Chapter 4
Media Management
4.2. The Media Landscape in SA
Broadcast Media Broadcast media: make use of airwaves to transmit the audio
for radio and the visual and audio for television. The
broadcasting signals are carried over wavebands, which use
short-wave, medium-wave and high frequencies.
Free-to-air TV: television channels that citizens receive with an
annual once-off payment required.
Pay TV: requires viewers to purchase the relevant hardware
such as a satellite dish and decoder, along with paying a
monthly subscription fee.
Print Media Print media: the printing and distribution of printed material,
such as books, magazines, journals, yellow pages, brochures,
posters, catalogues and newspapers.
Newspapers: A typical newspaper entails journalist reports,
images, advertisements, cartoons and puzzles. Newspapers
are made of lightweight paper and have a short shelf life,
depending on whether it is a daily or weekly newspaper.9
Magazines.
Magazines: are highly targeted and therefore their content is
usually focused on a particular audience. There are a number
of focused magazines such as consumer, professional, trade or
educational magazines.
, Out-of-home This refers to advertising that does not feature in broadcast
media media or digital media. It includes in-store media, transit media,
directories, promotional products, product placements,
advertising in movie theatres and in-flight media.
Interactive Media This refers to media that allow individuals to engage through
technology. It includes websites, application software (apps),
virtual reality, user-generated content, interactive television,
gaming, blogs, theme parks, interactive advertising and mobile
telephony.
Opportunities & Challenges facing the media industry
Opportunities Challenges
- Switching over to digital terrestrial - The International Telecommunications
television will provide greater Union has set a deadline for South Africa
integrity, flexible signal content to switch over to digital terrestrial
and better image quality. television from antenna signal.
- The demand for new content has - The current economic climate is making it
led to an increase in content difficult for the government broadcaster to
creation and delivery, leading to keep up with the demand for new content.
consumers wanting home-grown - Proposed laws are in place which will
formats. censor online content.
- There is a demand for studio - The proposed Broadcasting Amendment
space for new content, and Bill would give the Minister the power to
therefore larger space will be appoint a board, thereby undermining
available. broadcasters’ independence.
- More channels will be available. - The proposed Secrecy Bill would
- High-end international series are criminalise whistle-blowers and journalists
coming to South Africa. under the pretext of national security.
- Free-to-air allows for added - Surveillance on journalists is a threat to
channels and better quality of media freedom.
television programming. - Political interference in news leads to
- As media reflects the society, it opaque reporting, which leads to
needs to be diverse, racially and weakened reputations.
culturally sensitive. - Commercial stations will be competing for
advertising funding.
, - Concentration on media ownership and
control leads to an increased monopoly,
which impacts the value chain,
publishing, printing, distribution,
circulation, research and advertising.
- Lack of media diversity – as the media
helps us form opinions and ideas, it is
essential that many different opinions and
viewpoints are heard to inform our own.
- High data costs have impacted citizens’
access to online content.
4.3. Major Advertising Media
- Mass Media: media that enable a message to be transmitted to a large, diverse
target audience.
- Niche media: media that enable a message to be transmitted to a target
audience that shares the same interests and characteristics.
- Controllable media: are those in which control of the message lies with the
organisation.
- Uncontrollable media: are those in which control of the message lies with the
media (the particular media house).
Broadcast Media
Television Radio
A television: is an electronic device that Digital radio: is digital audio
provides visuals and audio. It provides broadcasting that can be transmitted over
entertainment programmes, updates on any digital platform such as over digital
global and local news, and even television, streaming over the Internet
evangelising programmes. and even over analogue. Digital radio has
made it possible for listeners to tune into
Digital TV (DTV): television signals their favourite radio station even though
transmitted via satellite through a decoder they are no longer in the broadcasting
linked to the TV. An example is DStv. area
Interactive TV (ITV): digital signals that Buying Radio Time:
transmit a combination of images, sound,
, graphics, games and information. For Free-to-air radio: require hardware such
example, user-generated content can be as a radio, radio-enabled TV (satellite TV
uploaded to YouTube. such as open-view high definition –
OVHD) or over-the-internet reception.
Video on demand (VOD): a system that
allows users the opportunity to watch Generic ads: 60 seconds is the
video, film and user-generated content maximum permissible duration for all
immediately (thus “streaming” the generic advertisements.
content), or to download it to watch later.
Digital video recorder (DVR): allow Live Read ads: must offer benefit to the
users to record programmes to watch listener, through interesting or important
later, also allowing a viewer to play, information that is relevant to their lives,
rewind or pause. and through a holistic campaign that
offers variety and, where possible,
Buying TV Time: entertainment.
- Sponsorship: the advertiser
sponsors the programme that is Sponsorships: can be either for
broadcast. For example, SA’s got standard or created features.
Talent is sponsored by Samsung
- Spot advertising: whereby the Client-created features: All client-
advertiser negotiates and created features must be no longer than 5
purchases advertising spots minutes in duration, due to the fact that
directly from the individual the client message may influence the
television stations, for example a programming content. Created features
Skip washing powder will be charged at a premium.
advertisement shown during a
programme Power spots: A power spot is a 60
second live endorsement by the
Elements evident when buying TV presenter.
Time:
