MxMIndia

Tag: television

  • A Q&A with ChatGPT on whether the AI tool will replace journalists…

    Will ChatGPT see the end of journalism as we know it?

     

    There has been much discussion and fear about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and various tools like ChatGPT on journalism. So we decided to do a Q&A with ChatGPT and asked it some leading questions. Here goes. Our first question is what this feature is headlined: will ChatGPT see the end of journalism as we know it?

     

    No, ChatGPT will not see the end of journalism as we know it. While AI language models like ChatGPT can assist with certain functions in a newsroom, such as fact-checking and content curation, they cannot replace the role of human journalists and editors entirely.

    Journalism is a multifaceted field that requires skills, experience, and critical thinking that go beyond just language proficiency. Journalists conduct interviews, investigate stories, and provide context and analysis, all of which require a deep understanding of the subject matter and the ability to make editorial judgments. Additionally, journalists are responsible for upholding ethical standards and ensuring that their reporting is fair, accurate, and balanced.

     

    While AI can automate some tasks in the newsroom, it cannot replicate the human element of journalism. Journalists bring a unique perspective, creativity, and storytelling ability to their reporting that AI cannot replicate. Furthermore, AI-generated content lacks the context and analysis that human journalists can provide, and it is not always able to capture the nuances of language, culture, and social context.

     

    In summary, while AI can assist with some functions in the newsroom, journalism will continue to rely on human reporters, editors, and analysts to provide context, analysis, and storytelling that AI cannot replicate.

     

    And here are a few more questions we asked:

     

    What kind of media professionals should be worried about losing their jobs thanks to ChatGPT?

     

    While AI-powered tools like ChatGPT can assist with some aspects of media production, it is unlikely that they will lead to widespread job losses in the industry. Instead, AI is more likely to augment the work of media professionals, freeing them up to focus on higher-level tasks that require human expertise.

     

    That said, certain types of media professionals may be more susceptible to job displacement than others. For example, journalists who specialize in writing routine news stories, such as earnings reports or sports recaps, may find that their work can be automated to some degree using AI tools. Similarly, content creators who produce large volumes of similar content, such as social media posts or product descriptions, may also be at risk of automation.

     

    However, media professionals who bring a unique perspective, voice, or set of skills to their work are less likely to be displaced by AI. This includes journalists who specialize in investigative reporting, opinion writing, or feature writing, as well as creative professionals like graphic designers, video producers, and photographers. These professionals bring a level of creativity, nuance, and human connection to their work that AI cannot replicate.

     

    Overall, while AI is likely to transform certain aspects of media production, it is unlikely to lead to widespread job losses in the industry. Instead, AI is more likely to augment the work of media professionals, enabling them to be more productive and efficient in their work.

     

    What are the functions in news media that ChatGPT can never ever replace or make redundant? 

    While AI language models like ChatGPT can assist with many aspects of news media production, there are certain functions that are unlikely to ever be fully replaced or made redundant by technology. Here are a few examples:

    1. Investigative reporting: Investigative journalism often involves digging deep into complex issues, tracking down sources, and following leads that require a high degree of human intuition, empathy, and persistence. While AI can assist with data analysis and other tasks, it is unlikely to be able to replicate the depth of human research and analysis that is required for investigative reporting.

    2. Ethical decision-making: News media professionals are often called upon to make ethical decisions, such as deciding whether to publish sensitive information, protecting the privacy of sources, or ensuring that reporting is fair and accurate. These decisions require a high degree of human judgment, empathy, and understanding of ethical principles and codes of conduct.

    3. Creative expression: Journalism and other forms of media production often involve creative expression, such as writing compelling narratives, capturing powerful images, or producing engaging multimedia content. While AI can assist with tasks like language translation or generating data visualizations, it is unlikely to be able to replicate the full range of human creativity and expression that is required for successful media production.

    4. Audience engagement: Finally, news media professionals play an important role in engaging with audiences, building trust, and fostering a sense of community around media content. While AI can assist with tasks like social media monitoring or audience analytics, it is unlikely to be able to replace the human connections and relationships that are built through effective audience engagement.

     

    Can ChatGPT replace sub-editors in newsrooms? 

    As an AI language model, I can assist in automating some of the tasks that sub-editors perform in newsrooms, such as grammar and spelling checks, fact-checking, and basic copy editing. However, I cannot entirely replace the role of sub-editors.

    Sub-editors perform a range of critical functions in a newsroom that requires a combination of skills and experience that go beyond just language proficiency. They make editorial judgments, ensure that stories are accurate, balanced, and ethical, and maintain the overall tone and style of the publication. Sub-editors also have a deep understanding of their publication’s brand, voice, and audience, which allows them to craft headlines, subheadings, and captions that are both informative and engaging.

    While AI can assist with certain tasks, it is not yet advanced enough to replace sub-editors fully. Sub-editors bring a human touch to the editorial process that AI cannot replicate. They provide context, critical thinking, and creativity that are essential in the editorial decision-making process. Therefore, it is more likely that AI will be used to support sub-editors, rather than to replace them completely.

     

    What are the other newsroom functions that ChatGPT can help with?

    As an AI language model, ChatGPT can assist with various functions in a newsroom beyond basic language editing. Here are some examples:

    1. Generating news articles: ChatGPT can generate news articles based on a given topic or prompt. However, it is important to note that these articles would need to be reviewed and edited by a human editor before publishing.

    2. Content curation: ChatGPT can assist with content curation by recommending articles or stories that are relevant to a specific topic or theme. It can also help identify sources for research or data gathering.

    3. Translation: ChatGPT can help translate articles or stories from one language to another. However, it is essential to note that AI translation is not always perfect and may require a human translator to ensure accuracy.

    4. Fact-checking: ChatGPT can assist with fact-checking by verifying claims made in articles against reliable sources. However, final verification should be performed by a human editor to ensure accuracy.

    5. Social media management: ChatGPT can assist with managing social media accounts by suggesting topics for posts, drafting social media updates, and identifying trending topics.

