Window fight without winner
In Lausanne and Geneva, the French commercial broadcaster M6 remains excluded
In Lausanne and Geneva, the French private broadcaster M6 will remain off the airBy Anita Vaucher The M6 advertising window will continue to be marketed in French-speaking Switzerland, even if the cable network operators in Geneva and Lausanne do not switch on the channel. The court's rejection of the complaint by Télévision Suisse Romande (TSR) in Fribourg strengthens IP Multimedia and M6.
The figures recently published by the French-speaking Swiss Sunday press make it clear: the much-discussed Swiss advertising window of the French private TV station M6, which was vehemently opposed by TSR director Gilles Marchand, is still a long way from giving the previously intimidated competition a run for its money. In the first half of 2002, M6 recorded advertising revenues of just 1.6 million Swiss francs, compared to 54 million Swiss francs for TSR in the same period. At the time, Gilles Marchand estimated the loss for his television station at between 10 and 12 million francs if the advertising window was broadcast throughout French-speaking Switzerland.
Today, however, only a third of households in French-speaking Switzerland receive the specifically Swiss M6 advertising blocks. Residents in the main catchment areas of Geneva and Lausanne still do not see these advertisements, and this is likely to remain the case in the future. Regardless of the fact that a Fribourg court has dismissed the lawsuit filed by TSR to close the M6 advertising window.
No matter how much Michi Frank, Director of IP Multimedia Switzerland, points out that when the RTL advertising window was introduced in German-speaking Switzerland, Basel and Zug waited over a year before broadcasting it. The clocks tick differently in French-speaking Switzerland.
Michi Frank also admits that he underestimated the chummy connections between French-speaking Swiss television and politics. In contrast to German-speaking Switzerland, where many politicians are rather critical of SF DRS, politicians in French-speaking Switzerland are loyal to their television. Seen in this light, the negative decision of the cable network operators in Geneva and Lausanne is understandable, as the political municipalities there have a stake in the cable networks.
Nevertheless, Frank is reasonably confident about the future. After all, M6 was already able to celebrate a small triumph in June when the first instance of the Fribourg court dismissed an appeal by TSR. The latter had demanded the temporary closure of M6's advertising window (WW 27/02). "Of course it would be economically more interesting to have the two cities of Geneva and Lausanne in the marketing concept," Frank admits to WerbeWoche. After all, it is IPM's declared aim to break through monopolies and not to launch supplementary offers.
TSR could benefit from increased spot production
Frank is by no means thinking of giving up. The M6 advertising window will continue to be marketed in French-speaking Switzerland, and negotiations with Geneva and Lausanne will continue. On the other hand, he denies rumors that M6 in Switzerland
will create its own M6 Suisse channel. In the fall
IP Multimedia will publish a study. It will show how much advertising money flows into TV advertising and where.
After the summer vacations, Frank also wants to organize an event for the media in French-speaking Switzerland. He hopes that this will counteract the one-sided reporting in connection with the launch of the advertising window at the beginning of the year. Journalists from the print media in French-speaking Switzerland have so far done their best not to highlight the interests of advertising clients.
They are desperately looking for alternatives to the TSR programs in order to appeal to a younger target audience. In addition, the prime-time advertising blocks on French-speaking Swiss television are hopelessly booked up. According to media consultant Charly Schwarz, TSR is ultimately cutting its own throat with its opposition to the M6 advertising window. For advertising clients, spot production for a single channel is often not worthwhile. However, if several alternatives were available, there would be more spot productions, from which French-speaking Swiss television could ultimately also benefit.
Perhaps TSR's resistance is merely a pretext to divert attention from the real threat to the public broadcaster. TF 1, TSR's biggest competitor, which is kept in check with joint productions and mutual program exchanges, could also be tempted to open a Swiss advertising window - if M6 is successful.
The figures recently published by the French-speaking Swiss Sunday press make it clear: the much-discussed Swiss advertising window of the French private TV station M6, which was vehemently opposed by TSR director Gilles Marchand, is still a long way from giving the previously intimidated competition a run for its money. In the first half of 2002, M6 recorded advertising revenues of just 1.6 million Swiss francs, compared to 54 million Swiss francs for TSR in the same period. At the time, Gilles Marchand estimated the loss for his television station at between 10 and 12 million francs if the advertising window was broadcast throughout French-speaking Switzerland.
Today, however, only a third of households in French-speaking Switzerland receive the specifically Swiss M6 advertising blocks. Residents in the main catchment areas of Geneva and Lausanne still do not see these advertisements, and this is likely to remain the case in the future. Regardless of the fact that a Fribourg court has dismissed the lawsuit filed by TSR to close the M6 advertising window.
No matter how much Michi Frank, Director of IP Multimedia Switzerland, points out that when the RTL advertising window was introduced in German-speaking Switzerland, Basel and Zug waited over a year before broadcasting it. The clocks tick differently in French-speaking Switzerland.
Michi Frank also admits that he underestimated the chummy connections between French-speaking Swiss television and politics. In contrast to German-speaking Switzerland, where many politicians are rather critical of SF DRS, politicians in French-speaking Switzerland are loyal to their television. Seen in this light, the negative decision of the cable network operators in Geneva and Lausanne is understandable, as the political municipalities there have a stake in the cable networks.
Nevertheless, Frank is reasonably confident about the future. After all, M6 was already able to celebrate a small triumph in June when the first instance of the Fribourg court dismissed an appeal by TSR. The latter had demanded the temporary closure of M6's advertising window (WW 27/02). "Of course it would be economically more interesting to have the two cities of Geneva and Lausanne in the marketing concept," Frank admits to WerbeWoche. After all, it is IPM's declared aim to break through monopolies and not to launch supplementary offers.
TSR could benefit from increased spot production
Frank is by no means thinking of giving up. The M6 advertising window will continue to be marketed in French-speaking Switzerland, and negotiations with Geneva and Lausanne will continue. On the other hand, he denies rumors that M6 in Switzerland
will create its own M6 Suisse channel. In the fall
IP Multimedia will publish a study. It will show how much advertising money flows into TV advertising and where.
After the summer vacations, Frank also wants to organize an event for the media in French-speaking Switzerland. He hopes that this will counteract the one-sided reporting in connection with the launch of the advertising window at the beginning of the year. Journalists from the print media in French-speaking Switzerland have so far done their best not to highlight the interests of advertising clients.
They are desperately looking for alternatives to the TSR programs in order to appeal to a younger target audience. In addition, the prime-time advertising blocks on French-speaking Swiss television are hopelessly booked up. According to media consultant Charly Schwarz, TSR is ultimately cutting its own throat with its opposition to the M6 advertising window. For advertising clients, spot production for a single channel is often not worthwhile. However, if several alternatives were available, there would be more spot productions, from which French-speaking Swiss television could ultimately also benefit.
Perhaps TSR's resistance is merely a pretext to divert attention from the real threat to the public broadcaster. TF 1, TSR's biggest competitor, which is kept in check with joint productions and mutual program exchanges, could also be tempted to open a Swiss advertising window - if M6 is successful.
