ANALYSIS: Television - Tough going for newcomer as rival ties up top shows. TV Works has been cutting and changing to boost its grades

Few expected Singapore's newest television station to take an immediate bite out of its major rival's ratings, but even the modest goals it set itself are proving difficult to achieve. At the time of SPH MediaWorks' launch of its Enlish language station in May, media buyers were told TV Works would achieve a one to three per cent rating across the week. The reality is a 0.2 per cent rating during the week and 0.6 per cent for primetime (6pm to midnight), according to Taylor Nelson Sofres' (TNS) research for the July 27-August 4 week. It has had no impact on its competitor Channel 5, which averages 1.1 and 3.2 per cent respectively. To a large extent, the problems boil down to programming. Channel 5 trumped its rival by tying up broadcast rights to top US shows such as Ally McBeal, Friends and The X-Files. It also has strong local programming such as Phua Chu Kang which rated 9.6 per cent (July 31, 9pm), Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, 8.9 per cent (August 1-2, 8pm), Mr Kiasu, 6.2 per cent (July 31, 8pm) and Now Boarding, 3.7 per cent (July 29, 8pm). TV Works, according to media agencies, has failed to find a clear positioning for itself. Bertilla Teo, CIA's general manager, says the variety of programmes it has - documentaries, foreign sitcoms, gameshows and dramas - means that "it can't position itself, and consumers are confused by the programming". Adrian Smith, executive director at The Media Edge, believes TV Works has tried to second-guess Singaporeans' viewing habits and has "come in with a lot of programmes that Singaporeans haven't seen before". Smith adds: "Many shows don't feature local actors, while the benefit of TV Works' sister station Channel U is it has got more local celebrities, so there's a comfort level there already". The lower-than-promised ratings makes it difficult to justify advertising on TV Works. "We use TV Works tactically and only recommend it to particular clients wishing to reach out to a niche audience," says Teo. TV Works has been chopping and changing to fix the problem. The latest revision occured in mid-August when it axed 10 local shows, leaving it with the sitcom Ah Girl, infotainment shows Makansutra and Your Home, and the current affairs shows After Hours and Eyewitness. The Evening News remains but it has been shifted to 9.30pm, putting it head-to-head with Channel 5's news; and the Nightly News has been axed. The reduction in local content marks a significant shift in TV Works' strategy to have about 60 per cent local content during primetime as a way of differentiating itself from the competition. It will have to look overseas to fill the content gap at a time when most popular shows are with the competition. Jamal Hassim, TV Works chief operating officer, downplays the importance of local programming. "Singaporeans are a bit jaded by local productions. People have higher expectations in terms of production values because they're exposed to so many high quality shows from Hollywood." The shift could hit the bottom line. Doreen Neo, SPH MediaWorks senior vice-president, media business group, says successful local programmes are important because "they're snapped up fast by sponsors". The reason for the shift is one of resources. TV Works' 40-person production unit is simply no match for Channel 5's 1,000-strong team. TV Works will need to spend heavily to rectify the problem, something it's unlikely to do at this stage. Instead, it believes the cutback in local content will free up the production unit to work on concepts and test market programmes before putting them on air. This should ensure a greater chance of success, it says. Despite TV Works' less than glowing performance, media buyers remain supportive. No one wants MediaCorp TV - which broadcasts City TV and Channels 8 and 5 - to regain its monopoly. TV Works' arrival had an immediate impact on its rival becoming more flexible and accommodating, say agencies. It even introduced loyalty discounts to advertisers on one-year contracts. For this reason alone, they say they are unperturbed by TV Works' ratings, particularly as spots are bought according to cost per rating point achieved. Says Teo: "This system is a win-win situation for advertisers and agencies."

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