     

    Overall, while ChatGPT can assist with various tasks in a newsroom, it is essential to note that AI should not replace the human element entirely. Instead, it should be used as a tool to support and enhance the work of human editors and journalists.

     

    Can ChatGPT also do newsroom production tasks like pagemaking?

    While ChatGPT is an advanced language model that can generate text, it is not designed to perform newsroom production tasks such as pagemaking. Pagemaking involves the design and layout of a publication’s pages, including the placement of articles, photos, and advertisements. This requires skills in graphic design and layout, which are beyond the scope of ChatGPT’s capabilities.

     

    However, there are other AI tools and software available that can assist with pagemaking, such as Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress, and other desktop publishing software. These tools can help automate the layout process, provide design templates and suggestions, and allow for easy collaboration between editors and designers.

     

    Overall, while AI can assist with some tasks in the newsroom, it cannot replace the skills and expertise of human editors, journalists, and designers. Newsroom production requires a combination of technical skills, creativity, and editorial judgment that go beyond what AI can currently provide.

     

    Can ChatGPT also replace talking heads or news anchors on television? 

    As an AI language model, ChatGPT is not designed to replace talking heads or news anchors on television. While AI-powered digital assistants and avatars can be used to simulate human interaction, they lack the expressiveness, emotional intelligence, and physical presence of human beings.

     

    Television news anchors and talking heads play a critical role in communicating news and information to audiences. They bring a personal touch and emotional resonance to news reporting, which is difficult to replicate with AI. News anchors and talking heads also bring a level of authority, credibility, and trust to their reporting, which is essential for news organisations to maintain their reputations.

     

    While AI can be used to automate some aspects of news reporting, such as generating news articles or providing real-time language translation, it cannot replace the human element entirely. News anchors and talking heads play an essential role in building connections with audiences, providing commentary and analysis, and guiding viewers through complex news stories.

     

    In summary, while AI can assist with certain tasks in news reporting, it cannot replace the role of news anchors or talking heads on television. The human element of news reporting is critical in building trust, credibility, and emotional resonance with audiences.

     

    So ChatGPT will not replace an Arnab Goswami? 

    As an AI language model, ChatGPT is not designed to replace Arnab Goswami or any other news anchor. While AI can assist with certain tasks in news reporting, it cannot replace the unique skills and abilities that human anchors bring to the job.

     

    News anchors like Arnab Goswami play a critical role in delivering news and information to audiences. They bring a level of authority, credibility, and trust to their reporting, which is essential for news organisations to maintain their reputations. They also provide commentary, analysis, and context to news stories, helping audiences understand complex issues.

     

    Furthermore, news anchors are skilled communicators who can engage with audiences, ask insightful questions, and respond to breaking news in real-time. They bring a level of emotional intelligence, expressiveness, and physical presence that AI cannot replicate.

     

    In summary, while AI can assist with certain tasks in news reporting, it cannot replace the unique skills and abilities of human news anchors like Arnab Goswami. The human element of news reporting is critical in building trust, credibility, and emotional resonance with audiences.

     

    Can ChatGPT do video production work? 

    ChatGPT, as an AI language model, is not designed to perform video production work. Video production involves a range of tasks, including shooting video footage, editing, special effects, and sound design, which require a combination of technical skills, creativity, and editorial judgment. While AI tools can assist with some aspects of video production, such as automating tasks like video editing or color correction, they cannot replace the skills and expertise of human video producers and editors.

     

    There are some AI-powered tools available that can assist with video production tasks, such as Adobe Premiere Pro, which has integrated AI-powered features that can analyze footage, perform colour correction, and suggest edits. Additionally, some AI-powered tools can create video content automatically from text-based sources or other data, but these videos lack the nuance and creativity of human-produced content.

     

    Overall, while AI can assist with some aspects of video production, it cannot replace the skills and expertise of human video producers and editors. Video production requires a combination of technical skills, creativity, and editorial judgment that go beyond what AI can currently provide.

     

    Any recommendations for journalists to brace themselves for the new post-ChatGPT world order? 

    As AI technology continues to advance and transform the media industry, journalists can take steps to prepare themselves for the new post-ChatGPT world order. Here are some recommendations:

     

    1. Embrace new technologies and tools: Rather than viewing AI as a threat, journalists can learn to use new technologies and tools to enhance their work. This includes using AI-powered tools to assist with tasks like data analysis, language translation, and fact-checking.

    2. Focus on unique skills and perspectives: To differentiate themselves from AI-powered content, journalists can focus on bringing a unique perspective, voice, or set of skills to their work. This might include specializing in investigative reporting, opinion writing, or feature writing, or developing expertise in a particular topic or beat.

    3. Build a personal brand: In a world where AI-generated content is becoming more prevalent, journalists can build a personal brand that connects with audiences and builds trust. This might include building a social media following, creating a personal website or blog, or developing a strong presence on multimedia platforms like podcasts or video channels.

    4. Develop multimedia skills: As AI technology enables new forms of multimedia content, journalists can develop skills in areas like video production, podcasting, and interactive media. This can help them create engaging, immersive content that connects with audiences in new ways.

    5. Stay informed about AI developments: Finally, journalists can stay informed about the latest AI developments in the media industry, including new tools, applications, and use cases. By staying informed, journalists can adapt their skills and strategies to stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive in the new post-ChatGPT world order.

    We edited this question a bit for publishing here…

     

    On a lighter note, how can I ensure that some obnoxious news anchors can be replaced or are made redundant?

    As an AI language model, I cannot make specific recommendations about replacing or making individuals redundant. It’s important to remember that media professionals, including journalists and news anchors, play an important role in informing and engaging audiences, and they bring unique perspectives and expertise to their work. While AI-powered tools like ChatGPT can assist with some aspects of media production, they cannot replace the skills and expertise of human media professionals.

