"Viewing habits are rigid, we underestimated that".
Marc Görtz, managing director of Sat 1 Switzerland, wants to raise the bar for TV formats
Marc Görtz, Managing Director Sat 1 Switzerland, wants to raise the bar for TV formatsThe demise of "täglich ran" on Sat 1's programming window has once again shown how difficult it is to attract audiences with Swiss formats. That's why Marc Görtz, Managing Director, wants to set much stricter standards for new in-house productions in the future (see also page 21).Marc Görtz, what are the reasons for the failure of "täglich ran"?
Marc Görtz: The show had too few viewers. It wasn't due to our impatience: Since the show started 14 months ago, "täglich ran" has been optimized again and again. We've made qualitative improvements, we've shifted the timing, we've extended the show. But viewer numbers have developed far too slowly. At some point, we simply had to say: viewers don't want to watch a Swiss sports news show on Sat 1.
How have market shares developed since the show was launched in early March 2000?
Görtz: We ended up with a market share of 2.4 percent among 14- to 49-year-olds, barely more than when we launched the show 14 months ago. But last December, we set the goal of achieving at least a 5 percent market share in the target group by June.
Sounds dramatic, though, when there hasn't been a trace of forward movement.
Görtz: There was already a slight upward trend, as evidenced by the absolute audience figures: From March to July 2000, we had 22,000 viewers in the 3+ target group, from August to December around 30,000, and from January to April 2001, it went up again slightly to 32,000. These are increases, but of course at a much too low level. Within a year, we should have reached at least 80,000 viewers.
What lessons do you draw from this latest flop in Swiss private TV history?
Görtz: To call the cancellation a flop for private TV is wrong. It's normal for any broadcaster, whether private or public, to cancel programs that don't achieve their goals. The example of "täglich ran" simply shows how enormously difficult it is to draw audiences away from SF DRS with Swiss programs. This difficulty has nothing to do with quality. In this respect, "täglich ran" was a top program; you can't do sports news any better. But viewing habits are enormously rigid. We underestimated that. All the other private TV providers in Switzerland have also had to make this bitter experience.
What are the figures for the other Swiss Sat 1 formats?
Görtz: There are definitely bright spots. Of the three other shows, two are successful: "1x tägl." gives us a lot of pleasure and is developing splendidly. The market share is already at 7 percent - we started with 2 percent. "1x tägl." will soon reach 100,000 viewers on a regular basis. However, that still takes some time. But because this show is clearly on an upward trend, it will be given that time. We are very satisfied with "live ran" on Sundays. We can report super numbers there and are growing steadily, from game to game. It shows: Swiss live sports works even when you bring it on a foreign channel.
One time sports shows work, another time they don't. Can you explain that?
Görtz: The sports news have
in contrast to live sports, has an insanely difficult time. A painful experience, not only for us, but also for our German partners. For years, Sat1 Germany experimented with its "täglich ran" and tried out all kinds of things. They shifted the time slot back and forth, made the show longer and shorter, and finally integrated it into the news. Today, "täglich ran" is no longer a stand-alone program, but the sports extension of the 6:30 p.m. newscast, so to speak. Obviously, the audience doesn't want sports news broadcasts. We have to accept that.
But "Sport aktuell" on SF DRS also brings sports news and still attracts many more viewers than the cancelled "täglich ran".
Görtz: Their numbers aren't exactly intoxicating either. "Sport aktuell" does, however, benefit from the advantage that the show doesn't air until 10:20 p.m. and can pick up various live events that took place the same evening. That brings in their audience.
The closure of the Swiss program window between 7.55 and 8.15 p.m. also signals resignation. Are you now definitely withdrawing from this slot?
Görtz: For the moment, sure. But it remains to be seen whether this will mean we'll stop broadcasting other sports programs. We had made "täglich ran" primarily to support "live ran" on Sundays. Nothing has changed in this strategy. But if we were to decide to do that, it would certainly not be a daily show, but perhaps a
give weekly broadcast.
But the end of "täglich ran" probably put a damper on experimentation. Can we still expect new in-house productions from Sat1 Switzerland in the future?
Görtz: Of course. We have discontinued one of four broadcasts. That doesn't mean the optimization is complete. But it's clear that new programs will only be added if they can be refinanced in the short term.
How much of a deficit has "ran daily" caused so far?
Görtz: I don't want to say anything about that.
But the show is probably stuck in the deep red.
Görtz: Yes, that's the case. Because producing a show like that is insanely expensive. We employed eleven people for the editorial department alone. Accordingly, we suffered massive losses, which have now forced us to act.
"Die Quiz Show," taken over one-for-one from Sat1, is now supposed to do the trick. What improvements in viewer numbers do you expect?
