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

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