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The future of Box TV
90s fan
Posts: 204 Forum Member
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Ratings for Box TV have fallen in the last few years as the output is now no different to MTV, CSC and other music networks, no wonder they went FTA last year.
Broadcast Now:
My starting up my media company and I'm planning to launch The Magazine Channel, if it takes off, I would merge The Magazine Channel with Box TV and Sky owned Challenge to create a single channel operator.
Broadcast Now:
Music TV business Box TV is repositioning itself as a multiplatform brand as it battles to address declining audience figures.
The Bauer Media/Channel 4 joint venture, which comprises seven free-to-air channels including 4Music, Kiss and Kerrang!, is being transformed by managing director Matt Rennie, who joined from Global Radio in October.
Rennie said he was overhauling the culture and working practices of the business to reflect its viewers’ habits. “We are re-engineering how the business operates. We want to be a content company rather than a TV company, and we want to be relevant by engaging people across all platforms,” he said.
Box’s team of 20 in-house producers has been tasked with working in an increasingly multiplatform way – delivering longform shows for the channel along with shorter videos for its portfolio of websites and YouTube channels.
These are also likely to feed into its app, which was released in December and has been downloaded around 100,000 times.
In the past few weeks, Box TV has begun trialling two formats: Video Crush and You News, in which viewers are invited to submit video reviews and opinions via YouTube. These are then edited as integral elements of the TV show.
“We get a wide range of contributors and it helps keep us fresh and relevant,” Rennie said. “It is cheap and authentic, and we receive a viral boost as some of those who submit videos have tens of thousands of online followers.”
He has also forged a partnership with social media agency Mass Relevance, which provides data on the level of conversation taking place online about certain artist videos, which it then integrates into a live ‘tug of war’ on-screen graphic.
“It helps bring the TV channel to life. It makes it more real, live and dynamic for the audience,” said Rennie. Box TV suffered a viewing decline of around 2% last year across its channels, and Rennie predicts a similar fall over the next 12 months, before it flattens out.
He pointed to the growth of tablets and faster mobile broadband as the main drivers behind the fall and said he expects the curve to plateau as they become ubiquitous. Crucially, audience share remains stable and its music TV market share has grown around 3% to 41%.
While the bulk of the broadcaster’s revenues are still generated by its linear channels, Rennie anticipates this shifting cross-platform over time, and wants to be positioned accordingly.
“I’m a big believer in putting things out there and seeing how the audience reacts rather than waiting for things to happen. Gone are the days when you could just play back-to-back music videos,” he said.
Rennie added that Box TV is at the “sharp end” of changing audience behaviour because it skews towards 18 to 24 year-olds, and he expects mainstream channels to experience similar audience trends.
My starting up my media company and I'm planning to launch The Magazine Channel, if it takes off, I would merge The Magazine Channel with Box TV and Sky owned Challenge to create a single channel operator.
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The Box network rates quite well, Magic is often the most watched pure music channel (if you discount MTV, VIVA and 4Music which are mainly entertainment channels).
Going FTA has allowed the Box channels to become available online, via mobile apps, and launch on Freesat (+ connected Freeview devices). MTV are still locked in to Pay TV deals, and CSC music channels don't even have websites so I don't think they'll do any online streaming/apps.
Also do we need another station to go like "4Music" is at that moment? God no why not just simply close some of these channels its just the same old repetitive stuff thats on, if they touch anything after the 70's its well up for a good old slag >:( Maybe time to actually expand the playlists??
The channels have become very boring and often show too many adverts too!
I expect them to all shut and go online only in years to come.
Music tv is finished. I hope some channels like Kerrang continue on Sky though. They could easily just keep The Box, Kerrang and Magic and make the rest online only.
Thats the problem - back in the day the Top 40 did get a look into but it was not overplayed now both MTV/Bauer have hit over drive with that - they need to do more interactivity with the viewer thats what they all lack as for those ideas as mentioned above .... bit late for that are they not?? How long has Twitter/Youtube been going and they are jumping that bandwagon??
I just don't like the repetiviveness of the Top 40 music and anything is basically labelled as "classics" or "old skool" within a decade is a joke - its like they are trying to say older music is "ancient" or something
As for ads how long are they now?? Are they about 5 mins?
Can 4Music go online .... its one of the most pointless channels, its basically repeating E4 shows (why??) and of course Ren and Stimpy, in the beginning I admit I was enjoying but now its became car crash telly with their own obsession with the Kardashians the channel title when they show these programmes need thrown out the window as it aint "music". Smash Hits needs to go as well they closed ages ago Magic I have no real idea what that channel is meant to be/stand for as sometimes it too plays updated music?
I doubt that.
E4 Extra most definitely especially with ITV2's soon off coming soon I would not be surprised if C4 look for an E4 spin off maybe showing older programmes?
Going online only would be cheaper as BBC Three is doing and would maybe see regular tv viewers watch online.
