Date:16/12/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/12/16/stories/2004121602860400.htm

Back `TV channels spend most on newspaper advertising'

Our Bureau

Chennai , Dec. 15

WHEN it comes to promoting themselves or their programmes through other media, television channels spend more on newspapers than radio and magazines.

A study for July-September 2004 done by Radio AdEx, a division of TAM Media Research, shows that newspapers accounted for 58 per cent of the category spends, followed by radio at 31 per cent and magazines (11 per cent).

Over Rs 12 crore was spent on promos for the quarter, with Sony's spends the highest at Rs 2.83 crore. Zee Network was next with over Rs 2.5 crore. Star, TV Today, Sahara and ESPN-Star Sports each spent over Rs 1 crore each.

Sony led spends on newspapers (Rs 2.02 crore) while TV Today was the highest spender on radio (Rs 90 crore). With Rs 42 lakh, Time Warner was the highest spender in the magazine category.

The preference for newspapers and radio over magazines could possibly be because "a majority of TV programmes have a daily/bi-weekly or weekly frequency," says the report.

Of the players studied, NDTV doesn't advertise on radio at all while Discovery doesn't feature on magazines.

The most advertised show was Zee's Cinestars Ki Khoj, a talent hunt show, which was promoted with spends of over Rs 1 crore. Sony's Indian Idol, also a talent hunt show, spent Rs 70 lakh on promotion.

Interestingly, the report says, Zee's programme went for a near equal mix between radio and newspapers while Sony's talent hunt show opted for greater exposure on newspapers while limiting radio ads to Rs 17 crore. Both shows, however, didn't advertise on magazines. Of the top-ten most advertised shows, only Roadies (MTV) opted for all three media platforms - radio, newspapers and magazines. The spends, however, weren't huge: Rs 22 lakh in radio, Rs 11 lakh in newspapers and Rs 3 lakh in magazines.