Meek pitch bravely but big guys are quiet in bid for channel

MEDIA AND MARKETING / EMMET OLIVER: A round-up of news within the industry.

With one of the lowest rates of TV advertising in Europe, you'd think there was plenty of scope for another commercial TV channel (or two) in Ireland. This would be good news for advertisers who would benefit from a further drop in rates and of course for consumers who would have more choice.

The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) has spent the past few months sifting through pitches for new TV services and has released all the submissions it has received under the Freedom of Information Act to The Irish Times.

While 42 enthusiastic and brave consortiums have expressed an interest, the number of internationally well-known players interested is nil.

While TV3 and burgeoning Irish broadcast firms like Setanta are there, the number of big TV companies interested in our lilliputian TV market appears extremely small.

Instead, a smattering of community groups, local radio stations and even Dáil Éireann have submitted a pitch for a new service.

While most are well intentioned, few would survive financially one suspects and certainly not without sizeable subvention from the Government or via the taxpayer in the shape of the licence fee. TV3's submission acknowledges this and is certain about the reasons for the lack of interest among bigger TV players.

"New commercial channels are not viable due to the state of regulation in this area and the dominant position RTÉ has in the television sector in this country." RTÉ made no submission at all.

TV3 has found it hard to turn a profit in Ireland even with ratings winners like Coronation Street and Champions League soccer among its offering, so the chances of a small Dublin-only station, for example, surviving could be slim.

The BCI will now have to decide whether to go any further with the idea of new television services. A spokeswoman said yesterday the BCI would discuss that issue next week at its monthly board meeting.

Based on the submissions, the prospect of getting a big commercial player to start something new seems like wishful thinking. However, something in the community or sporting arenas could be a possibility.

The variety of submissions to the BCI is staggering. Pavee Point has suggested a channel looking at the travelling community, while Dáil Éireann via the Joint Committee on Broadcasting and Parliamentary Information says the BCI might like to consider the idea of a "parliamentary channel" at some stage.

What kind of audience the daily utterances of our TDs and Senators would attract is another matter and even RTÉ has switched parliamentary coverage into late-night slots normally the preserve of insomniacs.

Mr Michael Murphy, former digital television director at Eircom, however believes a Dublin station could work, if it is offered via Sky Digital, NTL and Chorus platforms.

He told the BCI: "There is an opportunity for an entertainment and lifestyle channel with a strong Dublin identity."

Then added: "There have been a number of international and local investors interested in the Dublin TV concept since the passing of the Broadcasting Act, 2001. However, no one will make any full assessment on a project with a required investment of €9 million, until the BCI has announced both the number of licences to be awarded and the detailed regulation on these licences."

Considering that it took TV3 years to hit the air, the local and international investors may have to find something else to do in the meantime.

FT fights back

This weekend the Financial Times starts a fight back. After a tumultuous 2002, Pearson - which publishes the paper - hopes a relaunched FT can attract readers outside its core business market.

For years the paper has had a big Saturday circulation with casual non-business readers picking up a copy.

The relaunch will attempt to reach out to this group during the week as well, while keeping faithful city readers happy.

The new-look FT will appear this Saturday incorporating a new weekend magazine, which is part of a concerted campaign to secure more consumer advertising. Mr Olivier Fleurot told the Wall Street Journal this week that the FT's core advertisers in the high-tech and corporate finance sector had been suffering from the effects of the downturn and could not be counted on to return.

"We have about 600,000 readers in the national readership survey but we also have about 1.4 million people who buy the FT about once a week. We want to increase the frequency of buying," he told the journal, the FT's main rival incidentally.

The FT's sales in the UK have fallen to just over 150,000 and last year Dame Marjorie Scardino, the head of Pearson, found herself having to deny the FT was up for sale.

"We are not going to sell the FT, it is one of our greatest brands."

Ireland ironically has also not helped Scardino & Co, with circulation here plunging. In the second half of 2002 it was down 10.1 per cent with an average daily sale of 4,988.

This was despite an advertising campaign in recent years, an office in Dublin and lots more promotion on radio stations like NewsTalk 106 which have sought to promote business news.

Monster drinks

The Gleeson Group is investing €250,000 in its drinks brand Country Spring for the first half of 2003.

Due for introduction in the spring, the campaign will feature the "Monsters" campaign created by the Helme Partnership late last year.

The people behind the campaign hope consumers will respond to the brand because it is the only three-litre bottle currently available in the carbonate soft drink sector.

Sales of the drink rose by 25 per cent last year (2002-03) and the brand is now ranked number five in the sector which is dominated by the large multinational brands.

According to Mr Dale Parry, account director with Helme, working with an Irish-owned brand like Country Spring allows agencies to nibble away at the big multinational brands which have very large budgets.

The new Monsters ads are due on air from mid-April on RTÉ 1, Network 2, TV3, TG4 and Sky 1.