Lenka Hrivnáková, Author at The Association of Commercial Television

UNRIVALLED PARAMETERS OF TV ADVERTISING: IT GENERATES THE MOST ATTENTION, HAS THE BEST MEMORABILITY AND IMPACT

ScreenVoice TALKS, the autumn conference organised by the Association of Commercial Television on the occasion of World Television Day, focused on the topic of attention in advertising. International speakers revealed why attention is such an important parameter and how to measure or maintain it. The programme also included the presentation of the exclusive Czech edition of the Track the Success research, which compares the effectiveness of advertising spots on television, BVOD and on the online platforms YouTube and Facebook.

The Track the Success study was originally conducted in German-speaking countries (DACH region – Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and the Czech Republic is the fourth country where the same conclusion was confirmed. Television in all the countries studied shows the best results in several key parameters – it generates the most interest, attention, memorability and understanding of the advertising message.

“Television benefits from a number of advantages at the same time. It offers the big screen as the most effective advertising space, a trusted environment and quality content as a transmission medium, and last but not least, the highest visual attention. Which formula holds true across all countries where we have conducted research,”

comments researcher Marvin Vogt from the German agency Eyesquare on the results. “The research in the Czech Republic showed that TV advertising works best here too, closely followed by BVOD. YouTube and, by an even greater distance, Facebook often have problems reaching comparable attention and therefore have less effect,” adds Marvin Vogt.

“What’s also significant about the Track the Success study is that it shows that TV in the Czech Republic holds an even more privileged position in a number of areas than it does in foreign households. The big screen is indispensable in capturing attention and conveying detail, which has a major impact on memorability and, of course, ultimately on buying behaviour,”

says Jan Vlček, President of AKTV and CEO of TV Nova.

The topic of attention was introduced at the conference by Matt Hill, director of research and planning at UK-based Thinkbox. His presentation “Giving attention a little attention” showed why attention in advertising is so important, how to attract it, how to keep it and last but not least how to measure it. The final speaker was economist, IPA and WARC Effectiveness Awards judge and WARC and Marketing Week columnist Dr Grace Kite. Her specialism is marketing effectiveness and her presentation showcased the benefits of TV advertising for online brands, whose presence on TV screens is increasing year on year.

Videos, presentations and photos from the event are available at ScreenVoice.cz/TALKS.

In addition to this year’s event, recordings of speakers from previous years are also available in the event archive, including Mark Ritson, Les Binet, Karen Nelson-Field, Wiemer Snijders and many other world-renowned names.

TV AROUND THE WORLD CELEBRATES THE POWER OF ATTENTION

TV companies around the world celebrate World Television Day on 21 November to remind us of the attention-grabbing power that Total TV holds. As part of the annual United Nations initiative, a 30 second-spot will be broadcast and shared online worldwide.

Today’s TV captivates, fascinates, and holds audiences’ attention

The 26th edition of World Television Day celebrates a global reality: TV has a way of pulling you in more than any other medium. Television is always available, at home and on the go, across all screens – large or small – live or streamed; offering both collective and feel-like-me experiences.

From the very start, television has kept its finger on the pulse of society by drawing viewers’ attention to newsworthy events and societal issues. It keeps audiences glued to the screen with information they trust, high-quality series that fascinate, movies that captivate, content that holds their attention – and more.

Attention has also become increasingly important to brands, who understand the impact of this new metric: the greater the ad attention, the greater the business results. As TV delivers one of the highest and most consistent levels of attention to both its content and advertising, it is a medium with unequalled effectiveness.

“Television plays a crucial role in bringing important issues to our attention and forming public opinion. It helps people to stay informed on the topics that matter, from peace and security to climate change, from the pandemic to inequality. It is also a symbol for global communication that can help us to find solutions to the world’s issues, together.” – Sherri Aldis, Director, UNRIC

“The TV industry continues to build a more sophisticated understanding of ad attention. As content providers and brands compete for consumers’ attention, this emerging metric will help demonstrate that TV delivers the short and long-term results both programmers and advertisers require. On World TV Day, we shine a light on the emerging attention economy and celebrate Total TV’s role in it,” asserts Katty Roberfroid, Director General, egta.

