The FINANCIAL — Based on the data provided by the Company TV MR GE, Licensee of AGB Nielsen Media Research in Georgia, ratings of Georgian small TV Channel Kavkasia has recently tripled or even raised 4-5 times compare to the data of previous months. Today it holds upper position then TV Mze and Public Broadcasting Company.
Average Ratings of the Channel 0.3% for Tbilisi Audience in October has risen to the Average Rating 1.2-1.6% in late November – early December. Because of this trend TV Kavkasia has started tightly competing with Public Broadcaster and Channel Mze. This tremendous boost in ratings has caused flow of advertisement, especially in the Prime-time of the channel. Although Public Broadcaster doubts the data provided by AGB Nielsen Media Research, the interest for the TV Channel Kavkasia is obvious among the population of Tbilisi and Georgian Advertisers.
“TV Kavkasia has at least doubled its ad sales since its reopening after the lifting of the state of emergency in the country. The reason for the company’s raised rating is that the population has lost confidence in the other local TV channels,” declares TV Kavkasia.
Broadcasting of the TV Channel Kavkasia was suspended at the same time as the turning off of the US News Corp owned TV Channel Imedi.
According to Video International Georgia (VIG), they started receiving Kavkasia’s measured ratings as of November 19.
“Previously we just had no need in observing Kavkasia’s rating as they were very low,” stated Nino Giorkhelidze, VIG.
In August the President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili announced his offer to fund the TV Company Kavkasia. Giorgi Arveladze, the Minister of Economic Development of Georgia stated that the Georgian government is ready to allocate from the president’s fund the amount of money that the TV Company Kavkasia will need in order to rent new office space for the next six months.
The Publishing House Samshoblo (Motherland) located on 14 Kostava St. in Tbilisi was besieged by police on August 10. Moreover, the offices of a number of newspapers and magazines are located in the publishing house’s premises. As a result Kavkasia has not broadcasted since the raid. The justification for taking over the Samshoblo Publishing House is that is was slated to be sold at auction with an initial price amounting to USD 20 million.
In future perspectives Georgian banks might consider the opportunity of buying airtime at TV Kavkasia.
“At this point TBC Bank has no plans to start running ads on TV Kavkasia but from January we might consider that perspective depending on what the TV channel’s rating will be at that time,” Natiagotsadze, TBC Bank PR Manager, told The FINANCIAL.
“At present ProCredit Bank Georgia isn’t considering buying airtime on TV Kavkasia,” Lali Svimonia ProCredit Bank Georgia PR Manager, told the FINANCIAL.
Average rate for 1 min commercial on Georgian leading TV channels is USD 600.
All advertising has been suspended at Imedi TV since the November 7 police raid on the News Corporation owned TV station. Video International Georgia (VIG) exclusive media seller of Imedi TV estimates USD 3.5 million losses from the cancelled ads in November-December 2007.
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