     

    If you have concerns about the work or behaviour of a particular media professional, the best course of action is to express your views through channels like social media, letters to the editor, or other forms of public feedback. Additionally, supporting and promoting media outlets and journalists who produce high-quality, accurate, and engaging content can help to ensure a healthy and vibrant media ecosystem that serves the needs of audiences.

     

    We asked this question again, a few days after we asked the first set of questions…

     

    One final question: are you saying that journalists needn’t worry about ChatGPT

    Journalists should not worry about ChatGPT or AI language models replacing their role or rendering them redundant. AI language models like ChatGPT are tools that can assist with information retrieval, generate text, and engage in conversations, but they do not possess the skills, expertise, and contextual understanding that human journalists bring to their work.

     

    Journalism is a multifaceted profession that involves investigative research, interviewing, analysis, and critical thinking. Journalists play a crucial role in fact-checking, verifying information, providing context, and delivering nuanced reporting. These are skills and qualities that AI models do not possess.

     

    While AI can support journalists in tasks like data analysis, research, or generating initial drafts, human judgment, ethics, and interpretation are still essential components of journalism. Journalists bring their experience, storytelling abilities, and deep understanding of societal and cultural nuances, which are critical for accurate and impactful reporting.

     

    Instead of being a threat, AI tools can be seen as valuable resources that journalists can utilise to enhance their work, streamline certain processes, and focus on more complex and creative aspects of their profession.

     

    In summary, journalists should view AI language models as tools to augment their work rather than replacements for their expertise and essential role in the field of journalism.

     

  • While at an overall level, TV has managed to hold its place under the sun, not all television genres have managed this equally, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Genre by Genre… Tumbling of the Telly

     

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Shailesh KapoorWhere is linear television headed, one is often asked these days. Television remains the biggest traditional media by far. While print has suffered irrevocable damage during the pandemic, television has managed to hold on much better. TV’s ability to bring families together every night as a ritual has meant that it continues to stay relevant in an evolving India that’s embracing technology faster than ever before.

     

    But that’s only half the story. While television, at an overall level, has managed to hold its place under the sun, not all television genres have managed this equally. One after the other, television genres have fallen by the wayside over the last few years. The New Tariff Order (NTO) sounded the death knell for English entertainment channels, where streaming offers far superior content, in both variety and quality. Music channels have struggled, with the rise of digital options, ranging from YouTube to music streaming apps. The infotainment genre is no longer what it used to be, having borne the combined brunt of NTO and the streaming surge.

     

    These are ‘niche’ genres, one could argue. But the more ‘mass’ genres have not done too well either. Movie channels have lost ratings. The Hindi Movies category is clocking almost 50% lower ratings when compared to the pre-NTO period. Kids channels have not grown. IPL’s TV ratings are down by more than 20% this year, with more sports viewership shifting to digital with each passing year.

     

    That leaves us with News and GEC. The former is a strange beast. The category operated without ratings for more than a year, and managed to stay afloat, but with content that’s highly questionable when seen through the lens of responsible journalism. The ratings are back, and news channels continue to be notorious, propping up communal stories while ignoring the more purposeful ones, like those related to economic matters. Watching TV news is a habit for older (30+) men in India. But this habit is no longer perceived as an ‘intellectual’ one.

     

    That leaves us with mass general entertainment, the only TV category that has remained unaffected, at least relative to others, by NTO and streaming. Despite no real content innovation, GECs continue to serve the lowest common denominator well, and the bigger channels have managed to hold on to their viewership levels, with drops in the range of 20-30%. In the rural market, free-to-air GECs have prospered over the last few years, running largely on content handed down by the pay channels in the network.

     

    Hence, slowly but surely, a category is losing its layers. Genre by genre, the pieces have been broken, and television is no longer the throbbing, multi-genre medium it once was proud to be. While the rise of digital entertainment has been an evident factor, excessive interference by an over-enthusiastic regulatory body has been a significant factor too.

     

    Where does Indian television go from here? It’s difficult to say. The grand institution called the Indian family will ensure it stays relevant. But not necessarily in a form that we would have liked it to take in a progressive India.

     

  • Good old linear TV may end up being the saviour after all. But even that will take some doing, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Covid Impact: A Fast-Drying Content Pipeline

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    The devastating second wave of Covid-19 in India has brought with it various lockdowns, being managed by the various state governments individually. A direct impact of lockdown-like restrictions is the inability to produce video content, such as TV shows and films. In any case, the fear of the second wave is real and palpable, and many actors and technicians are wary of being on sets. The much-touted IPL bio-bubble bursting last week does not inspire confidence either.

     

    We are hence staring into an inevitable situation of a hugely-constricted content pipeline. This time, the problem is worse than 2020, because the reluctance to venture out is not just law-enforced but a result of caution being exercised at an individual level too. Since one cannot shoot in Maharashtra, many TV shows have shifted their base to other states, e.g., Gujarat, where the lockdown is partial in nature. But the caution is evident when you notice that despite IPL season being indefinitely suspended, launch promos of not a single new Hindi GEC programme have gone on air. Channels are just about managing their existing line-ups, and would rather not have more on their plates right now.

     

    The situation gets a lot more complex when it comes to films and OTT content. Outdoor shoots are a given in most projects in these categories, and that involves extensive travel, even if one limits the crew size to the minimum possible number. As a result, there is hardly any film or OTT content being shot currently, in Hindi at least, as a result.

     

    Even when the second wave subsides over the next month or two, complications related to vaccine shortfall and the inevitable third wave will continue to disrupt life. One cannot expect things to return to even late 2020 levels till a sizeable population in India is vaccinated. And that’s some time away.

     

    We can, hence, expect a huge content shortfall, especially in theatrical and OTT genres. The signs are already evident. Over the last two months, there have hardly been any big-ticket OTT properties that have gone online, despite a large section of the core OTT audience being locked down at their homes. What is coming out is largely the second line of content. A lot of big-ticket content is semi-produced, and will need at least a few more weeks of work before it’s out for public consumption.

     

    2020 was OTT’s breakout year in India, with a huge surge in subscriber bases and watch-time across platforms. 2021 looks far less so. The theatrical business was just about beginning to get back on its feet, before the second, more debilitating blow came its way.

     

    Good old linear TV may end up being the saviour after all. But even that will take some doing. It may be time to go retro with your content consumption once again, but this time out of no choice.

  • In the second of his forecasts on festive adspends, media agency veteran Shripad Kulkarni focuses on television

    ‘TV festive spends to degrow by 5%’

     

    The response to the first part of this series where veteran media agency professional Shripad Kulkarni focused on festive spends in print (https://www.mxmindia.com/2018/01/exclusive-to-mxmindia-irs2017-top-5-takeaways-by-shripad-kulkarni/). In the second part, he trains his research lens on spends on television:

     

    By Shripad Kulkarni

     

    Shripad Kulkarni

    The Rs 1000 crore-plus additional ICC World Cup adspend seems to have taken the sheen of festive TV growth. The festive kickstart phase (week before Independence Day till Shradh) has registered a decline as compared to the same period last year. Based on weekly the average, compared to 2018, the degrowth in TV advertising this year is 6% on All India NGRPs across all advertisers and 6.5% on duration.

     

    A study of genre-wise growth clearly showcases classical cost optimisation. Planners seem to have increased the focus on cost-effective genres, cut duration on high cost/GRP genres and maintained GRP delivering Channels at 2-4% over 2018. Thus, second line GECs, Regioinal Movies and Kids Channels get more emphasis, the low cost/GRP genres of long tail of Television Genres, Regional News and English Channels get a shave. GRP delivering-channels of Top GEC, Long Tail Hindi GEC, Regional GECs and Hindi News have been maintained around a 2-4% growth over last year.

    Personal Hygiene and Health, Durables, BFSI and Fashion and Textiles have shrunk drastically, while Services, Telco, Retail and Personal accessories have shown a massive growth.

     

    So what’s the Outlook for festive 2019 looking like?

    My forecast for the festive 2019 is that with a normal last-minute surge aided by the 6-Week Diwali Week period, TV Spends will recover a little. Assuming no rate increase over last year, I forecast TV festive spends to degrow by 5%.

     

     

    Veteran advertising professional Shripad Kulkarni has been leading consulting assignments in the fiels of strategy, content and adsales. Having helmed teams at Carat, Percept Media and Vizeum and also running a media training and consultancy company called M:Ideas which was bought over by Carat Integra, Kulkarni is set to launch AdXforce, an end-to-end software solution for adsales, which facilitates sales process, Call calendar management and CRM.

     

    Using AdXforce, Kulkarni undertook the unenviable task of forecasting the festive season spends for MxMIndia. This is the second of a three-part series. The first focused on print, and the other two will be on television and other media (outdoor, radio and digital). This report is part of a comprehensive white paper the veteran professional and his team have worked on. For more on that, please refer to ShripadKulkarni.com. The detailed TV white paper will be uploaded on the site by noon on Friday, October 11.

  • Television has dominated this election practically setting agendas and leading the battle from the front, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: Election of the Trivial & Telegenic

     

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    If this general election is indeed a watershed moment for Indian polity then it is no less a groundbreaker for the Indian media. Television has dominated this election practically setting agendas and leading the battle from the frontlines when it comes to chosen candidates and parties. The battle is won by the trivial and the telegenic. The smaller India grows in terms of communication thanks to telephony and technology, the larger the disconnect from reality: or so it appears.

     

    If the media is going to play such a significant role from here on, then the elements within the media must come out and identify themselves by their ideological and philosophical bearings. The old argument used by journals that they are all things to all people cannot stand any longer. It is in many cases patently untrue. Further, it has reached a stage where you are taking readers for a ride.

     

    Television has no such argument at all and instead has created an atmosphere of rumours, allegations and gossip to thrive. Even within the media fraternity, there is a constant stream of stories about which channel has been sold to which political party or who favours which candidate. Some parties are barely being mentioned when it is evident that they will have some bearing on these elections. Thrown a few corporate houses into the mix and you have a great Indian muddle which barely resembles a delicious homemade khichdi.

     

    Who has financed all these opinion polls to project election results for instance? What is the consumer of news to make of them when ground reports from journalists are at odds with those surveys? In a two-month long voting schedule, a constant stream of opinion polls amounts in fact to trying to influence those who have not yet voted, even if the Election Commission has not cottoned on to it yet. The figures for conducting these polls which are going round the grapevine are astronomical.

     

    It is time therefore for all newspapers, news channels and websites to declare their political leanings. There is no shame in this. All over the world, the reader and viewer knows what their chosen media outlet stands for. This is not just about individual columnists to declare their leanings. This is about the organisation itself. Given the growth of the influence of the media – and these are strong words – to fool your consumer any more is tantamount to fraud.

     

    It is evident that it is not just a nudge from one corporate house and a wink from another that dictates media flow. We have seen epic and sudden changes of direction from left to right to centre and back. What most newspapers do to cover this up is provide a variety of columnists on their opinion pages to portray first one point of view and then another to prove that they are “neutral”. It no longer cuts it.

     

    TV of course is another jungle with its own rules, quite distinct in some cases from print. Editorialising and on the spot opinion-making is now par for the course. As a very senior editor who has a career in both print and television pointed out to me, if a star anchor, who is also the editor, asks a young reporter on live television, “Isn’t the political rally proving what I say?”, what is the young reporter to do? Disagreeing with the boss is not an option. And so news is created, not reported.

     

    For a long time in India, journalists were more left of centre than right but that was not an absolute truth. For instance Girilal Jain, a colossus in the Times of India was distinctly right of centre and the Indian Express was distinctly anti-establishment in the days when the only establishment was Congress.

