Trendspotting #28

Sunday 14 September 1997 23:02 BST
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CABSAT CHAT

The Office of Fair Trading has been deliberating over the bundling together of cable and satellite channels into differently-priced packages - is it anti-competitive, does it limit the choice of viewers? Few expect a decision to limit the way big media companies serve up unwanted channels to viewers alongside the sport and movies they want, however. Almost 80 per cent of those with cable or satellite would like to cherry-pick their favourite channel, according to a survey last week by CIA MediaLab. Nearly half of those without it say they'd be more likely to subscribe if they could pick their channels. The customer is always right, except when unbundling means lowering the average subscription income for each channel a broadcaster owns.

LOST WEEKEND

Beer advertisers spend about 7.5 per cent of their money advertising on Mondays and 22 per cent on Fridays. It grows through the week as people's drinking increases. By contrast, pharmaceutical advertisers spend their budget on Monday to Wednesday and almost nothing from Thursday through the weekend. This is either because people need pharmaceuticals after a weekend on the beer or because they're more likely to feel ill when facing a whole working week.

SHOW OF RESPECT

The pulling of TV advertising after the death of the Princess of Wales cost ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, GMTV and Sky around pounds 8m. This was last done for coverage of the Dunblane massacre, and represents a view that some things are more important than making money. Commercial broadcasters will not be out of pocket however, they are negotiating with the ITC for extra commercial breaks to recoup the money lostn

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