TV channel bans film distributor!
The fierce battle among the UK media to grab a slice of the limited advertising pie is reaching gigantic proportions.
The market for advertisers in the UK is limited to 15 key clients, which include food companies, financial services, travel packages and Bollywood. The most dynamic and unsurprisingly glamorous of them all is Bollywood: the relationship between the visual and aural media and the three major Bollywood distributors in the UK is an alternating love-hate one with the latter turning increasingly demanding and tough. The bottomline is that every media wants Bollywood adverts, which notch up the glamour quotient of the channel or radio station.
A while back, two film distributors gradually withdrew advertising from a popular television channel because the proposition was lacking in commercial viability. More than two distributors do not advertise whatsoever with a radio station that proclaims it is the Midlands’ numero uno. A major London-based radio station is gradually falling out of favour with one or two of Bollywood’s big boys who are sick of its ad clutter and absence of value to customer. Another fledgling radio station in London recently got a shock when a film distributor took a quick decision to snap commercial ties with it and explore another upcoming station instead.
The battle between the film firmament and the Asian media in the UK has turned even more vicious with a leading television channel banning a film distributor in toto. The directive to all its international offices (including the UK one) has come from the channel’s Head Office (India). This distributor rumouredly lodged a suit against the channel for using its video clips without seeking permission and is demanding a king’s ransom as compensation. The infuriated broadcaster has issued a holistic ban (till the situation is resolved) on accepting any advertising from this distributor and while the latter is not complaining, some of the branch offices (including the UK) are feeling the heat on losing out on several thousands worth of advertising revenue that was likely to fall in its kitty in the next few weeks!
In another interesting development, two top film distributors have decided to join hands and take a call on their final choice of media for advertising going forward in the next month or two. The outcome is likely to have some unpleasant surprises!
Stay tuned to Biz Asia for the latest inside dope!