     

    One must distinguish between the need for media outlets to declare their politics and the accusations and muck thrown at individuals on social media. Gutter language and threats will continue. But now the target will be clear and much larger. And in the interests of fairness, everyone will have a target!

     

  • Why is it that despite being around for a while, radio doesn't get its due. We spoke to a few stakeholders

    MxM Mondays: Is Radio perceived as a poor cousin to Print & TV?

     

    By Ananya Saha and Robin Thomas

     

    The onslaught of FM radio came as a breath of fresh air for listeners in India by the late nineties, and the success of FM Phase II launch further fuelled the FM growth story. According to industry estimates, radio’s overall advertising pie is around 4.5 per cent, and this is expected to growth even further with the FM Phase III launch. The medium promises reach, greater recall and marketing solutions that are cost-effective. With FM Phase III also expected to roll out soon, the radio industry gears up for another phase of growth which may see newer genres coming into play, differentiation in content, news, sports broadcasting and so on. However, despite these developments, why is radio perceived as a poor cousin to its traditional counterparts, particularly print and television? How do FM players, media planners and the advertisers view the medium?

    Comments in alphabetical order of last names

    What the radio industry has to say:

     

    Harrish M Bhatia

    Harrish M Bhatia, CEO, 94.3 MY FM:

    It is highly unfair to compare radio to print or television considering the policies associated with each medium and the length of time that the media have existed in the private sector. Restrictive governing policies have not allowed radio to diversify its product offering and showcase its true potential as a people’s medium. The private radio industry is still nascent and hasn’t been given the autonomy that television, or even for that matter online media, has enjoyed. Internationally, where markets are more evolved, radio enjoys about 8-10 percent of the advertising pie. Secondly, there is a lack of credible measurement systems to back the potential of radio. While dealing with the issues like long delays in Phase III implementation, music royalties and insufficient measurement tools, the radio industry has barely managed to consolidate resources and sustain itself. What is needed now is a strong mutual focus on solving these issues, hard-selling the medium and moving head-on into the third phase.

     

    Although it still does not address certain issues, Phase III should help open up the market for players to expand to newer markets and increase their radio footprint. What will be interesting to see is the change in dynamics that will come into play on account of the large number of non-metro stations that come up in the third phase, bringing radio on par with media like television. Advertisers will be able to benefit from this growth, leading to increased revenue potentials for radio. Moreover, with growth expected from smaller markets, the spends by national advertisers in these markets will also grow as no other medium offers reach like radio, in the fastest possible time, addressing challenges in a particular market and in their local language.

     

    Media spends by advertisers are not proportionately allocated to radio even though it has outgrown other media in time spent. As per the recent RAM research conducted in the four markets of Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Nagpur and Indore, average time spent listening to radio is 160 minutes as compared to IRS figures of 107 minutes watching TV, 85 minutes reading the newspaper and 30 minutes on the internet. If properly planned and used innovatively, the radio can do wonders for a particular brand. Hence, there is a need for enhancing the medium further to highlight its mammoth reach and effectiveness, which is what the radio industry as a whole should strive to do. Furthermore, radio needs to be bought on the strength or merit in particular target geography instead of as a network. Having said this, creative selling of radio has allowed greater inroads for some brands, especially in Tier II and Tier III markets, which are rapidly expanding.  Some of the key reasons have been the unique strengths of radio like customized communication to address local market needs, and ‘radio properties’ that contribute significantly in brand building.

     

    Sanjay Hemady

    Sanjay Hemady, Chief Operating Officer, HIT 95 FM,

    FM Radio is young, it has been evolving for 10 years and growing, adding value every single day to the listener and advertiser, its vast, extensive and unparalleled reach undoubtedly will take longer. Other mediums have taken long to establish, why should we compare with traditional mediums when there is no race, there is so much to achieve as a standalone medium. Radio broadcasters have been working towards creating their own territory, convincing clients, brands. The broadcaster is learning with day-to-day experience to give its best, by listening to the listener, by changing formats as necessary, positioning it differently, etc… it will take its own course, the time will come. We love objections and we solve them meaningfully.

     

    Expansion to newer markets will mean a bigger reach, we will get to entertain far more listeners than today, new formats will come in, fresh new talent gets identified, more jobs will get created, more brands will add radio as a definite medium. Give it some time, FM Phase III will subsequently open up a bigger offering for brands to reach out to more consumers.

     

    The top evolved brands across all mediums are convinced with radio, they have been consistently advertising since FM got privatized. Radio is a reminder medium, it scores on immediacy, it is about consistency and brands who have believed in the future of this medium have benefitted immensely. Brands who have worked closely to understand this medium and used it effectively are a happy partner. Going forward a collaborative approach will add more to this growth, and other extended avenues like Mobile Radio, Internet Radio, Radio Activation will also add revenue.

     

    Prashant Panday

    Prashant Panday, CEO and Executive Director, ENIL (Radio Mirchi):

    I disagree that it is a poor cousin of the other media! Each medium has its own relative size and one has to keep that in mind. A 48-kg lightweight boxer gets the same Gold medal in the Olympics as the 85-kg heavyweight winner gets! They are separate media and should not be compared. However, what is indeed correct is that even radio’s natural share has not yet been achieved. Worldwide, the share of radio is 8.5 percent, and this is just the average. In the countries where radio has developed well (US, NZ, Sri Lanka etc), radio’s overall advertising share is 12-13 percent. In India, radio’s advertising share is just 4.5 percent and the reason for this is that the government has simply not released enough frequencies. The share of radio will increase if 400 Khz separation is adopted by the Government as recommended by TRAI. That will increase supplies to 18-20 private channels per city.

     

    FM Phase 3 will only increase share from 4.5 per cent to 6 per cent or so. If we want to go to 8 percent or more, we have to release more spectrum in the major markets.

     

    Radio has become a “core” medium now. Every advertiser uses radio and they use it all the time. In fact, radio pricing is also quite strong. Did you know that Radio Mirchi is in the top 10 electronic media brands in the country after Star Plus, Zee, Colors, Sony, DD, Sun TV, 1-2 sports TV channels… It’s bigger than all music channels, all news channels, all regional channels, and all movie channels!