For more information, please visit http://www.worldtelevisionday.com

Press contact:

Alain Beerens,

Head of Communications, egta

Association of television and radio sales houses

T : +32 2 290 31 38

alain.beerens@egta.com

ABOUT THE GLOBAL TV GROUP

The Global TV Group is a grouping of broadcasters’ and sales houses’ trade bodies in Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia and Latin America, whose joint objective is to promote television and remind advertisers, journalists, agencies and industry peers about the effectiveness and popularity of TV.

http://www.theglobaltvgroup.com/

ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION OF COMMERCIAL TELEVISION IN EUROPE (ACT)

The European commercial broadcasting sector is a major success story. We entertain and inform hundreds of millions of EU citizens each day via thousands of channels available across Europe. The Association of Commercial Television in Europe represents the interests of 29 leading commercial broadcasters across Europe. The ACT member companies finance, produce, promote and distribute content and services benefiting millions of Europeans across all platforms. At ACT we believe that the healthy and sustainable commercial broadcasting sector has an important role to play in the European economy, society and culture.

https://www.acte.be/

ABOUT EBU

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is the world’s foremost alliance of public service media (PSM). Our mission is to make PSM indispensable. We represent 115 media organizations in 56 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and have an additional 31 Associates in Asia, Africa, Australasia and the Americas. Our Members operate nearly 2,000 television and radio channels alongside numerous online platforms. Together, they reach audiences of more than one billion people around the world, broadcasting in more than 160 languages. We strive to secure a sustainable future for public service media, provide our Members with world-class content from news to sports and music, and build on our founding ethos of solidarity and cooperation to create a centre for learning and sharing.

https://www.ebu.ch/home

ABOUT egta

egta is the association representing television and radio sales houses, either independent from the channel or in-house, that markets the advertising space of both private and public television and radio stations throughout Europe and beyond. egta fulfils different functions for its members in fields of activities as diversified as regulatory issues, audience measurement, sales methods, interactivity, cross-media, technical standards, new media, etc. During its more than 40 years of existence, egta has become the reference centre for television and radio advertising in Europe. egta counts more than 160 members operating across 43 countries.

http://www.egta.com/

ABOUT UNRIC

The Brussels-based United Nations Regional Information Centre for Europe – UNRIC – provides information on UN activities to 22 countries and is active on social media and websites in 13 languages. It acts as the European communication office of the United Nations and it aims to engage and inform European citizens about global issues. It also liaises with institutions of the European Union in the field of information. Its outreach activities, joint public information campaigns and events are organized with partners including the EU, governments, the media, NGOs, the creative community, and local authorities.

https://unric.org/

AXOCOM: VIDEO PIRACY IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC INCREASED BY 160 PERCENT THIS YEAR

Illegal downloading of video content in the Czech Republic has increased 160 percent year-on-year this year, according to Axocom.

This is due to high inflation combined with the growing supply of TV content in the form of streaming platforms. This is based on an analysis by distribution company Axocom of the prevalence of illegal content on download servers as well as by measuring user searches for titles.

“The worsening economic situation together with inflation is forcing Czechs to save money. Culture has come under enormous pressure this year. This is evident in the attendance of Czech cinemas, which improved compared to the previous year, but it is not enough to reach pre-pandemic levels,”

said Erika Luzsicza, director of Axocom.

By contrast, time spent in front of TV screens has risen to record levels since the start of the covid period, the company said. The average Czech spends more than four hours a day watching shows, the most in 25 years, according to the data. And so far, there’s no sign of anything changing in that trend.

“The supply has multiplied several times in recent years, but it has also fragmented dramatically across a variety of platforms, most of which are pay-per-view. Moreover, each of them has a portfolio of content that is trending. And since viewers want to stay in the loop and keep up not only with what people in their environment are watching, but also with the trends being discussed, piracy unfortunately not infrequently comes into play,”

Luzsicza said.

Moreover, she said, the situation will only get worse. Piracy will be fuelled both by the continuing deterioration of the economic situation, which will force people to save money, and by the fact that TV ratings traditionally increase over the winter. Traditionally the busiest period is associated with the end of the year.

The most popular video platform in the Czech Republic is Netflix (39 per cent), according to Eset’s analysis. It is followed by the Czech platforms Voyo (18 per cent) and iPrima (16 per cent) or the HBO Max platform (16 per cent).

