Nick Cohen

I was really privileged today to chair a fascinating debate on “Post Transformation”, sharing the stage with Andy B. from Channel 4, Iris Nedio from Accedo.tv, Mark Patrick from the BBC and James Glendinning from Techex to talk about the current state of broadcasting and where we stand on our transformation journey. My key takeaways: 💰📱 Commercial and consumer pressures continue to drive demand for innovation and adaptability. Small screen viewing, on demand requirements and competition from platforms like YouTube are changing the market. Digital first is the way forward. 🏃‍♂️ The speed of change required has continued to accelerate - in the software world, immediate PoCs are required and go live might be within weeks. We have to be able to drive incremental improvements and integrate where required. ☁️ In Core Video and audio technology, the move from SDI to IP and the cloud is the enabler for future flexibility, but not everyone is there yet. It takes time to replace core legacy infrastructure. We are not all “post transformation”. The scale of backbone tech change required is challenging to deliver. 📹 Video and audio in the cloud is complex. Standards can reduce complexity (we all want reduced complexity!), but can standards keep up with the pace of change? How can this work globally? We also don’t have sufficient people with the right skills for cloud. 🤝 Super flexible industry partnerships are key to agility, providing solutions, software and resource augmentation. Requirements can and will change. Thanks so much to our panelists and to Polly Hickling for organising the SMPTE track!

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Whilst there is a lot of talk about AI currently, much of it is fairly general so our Research Director, Richard Marks, took the opportunity to interview Guy Bisson, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Ampere Analysis, and discuss a report Guy has produced on how AI is being used in the TV and film production chain. They also discussed its potential impact on the advertising market. Helpfully Guy and Richard set about defining the terms currently used when considering various applications of AI. They discuss the extent to which its potential is used in different ways throughout the production process. Despite this being very early days in the evolution of AI, there has already been an explosion of specific tools that have been developed for each stage and many of these have legal, ethical and moral considerations to be resolved. Richard and Guy also discuss the impact AI is likely to have on advertising, with the opportunities that open up both for targeting and creative execution – product placement within drama and movies being an obvious example. #AI #advertising

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I hope the media bill passed yesterday in the UK government will create the 1m jobs it had the original ambition to create The bill proves that we are well and truely now in the age where streaming isn’t the alternative, it is the main stay of the sector where public service broadcasters and streaming services co-exist If my interpretation is right, then it maybe even legislates for preference to be given on the discovery pages of smart TVs to the PSBs. A bit of a technical challenge on the compliance front for the connected TV manufacturers? I’d be interested to know what Oliver Davies and Timothy Edwards say about that The main thrust of the bill is to remove the threat of state-backed press regulation to support modernising broadcasting regulations for the streaming age The Media Bill, like the Digital Markets, was rushed through following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to call a general election on 4 July In summary the Media Bill’s provisions include: 📺 Ensuring that the apps of public service broadcasters (BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5) are easy to find on smart TVs and other devices 📺 Requiring video-on-demand services such as Netflix to be covered by the Ofcom content code 📺 The repeal of Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act, removing what many see as the threat of Government-backed press regulation 📺 The listed events regime is updated to ensure major sporting events such as the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup and Wimbledon remain free to air via a public service broadcaster 📺 New rules to ensure the BBC, commercial and community radio stations are available via smart speakers Above all of that for me I hope that the original sentiment of investment and job creation remains.

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Today sees the release of Ofcom’s overview of the UK media landscape – the Media Nations Report. As always with this invaluable report, its best to read past the “Gen Z swerving” headlines (a slightly un-Ofcom choice of language) and pick through the many insights that lie within. The first observation is that overall video consumption went up in 2023 to a an average of 4 hours and 31 minutes a day, and the TV set is the most used device. So please no headlines on the “death of TV”. The big theme is the migration of TV audiences to the breadth and flexibility of streaming options, and away from traditional broadcast/over-the air TV. And yes this remains most acute amongst those swerving 16-24 year olds, more than 50% of whom do not watch “broadcast TV” on a weekly basis (although they could of course be watching live TV on a streaming service, which highlights the growing need for clarity on definition – broadcast TV does not equal live TV, ask anyone launching a FAST TV service). The decline in broadcast TV viewing is steep in the last three years, although this is from a Covid peak in 2021. The only anomaly in this decline was the +75s who with a small increase in their broadcast TV viewing (up 1%). But even the most stalwart defender of broadcast TV I doubt would claim that as much more than an aberration of the overall trend. But let’s not forget this decline is still from a very big base – live/broadcast still represents 109 minutes of those 4 and half hours of viewing. Two bits of good news emerge from the report for the PSBs: -         BVOD is growing nicely – up 29% year on year, and most significantly amongst older audiences – reinforcing the strategy to invest in the content range and product quality of the PSB players. -         There remains strong and consistent satisfaction in public service broadcasting across all age groups. Another key insight from Ofcom’s report is that SVOD penetration definitely seems to have plateaued. Of course it remains a very competitive market but on the simple measure of what proportion of homes take at least one SVOD service, we remain at 68% which is no higher than the post lock-down SVOD boom. And as others have commented in recent months, if SVOD were an Olympic sport then it appears the real battle is for silver and bronze, with Netflix accounting for half of all SVOD viewing. The final insight of note is on YouTube – hard to describe Google’s video platform as a sleeping giant – but it is sometimes surprising it doesn’t get more attention compared to its SVOD cousins. Total viewing of YouTube reached 31 minutes on average per individual per day (50% higher than the equivalent figure for Netflix), and most notably half of this is now on the TV set. If anyone still thought YouTube was about watching cat videos on the train home – think again. https://lnkd.in/ekpQR7sm