     

    Suresh Sanyasi

    Suresh Sanyasi, National Sales Director, Radio Indigo

    Yes, people consider radio a poor cousin. This has happened because of the endurance power of the medium. The people who do not understand the potential of the medium, cannot do much for it. Radio is and will remain a traditional mass medium. Radio works differently in different areas. Unlike television, this medium takes the demographic and area listenership into consideration. Radio as an advertising medium is harnessed largely by the retail sector and their ad spends on this medium is increasing. The medium provides immediate ROI, and is measurable.

     

    Regulatory issues are hampering the content creation on this medium. News and features get immediate audience. Once the regulations are eased, listenership might also increase.

     

     

    B Surender

    B Surender, Senior Vice President and National Sales Head, Red FM

    It is unfair to compare the growth and size of FM radio industry on equal terms with the print and television media here in India. To start with , FM radio was launched extremely late in India around 2002 with steep licence fees,  restriction on genres, frequencies, etc  making the business virtually unviable till the year 2005. It is only after phase two expansion with some policy corrections around 2005-06 that the industry started taking off. It has already grabbed an impressive 4.5 percent share of the media pie in India. If the Government frees FM radio further from its shackles through its phase three policies, one can expect terrific momentum in its growth.

     

    In my opinion, the  biggest roadblock for the industry’s progress currently is the most unreasonable restriction on entering newer genres like news and current affairs, live sports etc,  clubbed with issuing of multiple frequencies within a city. If the television industry was given the freedom to operate in these genres inspite of it being visually enabled, why not the FM radio industry?

     

    Phase three means a lot to our industry as it’ll considerably improve geographical coverage and reach, and enable content differentiation, to a reasonable extent, thanks to the provision for existing radio players to acquire multiple frequencies in the same city. It will consequently attract more categories of advertisers locally as well as nationally and more importantly, increase the depth of consumption of those advertising already. This in turn should take its share of the ad pie up to 7-8 percent. If they free up the news and current affairs genre, which is considered the second biggest genre on radio, properly, then the share of radio can potentially touch double digits over the next few years.

     

    The key word is ‘evangelising’. Industry players need to take up the task of promoting the enormous benefits of this amazing medium in such a manner that advertisers get a more holistic understanding. In India, listeners have lapped up the medium wholeheartedly across age groups. There is a clear case for radio players to pool their precious resources and launch a RAB (Radio Advertising Bureau) kind of initiative in India on the same lines as USA, UK, South Africa, etc to evangelise the medium among advertisers and ensure a substantial share of value in their minds.

     

    What advertisers and media agencies have to say:

     

    Anwesh Bose

    Anwesh Bose, Senior Vice President, DDB MudraMax

    The answer lies in the question itself. The argument today is why radio is the poor cousin. The entire eco-system of communication that is advertisers, agencies and the media owners are to blame for the condescending perception regarding the medium in our country. Before we answer the “why” we need to know the ‘what’s.

     

    The knowledge gap: most of the ‘professionals’ in the communication eco-system are not aware of the number of radio stations that exist in this country and a handful of them have ever seen a physical copy of the AIR rate card. An interesting fact is that the geographical coverage of radio is higher than that of any medium in this country and very few are aware of it.

     

    The information gap: Unlike TV and print, radio has very little data to prove its effectiveness and efficiency. In the times that we live in, most of the communication planners are data clerks; therefore for them radio is nothing but a ‘cheap’ medium that is local and low in reach therefore it is an option not an important component of a media plan.

     

    The perception gap: due to the lack of knowledge and information, the perception regarding the medium is dilute. Dilute perceptions lead to misplaced notions. The radio media owners have themselves done a lot of dis-service as well. There is an identity crisis among the radio brands because all of them are busy copying each other, as a result of which everyone is a ‘me-too’. Add to it the fact that it is a medium that has a one-time entry cost and no recurring costs, therefore the complete dependence on advertising revenues for sustenance. Anything that is ‘free’ is not valued.

     

    The ‘why’ will remain ‘why’ unless the ‘what’s are rectified. I would like to conclude by saying that it is imperative that the glaring gaps are closed and it is up to the stakeholders to do their bit. It calls for thought leadership – are we up to it?

     

    Abdul Khan

    Abdul Khan, Senior VP, Tata Teleservices

    I think poor cousin is an unfortunate phrase to be used for this medium. The current share of advertising pie that radio gets is about four percent. And, we only have ourselves are to blame for this. The problem is that the mode of distribution (airwaves) has been confused with medium. There exists woeful situation of lack of innovation, programming and talent in this industry. Radio is not in sync with the youth of the country, which is the biggest drawback given that youth is the TG for every other medium.

     

    The last remarkable property that one remembers on radio was Binaca Geet Mala. And radio now beams music when there lay enormous possibilities when it comes to programming. There is an enormous opportunity of delivering creativity through audio waves.

     

    Radio currently is not offering genuine value. Except for radio forums where issues and solution are discussed, there seems no sense of urgency from within the industry and the ecosystem. Even the discussions do not lead to reforms.

     

    Government regulation is not responsible for this situation. Yes, there have been regulations but other mediums also face regulations. What the ecosystem needs to understand is the fact that radio as a medium has enormous possibilities.

     

    Vivek Srivastava, Joint MD, Innocean Worldwide

    The perception of radio varies according to the advertiser’s profile. For the local advertisers, like retailers and jewellers, radio is a high-performance medium and a primary advertising medium at times. But for national and established advertisers, radio suffers from an image problem.

     

    Radio has been traditionally typecast as a low-preference medium. It has been treated as a transit medium, a medium that people listen to while they are driving or travelling. People believe that even with listeners accessing radio through their mobile phones, the listenership is actually percolating down.

     

    What is also hampering the growth of the medium is the fact that radio is a victim of current circumstances. There is hardly any money put in when it comes to producing for radio, even when huge budgets are allocated for production in print and television. Yes, we do see flashes of brilliance on this medium as well but it is only far and between. The whole ecosystem is responsible and should act towards making this medium more rich.

     

     

    Sanjay Tripathy

    Sanjay Tripathy, Executive Vice President-Head Marketing and Direct Channels, HDFC Life

    Radio is considered a very topical medium and advertisers can customize messages to geographies and city. While there is a great amount of flexibility that the medium offers but there are certain issues that the medium has:

     

    1. There is no channel or programming loyalty by consumers – Consumers listen to songs and not so much to content.

     

    2. It is still a medium (in larger cities) which is heard while concentrating on doing something else ie driving, cooking, etc. Therefore it becomes a medium that is on the background and not so much a primary entertainment medium as television.

     

    3. Radio Channel software ie Radio Jockeys have not been able to build loyalty with the consumers / listeners.

     

    Therefore, radio has become a support media to television or print, and is primarily used as a reminder medium.

     

    Radio industry is using qualitative / quantitative researches to convince marketers/advertisers but these are researches done by radio channels independently and marketers do not get a third party verified data.

     

    RAM, the measurement system for radio is not considered to be a credible system.
    Few of the reasons are:

    • Diary- entry method- whereby a selected person, maintains a diary of radio stations tuned into.
    • Coverage of just 13 cities including 4 metros.
    • Small sample size of 480 is used in metros to measure the effectiveness.

    Thus, advertisers and radio industry are concerned about accuracy, authenticity and relevance of RAM’s ratings. In my view, in order to be an efficient system, RAM must have higher sample sizes that are statistically significant, transparency in processes and electronic gathering of data.

     

  • MxMIndia spoke to Manish Paul, the anchor of Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, to find out what makes one the most sought after host…

    I’ll never give up anchoring: Manish Paul

    A show without a good host is Nothing. And that’s why anchoring has become such an important part of not only events, but shows on television too. The boom of reality shows on television has given birth to a new breed of hosts – spontaneous and as much a part of the show as the contestants and judges.

     

    MxMIndia’s Meghna Sharma spoke to Manish Paul, the anchor of Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, to find out what makes one the most sought after host…

     

    From RJ to VJ, actor to anchoring shows, you have done it all. How has been the journey so far?

    The journey has been just brilliant…and hosting shows has taken my career to another level. I’m glad that I got an opportunity to be associated with some of the biggest shows and events.

     

    How are the two worlds of radio and television different?

    The only difference between the two for me has been the fact that for a radio show, I don’t have to worry about my looks. No one will care if I host the show in my shorts, whereas when one is on TV, one has to worry about how presentable they are. Here, looks matter too.

     

    You have also acted in serials and now are hosting shows. If you had to choose between the two, which one will you opt for? Why?

    It’s very difficult to choose between the two. Right now, I’m opting to stay away from acting – even though I’m getting offers – because the character or role I have to play doesn’t match my sensibilities. For an actor it is very important that he/she truly believes in the role they have to portray. And until and unless, that happens, I’m happy doing what I’m doing right now.

     

    You have anchored DID and now hosting Jhalak, how has been the experience? How are the two different?

    Jhalak has been outstanding for me, now I get smses and mails from my fans about the show. Some even tell me which lines or jokes of mine entertained them the most. As for difference between DID and Jhalak; though both are dance shows, the difference comes from the celebrities. If you take DID, apart from the three judges and one grandmaster, the contestants are all common people, whereas in Jhalak, even the contestants are celebrities. So, as a host I have to keep that in mind and work according to that. One cannot make a mistake of offending anyone.

     

    Will you be hosting India’s Got Talent?

    Yes. Cyrus Sahukar and I will be hosting the show. The shooting has already started and it would be an understatement to call my life ‘hectic’ right now. With the amount of flying to and fro for the shootings of Jhalak and IGT, I have gone almost deaf (laughs).

     

    So, how do you balance work and your personal life?

    There is no doubt about the fact that television industry has become very competitive over the past few years and hence life has become difficult. One has to not only juggle between family and work, but at times, between various projects they have taken up. I make sure that in all this, I don’t compromise on my family.

     

    What are the most memorable moments of your career?

    I started my career 10 years ago and have done a lot so far. However, the most memorable moment would be the night where I was awarded the ‘Best Anchor’ award. And the funny part is that I was also hosting that show, so I read out my nomination with the others before being handed over the trophy!

     

    According to you, what qualities should a good host possess?

    A good anchor should be a well-read one. He/she should know what’s happening around too. Also, one needs to read the script well. Many a times, anchors don’t read their scripts, which I don’t think is a correct way to go about their work. And, of course, one needs to be spontaneous as well as witty. However, one also needs to be careful and know where to draw a line. It’s not our job to offend anyone. Humour too has its limits.

     

    Every TV actor harbors the ambition of becoming a film star. Will you ever give up small screen to concentrate on films?

    I am doing a film called Oye Mickey. And if interesting offers come which meet my sensibilities, then of course, I will be inclined towards the big screen. However, I will never give up anchoring. It is what I love doing…I love talking, so it is one profession which suits me the best!

     

    What’s next on you agenda?

    Right now its Jhalak, IGT and Oye Mickey….life is good, so far.

     

  • There was a time when people were into advertising for love of advertising now this is purely business and means of earning bread and butter, says Naved Akhtar

    The Anchor: Naved Akhtar on 5 things that have changed in advertising

    By Naved Akhtar

     

    1. Advertising has become a business:

    The pressure to perform is so high that many times creativity is given a miss. There is a role reversal – earlier the creative people were held in high esteem, now the client has become the one leading the show. Advertising has become a business with roles being changed.

     

    2. Work for awards v/s real work

    There are two different kinds of work that has emerged. The work that is done to purely win awards and then there is real work that is done to drive the product in the market. Twenty years ago one would see the same ads that were have worked for a business also winning awards but now there is just no connect. I think that now the award winning works are more like fine arts and done for self-exultation.

