iTV to blare its news in elevators, mass transit stations
Love it or hate it, Bangkokians will find it harder to avoid watching iTV from now own.
The channel yesterday announced it had made a deal with five partners that would air its news service in public places.
The partners are VGI Global Media, which has 56 plasma televisions at the BTS skytrain stations; How Come Entertainment which has 108 "transparent screens" in MRT's subway; POV Media Group, which has 124 monitors in elevators at 11 office buildings; Take a Look, which has Asia's largest LED billboard at Central World Plaza; and Matching Studio Plc, which has "moveable LED" screens at Siam Paragon, Siam Discovery, and Siam Centre."From your home [to work], while riding the BTS and subway, or going up in elevators, or when you go shopping, you won't be missing important news," said Songsak Premsuk, iTV's managing director. Songsak said the pact that was inked yesterday would increase the number of iTV viewers by 100,000. iTV, however, will not charge money for its news and with only some exceptions, like at monitors in MRT stations, will not air commercials. "Media is not confined to TV, radio, and newspapers. We're moving out to reach more consumers," he said. The partners will incorporate iTV news with other shows and advertisements. To service the new businesses, iTV has formed an "e-news" unit to provide a menu of news selections for its partners. "Our goal today is for the e-news unit to stand on its own feet. In the next 2-3 years, I believe the new media will boom, he said. But will consumers spurn watching iTV at home if they are constantly bombarded all time? Songsak said he did not expect the expansion to hurt its broadcast income. "I'm not worried. It's better if our iTV brand becomes stronger [as a result]. People will like us even more," he reasoned. Pichaya Changsorn, The Nation
|
