TV ADVERTISEMENTS â€“ MONEY WITH ENTERTAINMENT:Early Phase, Getting Spots

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Introduction to Broadcasting MCM 411

LESSON 39

TV ADVERTISEMENTS MONEY WITH ENTERTAINMENT

As has been already mentioned in the part of radio broadcast, advertisements brought radical

changes in the radio world in many ways; they continue to revolutionize the visual

communication medium more or less the same way.

Since the visual medium proved much stronger than the voice medium, the changes observed

in the domain of TV broadcast were phenomenal.The industrial and the services sectors along

with the trading sector the world over did not take long to weigh the significance of the

television for the purpose of marketing their products.

In the very early phase of TV, particularly in USA, the industrial and services sectors got

enormous response from the TV campaigns for their products and by the end of the fifth

decade, the TV broadcasting houses witnessed a race among the business, especially the

corporate sector, to book spots during the peak hours of the TV transmission for the publicity

of their products.

This opened unprecedented new vistas of income generation and entertainment, to the TV

channels. There has been no looking back ever since.

Advertisements appear stronger on TV

The approach of the advertising people remains almost the same for exploiting the TV screen

to their end. The Audience analysis and Audience pattern men, women, youth, and elderly,

urban and rural, are still the same and any advertisement which is designed for TV is

prepared by keeping in mind the segment of people it means for.

Early Phase

In Pakistan, the TV was available to a limited population of few big cities. From 1964 to 1972,

its transmission was covering Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore. And that too in black and white

with limited recording and studio facilities. But all the same there was a pressure from the

business world to get a spot during the limited hours transmission to reach the urban populace

at their drawing rooms as people showed extraordinary interest in watching TV broadcast.

The pros in making Ads over TV

The TV programs may vary in their nature from entertaining to boring to serious to

philosophical. And the viewers may like or dislike them.

On the contrary, the advertisements are made with only one point in the mind of the creative

department people at an advertising agency to make a piece of broadcast which must

interest people. To hit this goal they exploit all the pros in the non verbal communication

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crisp lines, beautiful faces, background sound effects, locale, human relationship, colors and

the costly star appearance. Put together, this makes a stimulating product which is bound to

fetch results.

The cons in making Ads over TV

Since the visual medium is more cunning in finding faults, advertisers have to be vigilant in

observing cons more carefully rather than the pros. A slight mistake on this count may cause

colossal loss, sometimes irreparable;

Not lengthy

No hatred among people

Observing taboos (alcoholic etc)

Language not derogatory

Getting Spots

There are three clear ways advertisements are placed during a TV broadcast;

Casual insertions

Once or twice during a day

Campaigns

The ads are run regularly over a period

With popular programs

Most sought-after is getting (buying) time during popular

programs

Types of Ads

There is little difference in choosing the types of advertisements for the purpose of TV

broadcast from the ones which are designed for the radio transmission.

We can classify those in the following manner

Sound effect commercials almost all carry effects

Straight announcements

Dramatized

Comedy / funny

Acoustical effects as sour throat, (with filter mike or echo chamber)

Jingle

How to get your ad placed on TV broadcast?

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The Insertion Orders

Integrated

Non-integrated

Trailer

How to create ads?

For radio it may not be very painstaking, but to make an ad for TV is a real hard nut to crack.

Ad making for TV involves the whole procedure of video production; in fact a TV ad is a

complete little video. Difficult it is in the sense that a whole theme is to be communicated in a

very limited time

...Is a specialized job, script writers, directors, recording equipment, rehearsals, passes

through many stages of examination before final approval?

The Cultural Conflicts

Pressured by the commercial interest, more than often TV broadcasting houses pay little

attention to this aspect.

There are three distinct categories of ads which appear during the TV transmissions:

Occasional ads

Local / national ads

International ads

The first category is almost harmless in this debate.

