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Week ending November 8, 2008

EBU - Raiffeisen International Presenting Sponsor of the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest - November 7 2008
from Michelle Roverelli/EBU

Today, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced the continuation of its partnership with Raiffeisen International for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow.

Austrian-based Raiffeisen International Bank-Holding AG, the leading banking group in Central and Eastern Europe, has been granted extensive pan-European association, event and media rights as the first of two possible Presenting Sponsors for the upcoming events in Moscow. The 54th Eurovision Song Contest will be hosted by the Russian national broadcaster Channel 1 Russia. It will comprise three live televised shows in one week: the Semi-Finals on 12 and 14 May and the Final on 16 May 2009.

“The EBU is delighted to keep Raiffeisen International, a company with an excellent reputation and strong presence in many of the participating countries, in the Eurovision family as the first Presenting Sponsor of the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest. The renewal of this partnership proves the strength of the Eurovision Song Contest as Europe’s biggest communication platform in music and entertainment”, says Bjørn Erichsen, Director of Eurovision TV.

"This year's Eurovision Song Contest has met all our expectations regarding communication and marketing opportunities. Considering that Russia is one of our most important markets, it was only logical for us to continue this successful partnership", said Michael Palzer, Head of Communications at Raiffeisen International Bank-Holding AG.

The agreement, which is part of an international marketing platform developed by the EBU, was negotiated by T.E.A.M. (Television Event and Media Marketing AG) based in Lucerne, Switzerland. T.E.A.M. is the worldwide exclusive marketing partner for the Eurovision Song Contest events since 2004.

The Eurovision Song Contest has a rich tradition and heritage, dating back to 1956, and is without doubt Europe’s favorite television entertainment programme. It is one of the few truly pan-European television programmes transmitted live via the Eurovision satellite network, in prime-time on free-to-air television and is watched by some 105 million viewers throughout Europe and beyond.

The two Semi-Finals of the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest will take place on 12 and 14 May, the Final on 16 May 2009 in Moscow, Russia. Over 40 countries are expected to be represented.

ACT - COMMERCIAL BROADCASTERS SEEING GREAT OPPORTUNITIES IN CHANGING MEDIA LANDSCAPE - November 6 2008

On the occasion of the “First Annual ACT Conference -Content in the Multiplatform World”, commercial broadcasters from all over Europe met in Brussels and demonstrated their contribution to an innovative European multiplatform media environment.

In the converged media landscape, the way people watch television changes. So the ways of creating and distributing audiovisual content are being challenged constantly. Commercial broadcasters are responding to these developments by adapting their business models with formerly free-to-air players entering into the pay-TV market or diversifying their revenue streams to the online market. They offer a wide array of new services like video-on-demand, catch-up TV and mobile TV and are thus as close to the viewer as possible.

Ross Biggam, Director General of the ACT, commented: “Companies are radically rethinking their strategies to react to changed viewing behaviour. Broadcasters, producers and advertisers have to respond to the empowered consumer and to new competition in the market. Commercial broadcasters take risks when investing in new technologies and programming but are being rewarded when looking at the success of our channels and programmes all over Europe”.

In a changing media environment television remains a key medium, which has the unique potential to deliver mass audiences. With 97% of EU households having at least one television, access to television is universal in Europe. Free-TV is available in some form or other to all 196.762 million TV households in the EU and pay-TV take-up is increasing rapidly. More than 63% of Europe's television broadcasters’ programming time is devoted to European works and over 36% to works by independent European producers. Commercial broadcasters are an important contributor to the European economy, employing hundreds of thousands of full-time employees as well as being a key employer and often driving force for the development of the independent production sector in most European countries.

The process of digitisation is a great challenge for broadcasters and viewers. All over Europe ACT members are involved in this process with some countries such as Finland already operating in a fully digital environment. Not only do commercial broadcasters have to invest significant sums for digital switchover, but competition is also increasing. Commercial broadcasters no longer only face competition from established players like public broadcasters but see increasing competition also from new entrants. This new landscape makes it all the more important to respond with the right answers and business strategies, in at times of a general economic downturn.

Nicolas de Tavernost, ACT President & Chairman of the Executive Board M6, concluded: “Our potential to reach out to mass audiences is a key strength of television in this landscape. Commercial broadcasters offer viewers the greatest choice every day of the year. We are experts in creating and distributing high-quality audiovisual content and we distinguish ourselves by creating original content – every day of the year. We have the right business strategies to lead our companies through this time of change and look with confidence to a future of continuing to deliver excellent content to millions of viewers all over Europe”.