More than 450 TV stations are vying for a stake in the Middle East's $6.5 billion dollar advertising market, and many will not survive. We asked: what is the future of TV revenues? What paths are likely to succeed or fail? And what are the building blocks of a strategy going forward?
Panelists:
Martha Brass, Managing Director, International Operations, Endemol Group
Wael Hattar, Branded Entertainment Consultant, MENA Core Branded Entertainment
Andrew Piller, Commercial Director, FMX-Fremantle Media, Creators of Pop Idol, Britain / America's Got Talent, and The Price is Right)
Shadi Kandil, Managing Director, OMD UAE
Mazen Hayek, Spokesman, Group Director of PR and Commercial, MBC Group
Marc-Antoine d'Halluin, President and CEO of the OSN Network
Karim Sarkis, Executive Director, Broadcast, the Abu Dhabi Media Company
Cue up these times to listen to key points in the conversation:
6:42 Free content? The nightmare that haunts all of us.
12:38 Can Premiere League football make money if it is free to air?
20:21 Are we approaching the end of the 30 second advertising spot?
23:07 The big debate: Is there a monopoly in the Arab advertising industry, and if there is, is it a good thing?
30:49 Is MBC the only game in town and are viewer count ratings reliable?
38:47 The industry has a credibility and transparency problem, do we need a regulator?
47:35 Mark-Antoine d'Halluin: We can't walk out of this room without asking some tough questions.
49:42 Mazen Hayek: We need to reconcile the Arab world with figures.
53:29 Should ministries of information regulate the media.