The local and national channels usually focus on marketing their products but some time take

support of elements not so liked by every one in the society... like dances, glamour and extra

spicing to allure the youth.

International ads show little regard to cultural values of the society they are screened. Since

they are multinational client, they sometime influence government for government gets

reasonable money by way of taxes... Mobile phone industry is a case in point.

Showing social values

Most ads abide by the social values, dressing up, family life and honoring the social

relationships.

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Also they help show world top ranking tourist sites like niagara fall, china wall, pyramids, old

forts, modern cities and islands of repute.

Dresses, customs and people shown, kalash valley ... all possible through broadcast of ads.

Ads Cost

Category "A" Spot Rates And Prime Time Sponsorship charges

Spot Rates

Duration

Karachi

Lahore

Islamabad

Peshawar Quetta

National

Of Spot

center

Center

center

Network

07::seconds 3,065

2,945

2,365

615

370

8,600

15::seconds 5,905

5,685

4,570

1,170

680

16,570

30::seconds 10,495

10,095

8,100

2,075

1,170

29,375

60::seconds 15,745

15,140

12,150

3,120

1,755

44,075

Category "B" Non Prime Time Sponsorship charges

Time Slots

Tariff

National Network with 60 sec of commercial time

06:00 AM to 12:00 Noon

Rs. 18,000

12:00Noon to 3:00 PM

Rs. 20,000

3:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Rs. 22,000

5:00 PM to 6:00 PM

Rs. 40,000

6:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Rs. 106,890

7:00 PM to 7:30 PM

Rs. 142,500

9:45 PM to 11:00 PM

Rs. 131,000

11:00 PM onwards

Rs. 50,000

5:00 PM to PM 6:00-------- Regional language slot

Karachi

Rs 20,000

Lahore

Rs 15,000

Islamabad

Rs 15,000

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Peshawar

Rs 5,000

Quetta

Rs 2,500

Prime Time + Sponsorship Charges (7:00 to 9:00) "A"

Duration Of Program Commercial Time Allowed

5 Minutes

15 Seconds

15 Minutes

60 Seconds

25-30 Minutes

60 Seconds

Surcharges

After news heading in Khabarnama

400% of the rate

Time spot during prime time drama/plays 300% of the rates

Time spot before Khabarnama

300% of the rates

Time spot before khas khas khabrain

300% of the rate

Mid Break spots in News Khabarnama

250% of the rates

Spot before/after a specified Program

200% of the rates

Mid Break spots in films

200% of the rates

Mid break spots in live or VTR Program

225% of the rates

Look at the earnings!

Ad Agencies benefit

At present they are about 135 accredited , shows growth of this field. Not to mention number

of people making career with them, it is only because of radio and TV. Billions of rupees

business done by them annually.

Most work as production and marketing houses.

Agencies are between the producers of industrial products, services sector and the

broadcasting houses. But it the broadcasting which opened gates of enormous business of

ads and leads to provide jobs to tens of thousands of people having different skills in

production and marketing.

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OVER doing is annoying

During sports overdone, even at dramas and some time discussions the time telling ads cause

irritation... some ethics must be practiced, for it may prove counterproductive.

You want to see the replay of how one got out, but an ad run to eclipse the replay is not going

to get favour, quality broadcasting houses prevent it.

NEWS channels BBC/ CNN avoid ads; hardly on air any, contrary to the entertainment

channels which have many ads..... depends on the policy of the channels. Want to give pure

news and info without detracting them from issues, likewise educational channels focus more

on their target and not look crazy commercial broadcasting houses.

BUT MONEY is required to maintain, growth, expansion and research purposes, ads are but

one major source of earning but it also means quality production, higher the quality more

ads business.

Loss of Truth

This is one of the most criticized area in advertisement. The broadcasting is usually done

under a set of ethics at the top of which is to inform truth to people. In ads this is quite

possible that a false impression about a product is given, losing viewers' confidence on other

similar products which may not be inferior.

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