But thats the thing how many of these so called "entertainment" channels do we need?? Its bad enough I feel there is lack of variety on all these channels - but they may as well edge closer to stop playing music and play "entertainment" shows, the channels are beginning to lose all meaning of what they stood for so whats the point?
Regarding online ... yeah they have now twigged to it but how long has youtube/twitter/facebook been going - nearly a decade and this is them now catching on?? Give it another decade and they will work with likes of Spotify - seems to me this lot here in UK are that slow with new technology we are falling behind! Why not for viewers have more interactivity text/call/hashtag (whatever) more than play the same hits day in and out?
As for them to move online probably be for the better as I won't be tuning in - can MTV follow suit as that too is trash tv
(not having a go at you Linkinpark)
You can get Youtube on most smart TV's or blu ray players so it's easy to watch the videos you want nowadays.
Arguably it's only come quicker since they axed video selections on Box TV.
Thats true and I agree with you, I understand they have to move with the times but surely they could have still ran requests rather than wiping it all out to go on auto-rotate which all these channels have sadly become - the only Bauer station that does requests with #(hashtags) is 4Music but thats only for a few hours but The Box does not and neither does it sister stations
Yeah I wouldn't mind seeing a channel that plays a mix of everything but the only station I can stand to watch is Vintage TV as with MTV/Bauer channels its nearly the same songs on rotation and nothing much new (OK Vintage may do the same with its programming - but again they all need a major overhaul) if they want to play music cater to all and advertise to all not just one demographic as your basically alienating viewers (be young/old)
Yep even that might not have saved them but music channels are too limited on what they show. I'm amazed all these pop channels have lasted so long. I guess they get just about enough viewers to last on advertising.
Thats where I think you will be possibly right that they will in time move online - would it be as much as a success online than be on TV - maybe/maybe not but give Bauer a bit of credit their channels are Free To Air (I think? - correct me) where as MTV has only one and thats VIVA the others are subscription (pay by package on Sky/Virgin)?
I too am surprised but I was expecting playlists would be expanding - but as I see as well I can go to MTV Dance and songs will appear on MTV Hits/Base then 5 mins later appear on 4Music - my own view is there is less variety been shown and that one demographic is being more catered for to any others - yes we do have the likes of Youtube out there to see old videos/tunes etc but thats not the point, you expect these channels to keep retaining their viewers no matter but it ain't - I just find it more that MTV UK/Viacom are the most out of touch network I have ever came across yet I grew up with MTV since MTV europe (1996 - when I first got sky/cable), now its more of a look and just go back to other channels - they are losing me as a viewer thats for sure
However I wish that all UK channels delved more into their archives play more songs - play more unknown songs than always playing familar songs ie Old Skool Weekend - MTV as an example there is more tracks out there they can play than the same ones on rota or are they just scared?? If so scared of what?
Once they move online there regret will be not launching on Freeview. Even though tv revenues are small for music channels compared to entertainment another music
channel could easily have claimed to be the third most watched music channel. I'd be surprised if they don't get more revenue for VIVA than say VH1?
I believe they should have said from the start Freeview must have one full time music channel for example The Box would be better than E4+1. Over all E4+1 gets more viewers but The Box would jump in viewing figures over night. Maybe they will consider going on Freeview in the future.
I agree they should be made to have a full time music channel on Freeview. It's annoying only having 4music and viva aka E4 Extra and MTV Extra. Outside of the weekend, being able to listen to music at night is not on option on tv. They're just pushing people to youtube with decisions like this. The majority of people have freeview so never understood why Mtv or bauer don't consider putting one of their full time music channels on there.
Even Chart Show TV they show other CSC channels on DTT now. They are struggling for viewers so would make sense as most CSC music channels get low ratings. Capital FM TV could be another option.
In the end lets be honest in time it will backfire, I think they are missing a trick and your probably right - do you actually see a full time music channel well on freeview? No. We have VIVA which has slowly turned into another MTV clone, music during the weeks runs from 9am to 2pm weekends also differ 4Music seems to be music by day by night (insert own comment here) but at weekends, well I think its a Saturday there is at least music on but other than that there is no music at all on freeview - why could MTV/Bauer not have done say 4Music/The Box and MTV had done say VIVA/MTV Hits? - your at least having one channel and a trash channel?
I presume Bauer/MTV think that its viewers are more interested in the Geordies/Kardashians, music is becoming second rate to them and in moving with the times this is what they have done, but lets remember they will eventually go back to music once all this "reality" trash dries up as how else will they survive as LinkinPark suggests online? If they go online it'll be the end for them (unless there is any viewing figures to prove otherwise for viewing these channels online) as people are already on Youtube and using other sites for music (again they have shot themselves in foot music wise) and they wonder why viewing figures are dwindling??
Heart TV and Capital TV are available just in Manchester on Freeview, I think these would be good nationwide, as we do need a channel to turn to that just plays the music videos, as Viva and 4Music are often doing anything but.