The M6 window is still steamed up
IP Multimedia aims to further expand M6's advertising reach
IP Multimedia wants to open up M6's advertising window furtherBy Andreas Panzeri After TSR and TF1, the French channel M6 ranks third in terms of popularity among TV viewers in French-speaking Switzerland. However, only 39.9 percent of all wired households also watch the M6 advertising window. In Geneva and Lausanne, a potential 24.1 percent do not yet have the Swiss window. However, IP Multimedia intends to continue its fight here.
Purposeful optimism - but also substantiated facts: "Despite prophecies of doom that have been made in the industry, M6's Swiss advertising window is going well. We have made progress with distribution," explained Michi Frank, CEO of IP Multimedia, at a presentation by the French private broadcaster M6 at the premises of its Swiss marketer IPM in Küsnacht.
The M6 program is available on around 51% of all cable network receivers in French-speaking Switzerland. However, the major network operators in Lausanne and Geneva, in which the political municipalities have a financial stake, are still refusing to switch on the advertising window of the French "intruder" out of solidarity with TSR.
TSR has taken legal action against M6's advertising window both in Switzerland and in Paris. Michel Rey, Secrétaire Général of M6 in Paris, showed little understanding for this stance in Küsnacht. "For many young people in French-speaking Switzerland, our station is one of their preferred programs. So it is only legitimate that we can also generate advertising revenue for it."
M6 therefore currently has two appeals pending. The next court hearing will take place in Fribourg in April. Rey, who has commissioned a legal study, is confident "that we are sufficiently protected to be able to survive this legal dispute".
At the same time, Michi Frank wants to make progress in personal negotiations with the individual network operators. The advertising man points out that the SRG in French-speaking Switzerland is unable to cope with the Swiss advertising pushing onto the screens itself, as the advertising blocks on TSR are usually fully booked during prime time. "However, M6 with its young audience is not only a supplement here, but also an alternative," says Frank. He is also "clearly of the opinion that M6 makes television in French-speaking Switzerland more attractive because TSR cannot broadcast the very popular M6 formats itself".
As shown in a demo tape with programs from M6, the station has its most loyal fans primarily among a young and strikingly strong female audience up to the age of 25. "M6 is the youngest station in French-speaking Switzerland," Frank can prove. But even in the extended target group of 14 to 49-year-olds, M6 still ranks second in French-speaking Switzerland, ahead of TF1.
April 11, when M6 shows its second season of "Loft Story", the French equivalent of "Big Brother".
Other hits include the cult series "Black Angel" on Saturday evenings as an alternative to the entertainment shows. On Sunday, M6 broadcasts the knowledge magazine "e=m6". And the most ingenious crossover: while competing stations run advertising around the daily political magazines, M6 cheekily draws the zapping audience to its alternative frequency with its own information program of around 6 minutes.
A channel with potential, which can explain many fears in French-speaking Switzerland. "The delay really did cause us problems," admits Michi Frank. However, since the advertising window was postponed several times on 14 January, sales of Swiss advertising on M6 have "developed positively".
However, IP Multimedia's aim is "not to bring a dumping offer to the market, but rather a price-performance ratio that is right, as a complement to TSR". Nevertheless, in order to promote the fact that M6 can now cover 50 percent of all households in French-speaking Switzerland, IPM intends to continue offering advertising time on M6 until the end of June with a 2 for 1 promotional offer. Expressed in figures, we are talking about a CPM of around CHF 60 to 70 on M6 compared to CHF 120 to 150 for TSR. "Which is comparable to the costs in the advertising windows in German-speaking Switzerland."
In mid-June, Frank will present a study to prove that the total sales volume for TV advertising has grown thanks to the windows in German-speaking Switzerland, "and this will also develop in the same way in French-speaking Switzerland".
Purposeful optimism - but also substantiated facts: "Despite prophecies of doom that have been made in the industry, M6's Swiss advertising window is going well. We have made progress with distribution," explained Michi Frank, CEO of IP Multimedia, at a presentation by the French private broadcaster M6 at the premises of its Swiss marketer IPM in Küsnacht.
The M6 program is available on around 51% of all cable network receivers in French-speaking Switzerland. However, the major network operators in Lausanne and Geneva, in which the political municipalities have a financial stake, are still refusing to switch on the advertising window of the French "intruder" out of solidarity with TSR.
TSR has taken legal action against M6's advertising window both in Switzerland and in Paris. Michel Rey, Secrétaire Général of M6 in Paris, showed little understanding for this stance in Küsnacht. "For many young people in French-speaking Switzerland, our station is one of their preferred programs. So it is only legitimate that we can also generate advertising revenue for it."
M6 therefore currently has two appeals pending. The next court hearing will take place in Fribourg in April. Rey, who has commissioned a legal study, is confident "that we are sufficiently protected to be able to survive this legal dispute".
At the same time, Michi Frank wants to make progress in personal negotiations with the individual network operators. The advertising man points out that the SRG in French-speaking Switzerland is unable to cope with the Swiss advertising pushing onto the screens itself, as the advertising blocks on TSR are usually fully booked during prime time. "However, M6 with its young audience is not only a supplement here, but also an alternative," says Frank. He is also "clearly of the opinion that M6 makes television in French-speaking Switzerland more attractive because TSR cannot broadcast the very popular M6 formats itself".
As shown in a demo tape with programs from M6, the station has its most loyal fans primarily among a young and strikingly strong female audience up to the age of 25. "M6 is the youngest station in French-speaking Switzerland," Frank can prove. But even in the extended target group of 14 to 49-year-olds, M6 still ranks second in French-speaking Switzerland, ahead of TF1.
April 11, when M6 shows its second season of "Loft Story", the French equivalent of "Big Brother".
Other hits include the cult series "Black Angel" on Saturday evenings as an alternative to the entertainment shows. On Sunday, M6 broadcasts the knowledge magazine "e=m6". And the most ingenious crossover: while competing stations run advertising around the daily political magazines, M6 cheekily draws the zapping audience to its alternative frequency with its own information program of around 6 minutes.
A channel with potential, which can explain many fears in French-speaking Switzerland. "The delay really did cause us problems," admits Michi Frank. However, since the advertising window was postponed several times on 14 January, sales of Swiss advertising on M6 have "developed positively".
However, IP Multimedia's aim is "not to bring a dumping offer to the market, but rather a price-performance ratio that is right, as a complement to TSR". Nevertheless, in order to promote the fact that M6 can now cover 50 percent of all households in French-speaking Switzerland, IPM intends to continue offering advertising time on M6 until the end of June with a 2 for 1 promotional offer. Expressed in figures, we are talking about a CPM of around CHF 60 to 70 on M6 compared to CHF 120 to 150 for TSR. "Which is comparable to the costs in the advertising windows in German-speaking Switzerland."
In mid-June, Frank will present a study to prove that the total sales volume for TV advertising has grown thanks to the windows in German-speaking Switzerland, "and this will also develop in the same way in French-speaking Switzerland".
