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CRTC Broadcasting Policy Monitoring Report: Radio tuning steady, TV bears brunt of increased Internet use
The average per capita hours tuned to radio each week has remained steady over the past six years that the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission) has issued its Broadcasting Policy Monitoring Report, while TV viewing has had a bit of a roller coaster ride.
Radio listening has ranged from 20.5 hours in 1999 to 19.5 hours in 2003 and 2004, with FM garnering 73% of the share. Radio revenues overall have grown year over year since 2000 (4%, 3%, 8% and 4% respectively) although AM stations declined slightly while FM stations experienced very healthy growth.
BBM Commercial Television Tracking Service
Please click on the attached link to view BBM’s Tracking of Commercial GRPS by week and month for Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal Franco.
Toronto and Vancouver cover the Broadcast months of May 2004 to May 2005 inclusive and Montreal Franco covers the broadcast months of October 2004 – May 2005 inclusive. GRPS are based on Commercial minute ratings for Adults 25-54.
FAME advisory board formed to up the ante on wireless marketing
The Forum to Advance the Mobile Experience (FAME), a Palo Alto, Calif.-based member advocacy group and authority leadership initiative to advance the wireless user experience, announced the formation of a high-profile advisory board consisting of execs from 24 of the top players in the wireless space. Companies represented include Alcatel, Cingular, Google, Intel, Lucent and Yahoo! to name a few. FAME’s mission is to improve usability to drive mobile adoption rates and provide a platform for industry leaders to work together on major initiatives in the wireless space. Worldwide sales of mobile phones rose 17% from last year according to Stamford, CT-based market research firm Gartner, which also predicts an increase in user demand for bundled services.
The CMO Council, a private, non-profit group dedicated to high-level knowledge exchange, formed FAME in February 2005, and marketing execs in the mobile field are encouraged to join. Initiatives already underway include the Remote Revolution Mobile Workforce Survey with results to be disclosed in August and a mobile services audit and assessment program.
http://www.fameforusers.org
PwC report sees consistent growth for Canuck entertainment and media market
Consulting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) released a report last week that finds the Canadian entertainment and media market poised to have the most consistent growth globally in the next four years, with an estimated 6% compound annual growth rate to $37 billion U.S. by 2009. According to the latest PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2005-2009, the projected growth in entertainment and media spending here between 2005 and 2009 will be lead by the Internet, filmed entertainment and video games.
Says Jerry Brown, director for PwC’s Canadian Entertainment and Media Advisory Practice: ‘Broadband internet will be the major growth catalyst across all regions. Canada’s high levels of penetration in urban areas and initiatives to expand access across all parts of the country will boost overall internet access spend and create new opportunities for online advertising.’ PwC’s report analyses 14 major industry segments including TV networks: broadcast and cable; radio and out-of-home advertising; video games and filmed entertainment among others. The book’s analyses spans five regions globally.
http://www.pwc.com/outlook
Notes from the media landscape: TV that watches you
And they called it the boob tube. Not anymore. Time Warner Cable is soon to begin testing a hyper-targeting ad system designed by Princeton, N.J.-based software firm Invidi Technologies. By figuring out where a viewer channel surfs, the software will determine age, gender and some viewer interests. Here’s how it works: Invidi’s software works with the cable company and its digital set-top cable box to anonymously monitor viewer patterns in order to build a digital profile. So while a senior may be watching CSI in the living room and her granddaughter the same show in her bedroom, the two family members would each receive a different ad during the same commercial break. Invidi claims its tests reading gender are scoring at 95% while age plus gender test runs are batting a 75% average. Time Warner is expecting to go into the household testing phase with the software by year end.
Camp Teletoon to stop at nine Canuck cities
From Canada Day until Labour Day, Toronto-based specialty station Teletoon is taking its show on the road, hitting nine cities across Canada in a blue Hummer, Teletoon trailer in tow. For its maiden voyage, Camp Teletoon is partnering with Saputo’s Cheese Heads snacks to bring the fun to the specialty’s target demo – kids 6 to 11. Game Boy Advance SP will also be using the camp to intro new video games. The deal between Teletoon, Saputo and Game Boy was brokered by Blitz Direct, Data & Promotion.
ComBase Market Focus: Targeting grocery shoppers in Penticton, B.C.
Women have long been recognized as the main influencer in family grocery shopping decisions. In the Penticton CA (central area) there are 16,600 women aged 25-plus – and they are loyal newspaper readers.
* 71% of these women can be reached with a single weekday insertion in the local community newspaper – the Penticton Western News.
* Only 56% of them can be reached with a single weekday insertion in the Penticton daily newspaper – The Herald.
They are frequent readers of their local community newspaper.
* 90% of women 25-plus read three or four of the last four issues of the Western News.
* By comparison, only 68% read four or five of the last issues of The Herald.