Commercial TV is trying to fight piracy by combating stolen content on online repositories. Last week, for example, it reached an agreement with Internet storage operators Hellshare and Hellspy to deploy filters that will search for illegal content. The filters will be continuously modified and updated to reflect the behaviour of users who illegally distribute audiovisual works.

Source: mediaguru.cz

ADVERTISERS DON´T PANICK, SO FAR THEY ARE SIGNING MORE CONTRACTS THAN LAST YEAR OR THE YEAR BEFORE, SAYS HEAD OF NOVA VLČEK

A year ago at this time, Jan Vlček, CEO of the Nova group, was praising the “golden times” for the tv business. Big advertisers – retail chains, electronics manufacturers or e-shops – were spending billions on advertising spots as people rushed to shop after the pandemic.

This year is likely to be another growth year for the country’s biggest commercial broadcaster, but there are a number of uncertainties on the horizon: rising production costs for series, a looming recession and the unpredictable development of the war in Ukraine.

Full article exclusively in Hospodářské noviny.

Source: hn.cz

NOVA, PRIMA AND OČKO MAKE AGREEMENT WITH HELLSHARE AND HELLSPY

Television groups Nova, Prima and Óčko, through the Association of Commercial Television (AKTV), entered into a cooperation agreement with I&Q Group at the beginning of this autumn season, relating to content sharing platforms on the domains Hellshare.cz, Hellspy.cz and Hellspy.sk. This agreement, which is the first of its kind concluded between copyright holders and a repository, regulates the conditions for the application of automatic filters in content search and upload in relation to selected copyrighted works of commercial broadcasters.

The agreement was concluded after several months of negotiations. The essence of the agreement consists in the application of automated filters on file names, lengths and types of files in their search and upload by users. These filters will be continuously adjusted and updated to reflect the behaviour of uploaders who illegally distribute audiovisual works.

“Our primary goal is to reduce as much as possible the amount of our illegally shared content online. We invest large sums of money in production, in the hundreds of millions per year, and massive copyright infringement such as we see in the Czech Republic significantly reduces our return on investment. As a result, this has a particular impact on how much money is returned to the production of more original and attractive content for Czech viewers,” says Jan Vlček, President of AKTV and CEO of TV Nova.

“The agreement with I&Q GROUP is a good signal to us that a common ground can be found that will help prevent massive devaluation of our investments, and that is not unduly time-consuming or costly for storage operators. It should also send a signal to uploaders that sharing protected content is not legal,” added Vlček.

“We developed and deployed the filters in cooperation with AKTV at the beginning of the autumn TV season and have already spent several weeks testing them in practice. We can therefore conclude that they provide relatively easy and effective filtering of copyrighted content, which is particularly important for services of our type in light of the upcoming amendment to the Copyright Act, which imposes new obligations in this area,” explained Jan Hřebabecký, Managing Director of I&Q Group.

Source: mediaguru.cz

MEDIA CLUB USES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO DISTRIBUTE TV CAMPAIGNS

Media Club deploys artificial intelligence to optimise TV campaigns. This enables it to better tailor client campaigns to 25 defined target groups.

An average 14% increase in the cost of TV advertising on Media Club stations for 2023, the introduction of only one basic bundle of stations and its variations for defined target groups or the introduction of artificial intelligence in TV advertising planning are some of Media Club’s innovations in TV advertising for next year. However, Media Club’s new business policy is generally based on this year’s one. After implementing eGRPs in 2022, its next goal is to incorporate eGRPs into all campaigns for younger target groups. It also goes on adjusting TV ad pricing and continues its efforts to increase its inventory capacity. By raising the floor and adding an additional tier for a discount for investing in additional media, Media Club wants to motivate clients to provide higher guarantees in this respect (sponsorship, product placement, online, HbbTV, print). We spoke to Ladislav Dianiška, director of Media Club’s TV division, about some of the details of the new business policy.

For the next year, Media Club’s business policy includes only one bundle of represented stations instead of the two used previously. Why the reduction?

Above all, we wanted to simplify and clarify the offer for our clients. That is why we are introducing only one Media Club bundle. By introducing the ability to customise the distribution of individual channels for up to 25 target groups, we can see no point in having additional bundles.