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Have you not had your fill of election news yet? Want to know exactly what the tech sector can expect in the coming months and years? Then GOOD NEWS: I've talked to Mark Ridley, technical co-founder of Reed and a very experienced IT leader, about what the Labour win means for the UK's tech sector. We talk AI, the NHS, the potential opportunity for open source, green tech and pick over the oddly specific plans for datacentres. It's a fascinating interview and important listening for everyone in UK tech (and when you listen, please leave us a rating/review). https://lnkd.in/e9SDtpiw

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It’s interesting to hear different thoughts about bundling but ideas on paper  need to translate to reality.    Having worked at satellite and IP platforms for many years, this is something we’ve  battled with and the trick is trying to find the right mix for customers, at the right price that technology is able to deliver cost effectively. 1. The customer – selecting components of the bundle depends on the popularity of each service offered, the price and the length of time the customer is locked in.    Ideally customers like to pick and choose their own bundles but there’s a higher cost to securing content and products unless volumes can be guaranteed.   2. Partners may only negotiate better rates if there’s sufficient volume and sometimes a minimum guarantee might be required.  They also want to know what else is in the bundle and what marketing will be used to support and promote it.    3. The technicalities of the platform.   Building plans and technical solutions is not always easy and the first step is to ensure relevant tech teams can build it and to consider any costs involved and ROI.  4. The motivation. Is it to increase customer nos /revenues , add to the product and services offered for retention or a mix of both ? Just like building a house, what looks good on the architects plans can change depending where the services are located , cost of goods and end value for living and long term investment.

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Data provenance, in knowing were your metadata originates from, is now more important than ever. Discover why provenance is a must-have for a competitive edge in today’s media landscape. https://lnkd.in/evkDedS2

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What a great week it's been catching up with old and new faces. There's been a lot of familiar chat recently about how conferences and networking events have become a bit stale, predictable and uninspiring... this week felt quite the opposite.   🎄 Kicking off with the fantastic Digital Leading Ladies aka #DLL and a (not premature…) Christmas lunch organised by the fantastic committee. An informal network born out of Whatsapp, keeping it real when it comes to advice, support, rants, ideas and laughs along the way. Good for the soul!   🤖 Into the inaugural FutureWeek AIMM conference talking all things AI. I had the pleasure of being on a panel with the awesome Lara Izlan (contrary to the title we did all think there's been great progress!) and whilst it was great learning more from the OGs in the space, it was insanely valuable having chats about the real projects we're all working on - sharing the oh too common challenges as well as the wins. I'm hugely excited about what we're doing in this space at Channel 4 Sales and the part we're playing to drive real benefits to our Sales teams and Customers.   📈 Lastly Videoweek Roadmap included a great panel of analysts on the future of Broadcast TV. Stats from Ampere Analysis supported the reality that: * there's been a huge increase in investment by UK broadcasters not only in in technology but also content * the high standards we set ourselves to technically deliver ad breaks is not to be underestimated when it comes to viewer experience (something the streamers are working towards in these early days) * the UK is in a unique position to have strong PSBs that play an increasingly important role in representing UK culture through content and creativity.   A lot going on, but also why this is such an interesting time to be working in TV/CTV/Streaming/enter-own-definition-at-your-peril...! Looking forward to FTV next month to do it all again! #DLL #CTV #FutureweekAIMM #AI #VWRoadmap24 #Video #Advertising #FutureofTVAdvertising #FTVAGlobal

