watch, easy to understand”. Popular programmes include Khui Khao Chao, Pak Thong Tong Ru, Khao Den, Khui Khao Yen, Khui Khao Kham and the hourly news bulletins.
 Channel 8 has expanded its online viewership significantly, connecting TV screen and online platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, LINE TV, and its website. The move has been positively received by its viewers, Surachai said.
 VGI Global Media Plc achieved total revenue in the second quarter of its fiscal year (April 2017-March 2018) of Bt978 million and net profit of Bt228 million, up 24 per cent and 10 per cent respectively from the same period of last year. 
“Our financial results in the second quarter of this fiscal year show strong growth following our business strategy to synergise all of our media platform across online and offline,” the company’s deputy chief executive officer Lap Shun Nelson Leung said yesterday.
Following strong revenue and net profit growth, the company has confidence its total revenue will hit Bt4 billion at the end of its fiscal year, Leung said.
In the first half of this fiscal year, from April to September, VGI Global Media Plc recorded revenue of Bt1.85 billion and net profit Bt402 million, according to a filing with the Stock Exchange of Thailand.
Meanwhile, TV Direct Plc chief executive director Songpol Shanmatkit said that, after the company had revised its business strategy with a focus on TV digital, sales in the fourth quarter are coming in better than those for the previous quarter, which had been affected by a drop in consumer purchasing power.
“We are confident the market in the last quarter of this year will better than the third quarter of this year. As a result, we are confident that our sales and net profit will achieve the target,” he said.