MCOT keen on shift to digital platform
Ad spending declines on traditional media
MCOT Plc is shifting from its TV and radio business to the digital platform, with a focus on target audience groups and partners to cope with lower ad spending on traditional media.
“In the new media landscape, there is a lot more competition, so we have to differentiate through offering infotainment content while partnering with local and international alliances,” said MCOT chief executive Kematat Paladesh.
MCOT plans to join with BBC First, Discovery Science, NHK and Bloomberg Business TV to broadcast on MCOT Channel.
MCOT continues to increase its target audience of kids and those who are over 28 with a wide range of programmes, such as science documentaries from Discovery Channel, wildlife documentaries from NHK, series from BBC First, global economic news from Bloomberg, Honda LPGA Thailand, and Thailand’s first sports reality show The Coach, which is scheduled to be aired on its HD variety channel next year, he said.
“We have the exact target audience for TV and online viewers,” said Mr Kematat.
MCOT has applied and created more content for the online platform via mobile apps, its website and social media through partnerships with Facebook and Line, he said.
Its Nine Entertain TV programme has aired on Facebook for a couple weeks.
“Thailand ranks among the top in the world for Facebook use, so there will be several new features for Facebook in Thailand we are exploring,” said Mr Kematat.
MCOT’s Sure&Share TV programme was developed to capture kids and parents, a key target group for the company, aiming to educate kids on how to handle online fake news.
The company has a combined 543 radio stations nationwide on its Fangplern app that offers radio content for its online audience, while Talk Together, a news analysis programme that streams on 96.5FM, boasts an online audience with more than 3.5 million views.
MCOT has also joined with China’s biggest media company, China International Broadcasting Network (CIBN), to offer Chinese quality content on its website: www. mcot.net.
“If we have good content that is potentially exported overseas, we do so via CIBN,” he said.
MCOT is increasing its team members to handle the digital platform, said Mr Kematat.
The company is looking to work with partners for its “C-SPACE” (Creative, Content and Communication), a medium platform that connects independent producers with international investors in exporting local content abroad.
MCOT plans to invest 100 million baht for the C-SPACE project.
“We are open to new producers and content creators to propose their projects related to Thai culture, tradition, lifestyle, Thai food and more,” he said.
Applications for the project are open from December 2018 to January 2019. Proposals can be done in PowerPoint, Keynote or PDF file, and should be submitted to CSPACE@mcot.net.
In 2019, MCOT plans to have a 700-million-baht budget for new content, in-house production, and the C-SPACE project.
Mr Kematat said MCOT, in collaboration with AIS and True, are now testing “Ving MCOT”, a streaming TV service using the 2600MHz spectrum that will be introduced in mid-December this year. Users will be able to access the content via mobile app or SIM for the three-month trial service.
The majority of MCOT’s target audiences are on TV and radio.