     

    3. The aura gone from advertising

    In the earlier days, the creative fraternity had an aura around themselves; and were respected for their creative genius. Now advertising is seen as just any other business and the appeal that people emanated who were a part of the business has gone.

     

    4. TV has become important

    Today television has become ‘the’ medium for advertising unlike earlier where press was given more due.

     

    5. Fun is low

    I think the fun has gone out of advertising because of pressure of work, win new businesses and remain ahead of competition. There was a time when people were into advertising for love of advertising now this is purely business and means of earning bread and butter.

     

    Naved Akhtar is the Founder at Shop Design and Advertising

     

  • In the age of hyper-competition, it is important to be the first and the only one to offer great content /movies to the viewers, says Amogh Dusad

    The Anchor: 5 ways to keep audiences coming back to your channel

    By Amogh Dusad

     

    Extensive variety in offerings

    India remains largely a single TV market. Therefore, a channel should offer an array of genres and appeal to all members of the family. Variety also ensures that viewers find the channel fresh and vibrant.

     

    Extending beyond the TV screen

    Gone are the days when television channels just aired promos and expected to keep viewers glued. The need of the hour is to create brand extension programs. It is also important to be a part of local festivals and important historic days which make the viewers feel closer to the channel – for example Christmas or Independence Day

     

    Exclusive content – premieres

    In the age of hyper-competition, it is important to be the first and the only one to offer great content /movies. Television premieres make the viewers look forward to channel announcements and promotions along with making the channel an exciting destination.

     

    Enjoyable viewing experience

    Watching a channel must be enjoyable for it viewers, otherwise they will simply move onto another channel. Therefore, it is essential that the content is showcased in a viewer friendly style to enhance viewing experience.

     

    Engaging the viewer – starting conversations

    A channel has to interact with its viewers to keep them glued to the channel. A consumer today is constantly bombarded with one-way conversations through print, outdoor, radio, and television but how much of it really resonates in their mind! One must engage with the viewers and remain in constant dialogue with them. Digital is great medium to create conversations.

     

    Amogh Dusad is Programming Head, PIX

     

  • Ormax Media launches a customized brand health and equity tool for the Indian television and radio industries

    Ormax launches brand track tool for TV & radio

    By A Correspondent

     

    The India n television and radio industries now have their own brand health & equity tool, called Ormax Brand Matrix (OBM).

     

    Launched by Ormax Media, OBM is the first brand-tracking tool customized to address the needs of broadcasters (both television and radio) in India. The product design is based on a mix of qualitative and quantitative consumer research.

     

    Speaking about OBM, Shailesh Kapoor, CEO, Ormax Media said: “There are various conventional models for brand health and equity measurement available in the research industry. However, none of these catered well to broadcaster requirements. Unlike FMCGs, television and radio consumption is very different. There is no monetary consideration, but there is time cost instead. Also, the viewer or listener consumes multiple brands everyday. The broadcasting industry deserves its own brand-tracking model. We are finally ready with OBM, after extensive research and testing over the last two years.” OBM is not only customized to television and radio, it also has custom-made variants for various television genres, such as GECs, movie channels, youth channels, kids, niche channels, and others.

     

    Mr Kapoor added: “More than a research product, we have conceptualized OBM as a strategic framework. If used well, it can enable brands to take sound business decisions based on statistically robust and qualitatively layered consumer evidence.”

     

  • MAX launches a new brand campaign with a completely new channel packaging

    JWT crafts new ‘shuruaat’ for post-IPL Max

    By A Correspondent

     

    Television channel Max has announced its latest brand campaign with the theme ‘Shuruaat Yahin Se’ . Created and conceptualized by JWT, the creative agency for Max, the campaign comprises three films – featuring an old couple, a politician and an Olympic shooter.

     

    The campaign highlights the monotony in the lives of these characters and how certain movies that they watch on the channel change their life for the better. Directed by ad film maker Piyush Raghani of Old School Films, these will be released across television, social media and online forums.

     

    Meanwhile, the channel also sports an all-new packaging. Charlieco, a Los Angeles-based agency has brought about this new look-and-feel. The music score mirrors and accentuates the visual themes of the packaging and has been created by the musical duo Salim- Sulaiman.

     

    Speaking on the new initiatives, Neeraj Vyas, Executive Vice President and Business Head, Max said: “‘Shuruaat Yahin Se’ aptly brings alive the central communication theme that Max gives its viewers the power to change their life for the better by showcasing the best of inspiring and thought provoking Hindi cinema. I am sure we will be successful in further engaging loyal viewers while bringing in new audiences.”

     

  • No more political propaganda, saas-bahu rona dhona, and flash warnings which vanish in a flash says Madhu Trehan

    The Anchor: Madhu Trehan on 5 things on TV that must be washed out quick

    By Madhu Trehan

     

    1. Remove all partisan propaganda placed by party in power from Doordarshan

    This is a television channel funded by tax payers’ money. It is used as a private channel by all parties in power, promoting themselves and their self serving “news”. It has the largest reach and must be used for public benefit, not for any political party’s propaganda.

     

    2. Remove soap operas that promote women who are subservient to in-laws and husband.

    Kill the demure, sly intrigue and show strong women who stand up for themselves and call the shots.

     

    3. Remove ads that show speeding cars and motorcycles as cool.

    Make it hip to drive slow and carefully.

     

    4 .Remove ads that require “Don’t try this at home”.

    Warning is flashed so fast that you can’t read it and many are too young to read. Too many incidents where kids have tried stunts at home and died.

     

    5. Remove ads which show you can buy affection by giving gifts of diamonds, cars, etc.

    It inculcates a distorted image of what relationships require and degenerates into propaganda that promotes crass materialism. Creates shallow values instantly.

     

    Veteran journalist Madhu Trehan is now Director, Newslaundry (www.newslaundry.com)