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I try not to be too reactive when it comes to the news, but I do think the situation with Twitter/X is basically irredeemable. It's clear that Mr Musk has a very specific vision for the platform – and that's fair enough, given he spent $44bn to buy it. But the approach now is basically anathema to the imperatives of good journalism. On top of that, it's clear that Musk sees Twitter as competitive with (rather than ancillary to) legacy media. So whatever your thoughts on the content, its role in dis- and mis-information, the curation and privileging of specific points of view...etc, the media needs to wise up to the fact that success, for Twitter, involves cannibalising the media industry. It's also just *dreadful* from a business strategy perspective that the media industry has allowed itself to become so financially indentured to third-party social media platforms. There is nothing to stop Elon Musk from, tomorrow, totally cauterising all external linking on his platform. The impact of that on "traffic" – the sacred metric of digital media – would be catastrophic. That's too much power over your business outsourced to an exogenous body. It's all madness, and the weaning needs to start now.

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I'm not one for making political comment, but given the state of the UK production sector over the last 12/18 months I couldn’t resist when asked by Broadcast (MBI) magazine. Lots of pressing issues including offshoring, sustainability and innovation funding that any new government should address to preserve our amazing creative and production industries. At Quite Brilliant future proofing production is at the heart of what we offer. #Virtualproduction #sustainability #innovation #future https://lnkd.in/gCSm6HQs

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#TechTalk 2.0: The 2024 iteration of exchange4media's #techtalk column is here, and we're starting with a doozy. With its ever-revolving cast of characters, expanding boundaries, data rushes, and most of all a booming population, Sanjeev Jasani, Nachiket Deole, Vipul Kedia, Renu Singh, Abhimanyu Vyas, and Venugopal Ganganna explain why #digital is still the Wild West of #advertising. #DigitalAdvertising #AI #adfraud #consumerprivacy https://lnkd.in/gq5zxxTs

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This marks a big step forward for our titles. The launch of news apps for the St Helens Star and the Wirral Globe, with full access for our digital subscribers. I firmly believe it is one of the most positive strides we’ve taken towards shaping our digital future. The Star and Globe were born as large-scale ‘free’ distribution newspapers half a century ago. They remain at the heart of their communities and provide a vital service, providing trusted news and information for our readers - connecting them with their communities. Both titles have had to evolve over the past decade and we’ve seen this through the enormous audience growth of the websites and the ongoing development of the print titles (which has driven newspaper sales). As we look to expand our growing number of digital subscribers and loyal audience, these apps are the next significant step, offering an improved user experience for subscribers that includes access to all online news and content - and digital e-editions of the weekly newspaper editions. We have some introductory offers on at the moment (£5 for 5 months), so give our apps a try and let us know your feedback. https://lnkd.in/e9EWA2Uy #news #digitalsubscriptions #journalism

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Before you grade your next report, consider our independent campaign oversight analysis for advertisers, publishers and platforms. We have 10 + years' expertise in the connected TV advertising sector. We foster a vibrant developer ecosystem to expand your platform's commercial offerings: 🪄 Test different ad creatives to determine which ad unit performs best with CTV audiences, post campaign ROAS for more impactful campaigns 🏋‍♂️ Benchmark the performance of your CTV platform against industry standards and competitors to identify areas for optimisation 📊 Analyse your content discovery and ACR recommendations on CTV platforms to improve your FAST content visibility and engagement 📺 Grow your Operating System through partnerships with device manufacturers, content providers and other key stakeholders Get in touch to learn more and discover how we can work together to unlock your commercial business potential on connected TV www.ctvma.org.au/research

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Top read news and analysis by the Lexology PRO specialist data protection, tech and AI reporters last week (16 - 20 September): Information Commissioner's Office cookie crackdown kicks off, by Douglas Clarke-Williams: The ICO has formally criticised Sky Betting and Gaming for illegal placement of tracking cookies on users’ devices, but Martin Sloan says the reprimand sends a mixed message. https://lnkd.in/efvi54hg The incoming EU #DORA will streamline the process of regulatory engagement for covered entities, an in-house lawyer for Google Cloud has said. By me: https://lnkd.in/enA4dKVz OpenAI lawyer likens model training to search engines, by me: A lawyer representing OpenAI has argued that the company’s scraping of public data to train its models is just the latest in a string of legally protected uses of copyrighted information by innovative tech companies. https://lnkd.in/em3QakPi Access the specialist reporting team's content at the Lexology PRO data hub: https://lnkd.in/ewkQ8vMM

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Do give this interview on Monocle with my colleague Alex Wood Morton a listen - lots of good soundbites on our European strategy  #fortune #businessmedia #makingbusinessbetter

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