Görtz: "Die Quiz Show" is doing extremely well in Germany. It has a market share of around 18 percent. We're certainly not going to get that much in Switzerland, but with between 4 and
I expect a market share of 5 percent for us, too. Interview: Daniel Schifferle
Marc Görtz: The show had too few viewers. It wasn't due to our impatience: Since the show started 14 months ago, "täglich ran" has been optimized again and again. We've made qualitative improvements, we've shifted the timing, we've extended the show. But viewer numbers have developed far too slowly. At some point, we simply had to say: viewers don't want to watch a Swiss sports news show on Sat 1.
How have market shares developed since the show was launched in early March 2000?
Görtz: We ended up with a market share of 2.4 percent among 14- to 49-year-olds, barely more than when we launched the show 14 months ago. But last December, we set the goal of achieving at least a 5 percent market share in the target group by June.
Sounds dramatic, though, when there hasn't been a trace of forward movement.
Görtz: There was already a slight upward trend, as evidenced by the absolute audience figures: From March to July 2000, we had 22,000 viewers in the 3+ target group, from August to December around 30,000, and from January to April 2001, it went up again slightly to 32,000. These are increases, but of course at a much too low level. Within a year, we should have reached at least 80,000 viewers.
What lessons do you draw from this latest flop in Swiss private TV history?
Görtz: To call the cancellation a flop for private TV is wrong. It's normal for any broadcaster, whether private or public, to cancel programs that don't achieve their goals. The example of "täglich ran" simply shows how enormously difficult it is to draw audiences away from SF DRS with Swiss programs. This difficulty has nothing to do with quality. In this respect, "täglich ran" was a top program; you can't do sports news any better. But viewing habits are enormously rigid. We underestimated that. All the other private TV providers in Switzerland have also had to make this bitter experience.
What are the figures for the other Swiss Sat 1 formats?
Görtz: There are definitely bright spots. Of the three other shows, two are successful: "1x tägl." gives us a lot of pleasure and is developing splendidly. The market share is already at 7 percent - we started with 2 percent. "1x tägl." will soon reach 100,000 viewers on a regular basis. However, that still takes some time. But because this show is clearly on an upward trend, it will be given that time. We are very satisfied with "live ran" on Sundays. We can report super numbers there and are growing steadily, from game to game. It shows: Swiss live sports works even when you bring it on a foreign channel.
One time sports shows work, another time they don't. Can you explain that?
Görtz: The sports news have
in contrast to live sports, has an insanely difficult time. A painful experience, not only for us, but also for our German partners. For years, Sat1 Germany experimented with its "täglich ran" and tried out all kinds of things. They shifted the time slot back and forth, made the show longer and shorter, and finally integrated it into the news. Today, "täglich ran" is no longer a stand-alone program, but the sports extension of the 6:30 p.m. newscast, so to speak. Obviously, the audience doesn't want sports news broadcasts. We have to accept that.
But "Sport aktuell" on SF DRS also brings sports news and still attracts many more viewers than the cancelled "täglich ran".
Görtz: Their numbers aren't exactly intoxicating either. "Sport aktuell" does, however, benefit from the advantage that the show doesn't air until 10:20 p.m. and can pick up various live events that took place the same evening. That brings in their audience.
The closure of the Swiss program window between 7.55 and 8.15 p.m. also signals resignation. Are you now definitely withdrawing from this slot?
Görtz: For the moment, sure. But it remains to be seen whether this will mean we'll stop broadcasting other sports programs. We had made "täglich ran" primarily to support "live ran" on Sundays. Nothing has changed in this strategy. But if we were to decide to do that, it would certainly not be a daily show, but perhaps a
give weekly broadcast.
But the end of "täglich ran" probably put a damper on experimentation. Can we still expect new in-house productions from Sat1 Switzerland in the future?
Görtz: Of course. We have discontinued one of four broadcasts. That doesn't mean the optimization is complete. But it's clear that new programs will only be added if they can be refinanced in the short term.
How much of a deficit has "ran daily" caused so far?
Görtz: I don't want to say anything about that.
But the show is probably stuck in the deep red.
Görtz: Yes, that's the case. Because producing a show like that is insanely expensive. We employed eleven people for the editorial department alone. Accordingly, we suffered massive losses, which have now forced us to act.
"Die Quiz Show," taken over one-for-one from Sat1, is now supposed to do the trick. What improvements in viewer numbers do you expect?
Görtz: "Die Quiz Show" is doing extremely well in Germany. It has a market share of around 18 percent. We're certainly not going to get that much in Switzerland, but with between 4 and
I expect a market share of 5 percent for us, too. Interview: Daniel Schifferle
