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NMC, TRA name consultant for TV audience measurement initiative |
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The National Media Council (NMC) and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) have appointed an international consulting firm as a consultant for the initial phase of the UAE’s TV audience measurement initiative. The consultant won the tender from a pool of eight submissions from top international firms. "We are proud to have been selected amongst a pool of world-class players for this project. We are also fully dedicated to supporting the National Media Council on this important initiative which will provide TV audiences with a voice, helping to guide broadcasters to program shows and attract more advertisements" the company affirmed. The NMC and TRA launched the TV Audience Measurement initiative as a critical step towards greater development of the UAE’s media industry after a series of workshops and industry consultations held earlier this year. During these discussions, broadcasters, advertisers and members of the general public expressed the need for an independent, NMC-led initiative to establish improved transparency in TV audience measurement. The NMC responded to the demand with a phased plan to launch a sustainable TV Audience Measurement system within the UAE in collaboration with the TRA. The first phase kicked-off this week and devotes eight weeks exclusively to laying the foundation for successful implementation. This includes benchmarking international best-practices, assessing the local market through research and stakeholder interviews, identifying best fit governance and technology and finally achieving alignment amongst key players. The participation of key stakeholders has been earmarked as the critical success factor for the initiative. Although industry groups have been pursuing such alignment for some time, the NMC and TRA’s involvement is expected to catalyze the process, which will have far-reaching, positive impact on major multinational broadcasters and advertisers. Although growth in the regional media industry has been strong since 2002, there is still significant untapped potential. While mature media industries typically report ad spend equal to 1% of GDP, this number drops to only 0.5% within the UAE. |
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