As before, there are 25 target groups defined by Media Club. Can clients choose one or more groups to target in their campaigns within this offer?

Yes, one client can choose up to six target groups because there are clients who have different products for different target groups. With the help of the media agency and our replenishing, we are able to better optimise the clients’ campaigns. We want to start using artificial intelligence for booking in 2023, which we are testing now.

If a client chooses more than one target group, how does it work?

For each target group, we optimised the distribution of individual channels with respect to their affinity, reach and performance. Once the client selects a bundle with a given target group, they get the most optimal distribution possible. Furthermore, this allows us to react to fluctuations in viewership during the campaign and select the most suitable place for the client’s ad spots based on affinity.

Are you going to use AI for all the replenishments you make?

The foreign software we are testing now partially replaces manual work in booking and replenishment and is able to spread campaigns across the available space of individual channels. What matters is how many GRPs each channel is able to generate. For example, an optimal campaign for a young target group could be almost entirely on Prima Cool, but we cannot give such a campaign to everyone due to the capacity of the channel. Therefore, we use AI to find the composition of channels and shows for the client within the overall orders so that it reflects the requirements for the chosen target group as much as possible while not preventing the implementation of the same principle for other clients.

Does the software that uses AI include online inventory in replenishment?

eGRPs are part of the defined Media Club bundle, so online inventory is included. As we have documented, for younger target groups, eGRPs not only help increase campaign affinity but also increase reach.

The share of eGRPs in campaigns is still low, which is also related to inventory supply. You intended to implement eGRPs in the IPTV operators’ offer this autumn. What is the situation now?

At the moment we have agreements with operators Lepší TV and Sledování.tv, which helps us increase the available space for eGRPs. We anticipate that once all operators are engaged, the capacity for eGRPs could double and we could engage eGRPs in all campaigns. In any case, from 2023 onwards we want to introduce eGRPs into every campaign targeting the young target group.

Can the software also distinguish between different times of the day and the level of space utilisation with respect to legal limits? How do you set the time limits for ad placement in off prime-time and prime-time?

The software must be able to respect legal limits while working with the specific needs of clients. The time limits of individual campaigns are based on the specific contractual conditions of the clients, and the software will be able to respect this as well.

The Media Club’s core target group remains 15-69. Are you also counting on the children’s group 4-14, which you have not had in your commercial policy so far?

Of course, we do not want to turn our backs on any client and we are ready to present an offer for those who target this specific target group.

The basic CPP is increasing by 14% on Media Club stations for 2023. Once again, clients with the highest budgets are seeing the highest price increase, at 18% for next year…

We did this for the first time in 2017/2018, when we said that for budgets over CZK 50 million we would not give any discounts. We wanted to stop the policy of endless discounting. In addition, the demand for TV space has been increasing in recent years, so space is sold out, and we need to limit what is sold cheapest and sell the more expensive.

Looking back at this year, the year-on-year increase for clients with the highest budgets was 16%. Did it have the effect you wanted?

Absolutely, because it freed up some space and allowed us to deliver our clients’ campaigns.

Do you consider a price increase of 14% for next year to be sufficient? Your colleague Jan Čadek announced an 8% increase in respect of Media Club radios, adding that a price increase of 17% would be needed. What about TV?

A 14% increase is an option that the market gives us. Of course, it would be necessary to increase the price more, but this is a compromise that we have reached. Even our main competitor is not increasing the price by a staggering amount (TV Nova is increasing the price of advertising by 12% for 2023, ed.).

The autumn season has turned into its second half and a substantial part of the year is already behind us. How was this year for Media Club in terms of revenue compared to last year?

2021 was a successful year for our agency both in terms of business and finance. We saw stable demand from clients compared to 2020, which saw a change in consumer behaviour due to the measures against Covid-19. Last year, we achieved a profit before tax of CZK 818 million.

What do you expect from 2023? Do you already have any signals on how the market might develop?

Based on the current state of negotiations and budgets, we are on par with this year’s budgets, with a few exceptions. Overall, we expect a slight decrease next year.

Source: mediaguru.cz

AKTV CONFERENCE WILL PRESENT ITS FIRST-EVER RESEARCH AND WILL FOCUS ON ATTENTION IN ADVERTISING

The traditional autumn conference of the Association of Commercial Television (AKTV) will take place on 22th of November 2022 in Spojka Karlín and will be co-hosted by the Slovak Asociácia televiznych vysíateľov Slovenska (ATVS). The main item on the agenda will be the first ever research conducted for AKTV, namely the czech edition of the Track the Success study. The conference will be held under the auspices of the newly created ScreenVoice TALKS brand. This new umbrella for AKTV’s conference activities further develops the ScreenVoice brand, which brings marketers, advertising agencies and commissioners regular inspiration from the world of (not only) television, TV advertising and total video.

The Track the Success study originally originated in German-speaking countries and its DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) version was presented at last year’s conference by representatives of Berlin-based agency eyesquare. The latter, in cooperation with the research departments of ACPV members, is also preparing the Czech version of the study so that the results are comparable. For example, we will learn how identical advertising is perceived on TV, BVOD, YouTube and Facebook.

“Television advertising is nowadays more and more often shrouded in various myths and prejudices and its benefits are often compared to video advertising in the online environment and social networks. The Track the Success study provides answers to the attention and perception of video advertising in different environments. Testing is conducted on Czech ads, with Czech content, in real homes on their own devices. It’s very sophisticated research that will give advertisers conclusive answers,”

says Jan Vlček, President of AKTV and CEO of TV Nova.

Matt Hill, Director of research and planning at UK-based Thinkbox, will introduce the topic of attention at the conference. His presentation “Giving attention a little attention” will show why attention in advertising is so important, how to attract it, retain it and last but not least how to measure it. The final speaker will be economist, IPA and WARC Effectiveness Awards judge and WARC and Marketing Week columnist Dr Grace Kite. Her specialisation is marketing effectiveness and her presentation will outline the benefits of TV advertising for online brands, whose presence on TV screens is increasing year on year.

The conference will once again be held in celebration of World Television Day, which falls on 21 November each year. The different editions are dedicated to the unique characteristics of the TV medium, in past years promoting its credibility, quality, diversity or usefulness, for example. This year’s theme then will be (not surprisingly) “attention”. More information is available on the AKTV website at AKTV.cz/world_TV_day.

Full conference information can be found on the ScreenVoice.cz/TALKS website.

HBBTV AWARDS 2022 OZNAMUJÍ NOMINACE V JEDNOTLIVÝCH KATEGORIÍCH SOUTĚŽE

NOMINEES FOR HBBTV AWARDS 2022 ANNOUNCED

The HbbTV Association, a global initiative dedicated to providing open standards for advanced interactive TV services through broadcast and broadband networks to connected TV sets and set-top boxes, is proud to announce the shortlists of entries nominated for the HbbTV Awards 2022, showcasing and celebrating excellence in the HbbTV community.

The finalists are (in alphabetical order):

Best use of HbbTV for advertising-based solutions

Digital TV Group (DTG): Industry collaboration to explore “Targeted Substitution of Broadcast Ads Using HbbTV” (UK)
Digitiwise: Interactive Game HbbTV App (Turkey)
Fincons Group and Mediaset: HbbTV-TA (Italy)
Kineton: KARP – Kineton Announcement Real-time Platform (Italy and USA)
TV Nova: MAX REACH (Czech Republic)

Best tool or product for HbbTV service development or delivery

Fincons Group: TVium (Europe)
Kineton: Antares (Italy)
Sofia Digital: Sofia Backstage(R) App Editor (for international markets, initially for Finland)
TV Nova and CRA: HbbTV Manager (Czech Republic)

Best technology innovation in an HbbTV product or service

ARTE: ARTE App (Europe and worldwide, depending on rights)
Ocean Blue Software: The Open Red Button Project (all)
TV Nova: Breaking News bar and HbbTV News Live stream (Czech Republic)
ZDF: ZDFmediathek Highlight-Player (Germany)

Best interoperability and conformance tool

Kineton: KineMediaCert (any HbbTV country)

Best marketing or promotion of an HbbTV-based service

Cellnex in representation of LOVEStv: LOVEStv (Spain)
Digitiwise: Interactive and Targeted Addressable TV Advertising (Turkey)
Mostaza Television: Interactive Games (Spain)
TV Nova: Voyo (SVOD service) in HbbTV (Czech Republic)

There is also an award for the “Best individual contribution to the HbbTV Association” and the judges’ award “HbbTV newcomer of the year”.