In Penticton, primary grocery shoppers – women aged 25-plus – are best reached by the local community newspaper, the Western News.
Source: ComBase 2003-2004 Study
ComBase, the Community Newspaper Database, is a syndicated consumer-media survey of more than 400 Canadian markets that provides market-by-market information. It is an initiative of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association and its nearly 700 members across the country. For more information, contact Kelly Levson, senior project manager, kellylevson@combase.ca.
TSN to air 13th Annual Telus Skins game this weekend
Golf’s best will cross clubs this weekend for the 13th annual Telus Skins Game on TSN. Vijay Singh, John Daly, Canada’s Stephen Ames and golf legend Jack Nicklaus will hit the Nicklaus North Golf Course in Whistler, B.C. for the two-parter TV event to air on July 4 and 5 at 3:30 p.m. each day. As is now custom, the TELUS Skins game will feature all four players sporting wireless microphones allowing viewers to follow the stars while on the greens.
TSN will also air the TELUS Skins Game Special on Sunday, July 3 at 7 p.m. featuring interviews with the four golfers and a look back at the show’s history.
Brat’s entertainment: New CTV reality series kicks butt
Times have been firmed up for a couple of summer entries on CTV. Brat Camp, a new show about recalcitrant teens getting a kick in the butt, is part of the summer reality onslaught (see MIC May 26/05). It’s based on the award-winning British series of the same name and will have a special two-hour preem at 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 13 after Canadian Idol. The six-part show chronicles out-of-control youth sent to wilderness school in an effort to straighten them out. It will then settle into a regular one-hour timeslot on Wednesday July 27 at 9 p.m.
Also in the wing(tip)s is So You Think You Can Dance, a 12-week companion to the hit series Dancing With the Stars. This search for America’s best dancer debuts on CTV with a two-hour ep on Wednesday, July 20 at 8 p.m., before setting into a regular one-hour timeslot at the same time on July 27. As usual, CTV is shooting for a mass aud 18+ with both these shows.
Pellegrini moves from BBM to U.S. posting
Pat Pellegrini is leaving BBM Canada by early August to take on the role of SVP at international market and audience research company TNS Media Research in New York. His replacement at BBM has not yet been chosen. Prior to joining BBM as VP research in 2001, Pellegrini had been a senior researcher with MapInfo Canada. He returned to Canada in 1999 after three years as assistant professor at Ohio State University.
Pellegrini has received numerous research award, is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences, and his papers are published regularly in international research journals. He teaches statistics for media studies at the University of Guelph-Humber as well as being a member of the advisory board for the Spatial Information Science program at McMaster University.
etc.tv attracts big brands for August test, September rollout
Molson Breweries and General Motors are just two of the major national advertisers looking to explore the potential of on-demand advertising by signing on for the trial run of Montreal-based etc.tv in August. Ian MacLean expects to release the full roster of participating big brands in early July once all the final arrangements have been completed.
MacLean, who is VP of Media Experts’ iTV Lab division as well as VP/GM of etc.tv, says the test of the ad-on-demand network will begin in August following a software upgrade of Videotron set-top boxes in July. The full rollout to Videotron’s interactive cable subscribers is slated for September.
2 Magazine takes ad integration to new level
Due to popular demand, Toronto-based book 2: The Magazine for Couples is expanding its integrated advertising opportunities. The pub, which celebrates its first anniversary with its summer issue due on newsstands this week, has been running advertorial features that it calls ‘2 Magazine Promotions.’ Participants’ products are used to create an attractive spread into which advertiser logos are also integrated. The feature is promoted in one issue and then executed in the next issue so advertisers get a double hit.
The vehicle, which covers topics like bedroom makeovers, has proven so successful that 2 has expanded its offering by introducing a contest for its anniversary issue. Readers can enter until July 5 at www.2magazine.com for a chance to win a ‘Couple Makeover,’ a package that includes, this time around, clothing from Point Zero and a weekend retreat at The Couples Resort, among other things.
Chatelaine.com launches online games for women
Toronto-based Chatelaine.com is now offering online games targeted to women. Female-favourite games found on www.chatelaine.com/games include Jewel Quest for puzzle fiends; Diner Dash for the online entrepreneur and Mah Jong Quest where players are challenged to match tiles. The deal was brokered in-house. Games are available as a 60-minute trial with the option for the user to purchase the full version for $24.99.
Corus CEO to receive ACA Gold
Media and marketing vet John Cassaday, CEO and president of Corus Entertainment has been named the recipient of the ACA Gold Medal Award for 2004. In receiving the gold, Cassaday joins the ranks of many marketing and media professionals dating back 64 years including Sunni Boot, Robert Galloway and Hugh Dow to name a few. The Corus CEO will be feted on Nov. 9 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto. The ACA, a national not-for-profit association formed to help members max out their marketing communications ROI, reps over 200 companies and divisions across the country.
