Having weathered a number of recessions in the past decade, industry execs in the Asia Pacific region seem far more philosophical about the downturn, compared to the gloom dominating the US and Europe.
The West, not having suffered successive setbacks as Asia has, seems to be experiencing a depression both economic and psychological; this is the first recession in many people’s lifetime.
In bidding farewell to the ‘noughties’, it is that decade’s digital legacy that could have far greater implications to the TV industry than the ongoing economic downturn.
The US for example, is facing the end of free-TV as they know it, as the major broadcast networks see ad revenues eroded by cable TV and the Internet. Cable’s share of total TV ad spend has risen to 39 percent in 2008, up from 24 percent a decade earlier, according to the Television Bureau of Advertising.
US networks’ attempts to bolster flagging ad revenues sees them demanding higher carriage fees from cable operators. Hence the recently-resolved dispute between Fox and Time Warner Cable, which saw Fox demanding US$1 per subscriber - with agreement believed to have been reached at around a quarter of that.
Headlines declaring the death of free TV may seem somewhat hyperbolic at this point, but it will be interesting to see how ad-supported media move toward paid content in the new decade.
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Mumbai - BIG CBS Networks has expanded its reach into the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region, beginning with Sri Lanka. The company is targeting the 15-years old and a…
Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) has appointed one of Europe’s top TV executives, Gerhard Zeiler, as president of its international division. The announcement was made hours after Zeiler stepped down …
London/Hong Kong/Burbank - The Walt Disney Company today announced that The River, a supernatural TV thriller, is set to premiere in South Korea on Fox within 24 to 48 hours of its US debut on Februar…
Mumbai - BloombergUTV, a business news channel, has come on board Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd’s (RBNL) distribution portfolio. The channel will be launched through a joint venture with Germany’…
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