“We are excited about the strong interest in this year’s HbbTV Awards and the top-level market players competing for the connected TV industry’s most prestigious recognition. The wide scope of applications, services and tools submitted by the contenders reflect the key role the HbbTV specifications play for broadcasters, platform operators and service providers to benefit from the growth opportunities in TV and streaming,”

said Vincent Grivet, Chairman of the HbbTV Association.

The shortlists of finalists will be put forward to an independent jury of industry experts selecting the winners. Details about the jury members can be found here.

The prizes will be awarded at a prestigious ceremony on November 9, 2022. The event forms part of the 10th HbbTV Symposium and Awards, jointly hosted by the HbbTV Association and the Czech Association of Commercial Television on November 9-10, 2022 in Prague. All finalists are invited to attend the awards ceremony.

Details on the HbbTV Symposium and Awards 2022, the conference programme, speakers, sponsors, media partners, event location and recommended hotels can be found at www.hbbtv.org/10th-hbbtv-symposium-and-awards-2022/.

About the HbbTV Association

Hybrid broadcast broadband TV (or “HbbTV”) is a global initiative founded in 2010 developing a specification enabling the delivery of advanced and interactive TV and entertainment services to consumers through a combined use of both broadcast and broadband networks. The HbbTV specification is developed by industry leaders to improve the video experience of consumers on connected TV sets, set-top boxes and multiscreen devices. The HbbTV specification uses elements of existing specifications from other standards including OIPF, CEA, DVB, MPEG-DASH and W3C. With the incorporation of activities from the Open IPTV Forum (OIPF) in 2014 and Smart TV Alliance in 2016, HbbTV is able to address service providers and technology suppliers for IPTV services as well as the combined scope of broadcast and over-the-top (OTT) services.

HbbTV is organised as a non-profit association registered in Switzerland and has around 80 members which include all global TV manufacturers, the large European broadcasters and TV platforms as well as a vast array of global technology and chipset vendors. More information: www.hbbtv.org

Contact HbbTV Association:

Angelo Pettazzi

Chair HbbTV Marketing and Education Working Group (MEWG)

email: angelo.pettazzi@kineton.it

Tel.: +39 335.7614.596

Press Contact:

Thomas Fuchs

Fuchs Media Consult GmbH

email: tfuchs@fuchsmc.com

Tel: +49 171 4483 168

About the Czech Association of Commercial Television

The Czech Association of Commercial Television (AKTV) was formed in 2017 as an association of terrestrial television broadcasting operators with the goal of defending, supporting and promoting the common interests of commercial broadcasters in the Czech Republic. The founding members of the Association are the Nova, Prima and Óčko television networks. More information: www.aktv.cz

Contact Czech Association of Commercial Television:

Marie Fianová

AKTV Secretary

email marie.fianova@aktv.cz

Tel: +420 724 442 935

HBBTV SYMPOSIUM 2022 TO FOCUS ON TARGETED ADVERTISING, DVB-I AND NEW HBBTV SERVICES

The HbbTV Association, a global initiative dedicated to providing open standards for advanced interactive TV services through broadcast and broadband networks to connected TV sets and set-top boxes, is pleased to announce the conference programme of the HbbTV Symposium and Awards 2022. The annual key summit of the connected TV industry will take place on November 9-10 in Prague, co-hosted with the Czech Association of Commercial Television (AKTV).

The conference will be opened by HbbTV Chairman Vincent Grivet (representing Eutelsat) and AKTV President Jan Vlček (TV Nova), followed by a global TV market review by Paul Gray (Omdia). The first two panels will focus on HbbTV developments in the Czech Republic and monetisation opportunities with Targeted Advertising and Addressable TV. The essential role HbbTV can play in the ecosystem of the new DVB-I standard will be discussed in another key session.

The second day will open with a “state of the nation” speech by HbbTV Chair Vincent Grivet and an update on the latest developments and activities regarding the HbbTV specifications by HbbTV Vice-Chair Jon Piesing (TP Vision). New HbbTV services will be presented in the following panel while a round table will discuss the important topics of conformance management, certification and interoperability. The latest market developments in the US and a focus on technology trends will conclude the conference.

“We are proud about the exciting conference agenda, covering all key market developments and future trends, with an excellent line-up of top-level speakers. A special focus will be on Central and Eastern European countries, reflecting the important role and increasing significance of the HbbTV standard, while opening up growth opportunities for existing and new market players,” said Vincent Grivet, Chair of the HbbTV Association.

Jan Vlček, President of AKTV and CEO of Nova Group, added: “The HbbTV technology perfectly combines the capabilities of the internet and linear broadcasting, opening doors to a completely new TV experience. At the same time, it offers a broad and unique scope not only in terms of breaking news but also in terms of business and advertising. It is a great challenge for us to push the boundaries further and to be a pioneer of this technology in the Czech Republic. I am therefore very proud that the 10th year of the Symposium is being held in Prague and I look forward to the future that HbbTV will bring us.”

The HbbTV Symposium 2022 will also host the 5th edition of the HbbTV Awards, featuring a wide range of categories designed to acclaim best practice and excellence in the HbbTV community. The connected TV industry’s most highly acclaimed recognition will be awarded at a prestigious ceremony in the evening of the 1st conference day, November 9.

Details on the HbbTV Symposium and Awards 2022, the event venue, recommended hotels, sponsors and media partners can be found at https://www.hbbtv.org/10th-hbbtv-symposium-and-awards-2022/.

Contact HbbTV Association:
Angelo Pettazzi
Chair HbbTV Marketing and Education Working Group (MEWG)
email: angelo.pettazzi@kineton.it
Tel: +39.335.7614.596

Press Contact:
Thomas Fuchs
Fuchs Media Consult GmbH
email: tfuchs@fuchsmc.com
Tel: +49 171 4483 168

APA, ASAF, TELEVISION NOVA AND PRIMA CONCLUDED A MEMORANDUM

Representatives of the APA, ASAF, TV Nova and FTV Prima signed a Memorandum on further joint action following the implementation of the European Audiovisual Services Directive.

The APA (Association of Producers in Audiovisual), ASAF (Animation Association), TV Nova and FTV Prima signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” on Friday 23 September at the Serial Killer International TV and Online Series Festival. Namely, APA Chairman Vratislav Šlajer and APA Board Member Filip Bobinski, ASAF Board Chairman Martin Kotík, ASAF Vice-Chairman Marek Toušek, Nova CEO Klára Brachtlová and Prima CEO Marek Singer declared further joint action following the implementation of the European Audiovisual Services Directive in the interest of the development of the Czech audiovisual market.

The participants of the memorandum stated that they defend the best interests of Czech audiovisual industry, the rich audiovisual cultural offer for the Czech audience, the international competitiveness of Czech audiovisual industry and the related strengthening of the Czech Republic’s reputation abroad. They are thus aware that a diverse cultural offer is only possible in a diverse and free market where competition between creators, independent producers and broadcasters meets.

The Memorandum is the result of ongoing negotiations between the above-mentioned bodies, which began during the process of implementing the European Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD). It also expresses an interest in moving forward together and co-creating the terms of the legislative framework. All stakeholders welcome the planned extension of grant support for the production of cinematographic works by the State Cinematography Fund to the production of audiovisual works intended primarily for television broadcasting and VOD services and call for ensuring the stability of the system of film incentives. They are also interested in maintaining the dual system of television broadcasters.

Among other things, the AVMSD prescribes that the Member States of the European Union set certain minimum quotas for the content of independent producers or producers included in the programming of broadcasters and VOD platform operators. The participants in the Memorandum wish to find consensus on a uniform interpretation of the term ‘independent producer’. They thus agreed to make efforts to find a consensus on the definition of producers independent of broadcasters. In doing so, they will take into account criteria such as the ownership of the production company, the number of programmes provided to the same broadcaster and the ownership of secondary rights, i.e. that the independent producer owns part of the rights to use the audiovisual work or shares in the revenues from its use, in relation to his contribution to the creation of the work.

They also undertook to negotiate in good faith and to conclude within six months at the latest an extended Memorandum of Understanding setting out the minimum conditions under which a work produced in collaboration between a broadcaster and a producer will be considered a ‘work produced by an independent producer’ within the meaning of the AVMSD. These conditions will be updated at least once a year in the light of market developments.

