Choice not spoiling for a fight
Freeview’s newest channel will not challenge the big players head on, writes Rob O’neill.
TOP SHELF chief executive Vincent Burke says his company’s new Choice channel on Freeview will support rather than compete with other channels on the freeto-air platform.
Choice, which will launch this autumn at a date yet to be announced, aims to offer programmes for ‘‘ significant’’ niche audiences, but will not compete directly with the likes of TVNZ, TV3 and Prime, Burke said.
Similarly, he denies the channel will compete with advertising agencies by providing a full service ad production and broadcast service, similar to that now found mainly in radio.
The issue is important because Top Shelf will also be aiming to produce shows for those other channels and broadcasting advertising from those agencies.
I don’t think it will be an issue,’’ Burke said. ‘‘ I think it will be below the radar.’’
He said Choice aims to recruit a new range of advertisers, mainly smaller businesses, with services they would not normally get.
‘‘It’s a different range of product and a different range of client,’’ he said.
The major channels will remain the primary target for those using agencies and others to produce big budget advertising.
On the agency side, and matching’’ is happening, he said.
Some firms use agencies and some don’t, going directly to producers instead.
Burke said there is already another example of the model in action with Julie Christie, founder of Touchdown Productions and now CEO of Eyeworks, operating two channels on Sky.
Burke said he had talked over all of these issues with major Top ‘‘ mixing already Shelf clients.
Several of Top Shelf’s shows, including Media 7, face an uncertain future with the demise of TVNZ 7 drawing closer.
However, Choice does not necessarily offer a new platform for these shows.
Burke said productions shown on Choice will not qualify for NZ Onair funding as its audience size will be too low.
‘‘Under the current model of NZ Onair it doesn’t qualify until it gets significant ratings,’’ he said.
In fact, Choice can support the major free- to- air channels, he said. For instance, when the Top Shelf movie Predicament appears on those channels soon, Choice will be able to air a behind-thescenes documentary about the making of the film and promote the fact that it will be appearing on the other channels.
Alex Breingan, general manager of Choice, said there is a wealth of programming available for the new channel, both new productions and popular shows that have already appeared.
While content has not been announced, apart from the fact there will be no news or sports, Breingan said Choice wants Freeview is now accessible from over 500,000 New Zealand homes after a good sales bump for Freeview enabled devices in December.
Freeview general manager Sam Irvine said 80,000 devices were sold in the month and defended the number against detractors.
Irvine said you could assume that half the Freeview-enabled TVS were going into homes with Sky, as that’s the number of homes that subscribe to a Sky service, but sales of individual receivers also climbed as did sales of Myfreeview recording boxes.
He said while there has been a lot of discussion about the future of public broadcasting, people often confuse that with the future of freeto-air service. They are not the same thing. ‘‘Free to air is still the most watched, even on pay TV,’’ he said. ‘‘Free to air is alive and kicking. I expect to see continued growth in the platform.’’
Irvine said with the switch-off of analogue television services approaching, 20 per cent of viewers still have to make a choice about where they want to go. people to tune in and say great’’.
‘‘It has to be good and it has to be something people want to watch.’’
Choice aims to be able to make small business advertisers’ money ‘‘ work hard’’ for them. Choice plus Top Shelf can make production and broadcast of advertising very affordable for them, he said.
‘‘We realise there is a market there that is not well catered for , that can’t afford the entry level,’’ he said.
Choice will be dealing with major agencies as well.
The ‘‘go-to-market’’ for Choice will be more akin to radio, ‘‘with packages and options that appeal’’, he said
Choice will launch with half a dozen staff and will broadcast 24 hours. However, it will not be available to users of the Freeview satellite service which is now at capacity.
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