T11. Marketplace Model

SMS To vote for Jeanette Aw, text F1 to 77577. Phonecall Call 1900-112-3001 to vote for Jeanette Aw

*Calls and SMS are charged at $0.50 per call or message.

SMS To vote for Felicia Chin, text F2 to 77577. Phonecall Call 1900-112-3002 to vote for Felicia Chin

*Calls and SMS are charged at $0.50 per call or message.

SMS To vote for Joanne Peh, text F3 to 77577. Phonecall Call 1900-112-3003 to vote for Joanne Peh

*Calls and SMS are charged at $0.50 per call or message.

SMS To vote for Zoe Tay, text F4 to 77577. Phonecall Call 1900-112-3004 to vote for Zoe Tay

*Calls and SMS are charged at $0.50 per call or message.

SMS To vote for Fann Wong, text F5 to 77577. Phonecall Call 1900-112-3005 to vote for Fann Wong

*Calls and SMS are charged at $0.50 per call or message.

VOTING RESULTS

Audience is King.. How TRUE Is That?

Introduction Assumptions & Critique Conclusion Our Proposed Model

Introduction: Media Audience The idea of the audience as a consumer is

deemed as key to the growth of the media industry. "the perception of broadcasters as community trustees should be replaced by a view of broadcasters as marketplace participants . . . the public's interest, then, defines the public interest." Mark Fowler, Former FCC Chairman

Assumptions: Consumers are active media seekers, choosing what forms of media they will attend to, when & how often. (BIGResearch, 2004)

Critique: CASE STUDY: FOOTBALL CHANNEL PRODUCER: STARHUB • Launched in 2007, Football Channel is fully dedicated to football after Starhub won the rights to broadcast live Premier League games over ESPN Star Sports.

Assumptions: They have well-formed program preferences, influencing them to choose specific content.

Critique: CASE STUDY: DEMAND TV PRODUCER: STARHUB Video-on-Demand (VOD) • Provides what today’s customers are looking for: • Control & convenience: - No TVC interruption - Able to stop, pause & rewind the program [Own time own target] • To be part of the hippest crowd: - One of the first to catch the latest episodes OR

Assumptions: Media System is responsive to audience preferences.

Critique: CASE STUDY: THE CHAMPION PRODUCER: MEDIACORP TV • 20-episode drama serial which debuted in October 2004 • "The Champion" achieved extremely high ratings during its telecast • 1st Mediacorp drama which allowed the viewers to vote for their favorite 2 minute ending

Critique: CASE STUDY: THE CHAMPION PRODUCER: MEDIACORP TV SMS Surveys: Two choices to choose from (A or B) • Choices given in the form of SMS ($0.20 per sms) Gave audiences the chance to choose their preferred endings: “Audience as King”: Empower audiences to make them feel that they have a say in how the story should end. Emphasis is placed on

Assumptions: Media System is responsive to audience preferences.

How TRUE Is That?

Critique: CASE STUDY: THE CHAMPION PRODUCER: MEDIACORP TV • “Behind the Scene” (One ending might have already been decided regardless of the SMS voting’s outcome) • Lack of transparency

Critique: CASE STUDY: MUSIC STATION PRODUCER: JAPAN TV ASAHI • Long running Japanese Music Television Program • Received Regional Recognition - Broadcasted by Mediacorp TV from 2000 – 2002 - Broadcast time belt: late weekday nights at 11:00pm - Broadcast stopped in 2002

Critique: CASE STUDY: MUSIC STATION PRODUCER: JAPAN TV ASAHI • Reason For Termination - Japanese TV programs are more costly - Genre of program is too niche • Feedback gathered from Audience - Forum comments - Emails written in • Result: Music Station was not telecasted again

Critique: CASE STUDY: MUSIC STATION PRODUCER: JAPAN TV ASAHI

Critique: To a broadcaster, viewers are only numbers. Those numbers are then used to charge a sponsor and adjust advertising revenue. Television watchers only matter in respect to "how much the sponsor is willing to pay to reach any single viewer. Thus, in the marketplace model, programming has only one function: each program must attract as many viewers as possible.

Assumptions: The audiences are rational, well-informed individuals who will act in their own selfinterest.

How TRUE Is That? Audience demographics are not clearly defined.

Critique: CASE STUDY: The Deer Hunter PRODUCER: Universal Pictures • The 1978 war film The Deer Hunter gives us a disturbing and compelling look at The Vietnam War. • One of the most memorable scenes – A wager on the fate of American soldiers, who were forced to play Russian Roulette.

Critique: CASE STUDY: The Deer Hunter PRODUCER: Universal Pictures • Something in this movie spoke to people – those honestly shivering on the verge of suicide • Inspired a number of people to commit suicide in the same fashion • At least 35 cases of Russian roulette deaths in US

Conclusion • Evolution of Media Audience The Future of the Mass Audience (Neuman, 1991) Social Psychology of Media Use More Diversity Mass and Communicatio Participation ns Industry

Conclusion • Deregulation – More Good or Bad? Fewer Censorship Laws = Less Control Regulations are both good and bad. They limit choice and restrict initiative but they also guide and protect people from taking the wrong options.

Conclusion • Are there more important players to the media compared to the audience? The mass media have arisen partly as a vehicle for mass commercial advertising, and the role of advertising has grown.

Our Proposed Model Adverti ser as King $ $ Media: Profit Driven

Program s with high ratings

$ Audienc e: Led to think they get what they want

•









•

McQuail, D, (1997), Audience Analysis, SAGE Publications, London Jacobson, L, (2008),Children & Consumer Culture in American Society, Praeger Publishers Connecticut Kaufman, R 2004, Filling their minds with death: TV violence and children, Last accessed 19 March 2009, < http://www.faithandfamilytv.com> Neo, CC (2009). StarHub ups the on-demand ante, Last accessed 8 March 2009, http://www.todayonline.com/articles/271866.asp T, J (2009). Watching at leisure, Last accessed 8 March 2009, http://www.asianewsnet.net/news.php?id=3817&sec=9 Hundt. R.E. (1995). Speech by FCC Chairman. Available: http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Hundt/spreh517.txt. Last accessed 8 March 2009.

Schultz, Block and Pilotta. (2005) Implementing a Media Consumption Model. Available: http://www.bigresearch.com/Esomar2005.pdf. Last accessed 15 March 2009. • LaMay, C.L. (2007). Public Service Announcements, Broadcasters, and the Public Interest: Regulatory Background and the Digital Future. Available: •

http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/publications/papers/wp010 7.pdf. Last accessed 8 March 2009. • Short interviews held with Mediacorp Personnel (Assistant Producers, Producers)