The agreement also includes a commitment to cooperate in the preparation of legislation on important issues for the entire domestic audiovisual industry, namely: non-discriminatory setting of conditions for contributions of VOD platforms to the State Cinematography Fund (or direct investment in Czech audiovisual content), transformation of the SFK and setting non-discriminatory and effective rules for the provision of film incentives.

Source: mediaguru.cz

DESPITE THE GROWTH OF VOD LINEAR TV IS STILL CRUCIAL

Linear TV is still a key source of revenue and profits for broadcasters despite the rise of video-on-demand (VOD) services. This was one of the key topics of Innovation Day conference.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT) will continue to support the free-to-air digital terrestrial broadcasting (DTT) platform beyond 2030. Miloš Mastník, general director of Czech Radiocommunications (CRA), said this at Innovation Day conference. The future of DTT to be decided next year at the WRC 2023 conference in Geneva, which will give a hint as to whether DTT broadcasters will be able to use their existing frequency spectrum. CRA CEO Mastnik is confident that DTT broadcasting has a future beyond 2030. This is due to the current economic development, which will create a society-wide interest in maintaining DTT due to its free availability.

DTT broadcasting is still the most widespread form of TV signal reception in the Czech Republic. It is used by 54% of Czech households, and the penetration of DTT platforms has been relatively stable over time. The second strongest is IPTV reception, which has grown to 26% over the last years, on the other hand, the share of households using satellite broadcasting is decreasing (to 17.5%). In the second quarter of this year, the share of cable broadcasting increased to 13% (see chart below for more).

According to the CEO, Czech Radiokomunikace wants to further develop free-to-air DTT, but at the same time it is also seeking to develop other platforms such as HbbTV (currently 1.3 million TVs connected to HbbTV are registered) and OTT. “We are working on a paid content project and discussing the establishment of a national platform,” Miloš Mastník outlined the possibilities of developing paid content in DTT broadcasting. However, discussions are only at the beginning, he said. Alongside this, the CRAs also have hopes for 5G broadcasting, which they have been testing since this spring and which is expected to bring benefits for TV broadcasting on mobile devices. The 5G testing is expected to expand to even more transmitters. The CRA also want to focus on the development of DAB+ digital radio broadcasting.

According to CRA’s director of regulatory affairs, Marcel Prochazka, linear TV broadcasting is a key source of revenue for broadcasters from a commercial perspective. Video-on-demand services (VOD, Netflix and others) are negatively affected by rising consumer prices, with VOD growth stalling in some Western markets, he said. This is also why some providers are trying to build advertising sales into their models to make the service cheaper for subscribers. “We are seeing an increase in AVOD services that are supported by advertising. They’re being talked about by Disney or Netflix, who are also considering their own linear free-to-air channels that will be ad-supported, which is similar to the kind of TV we know today,” Procházka said. In addition, he said the financial results show that revenues and even operating margins from linear TV broadcasting are still growing, while operating margins for internet VOD services are also negative.

Source: mediaguru.cz

ADVERTISING INVESTMENT IN MEDIA HOLDS DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH FOR EIGHT MONTHS

All monitored media types showed year-on-year growth in monitored media investment in this year’s eighth month. To date, advertising investment in media is up 12 per cent on last year.

In the first eight months of this year, monitored advertising investment in media has increased by 12 per cent year-on-year. Television is the strongest by volume of the monitored media. Outdoor advertising showing the highest year-on-year growth this year. This is according to data from Nielsen Admosphere’s AdIntel monitoring.

The monitoring data also confirms a slowdown in growth during the summer holidays, although all monitored media were in growth in August compared to July.

Source: Nielsen Admosphere

Investment in Internet advertising does not appear in the summary of monitored investments, and this is because the Internet is represented in the monitoring only by some formats and thus does not cover the complete Internet advertising spending. However, the AdMonitoring project shows that the year-on-year development of banner advertising on the Internet this year is also higher than for the period January to August last year.

Please note that the monitored investments do not correspond to the actual investments that flow into the media for buying advertising. However, they do indicate a trend.

Source: mediaguru.cz