The future of television passes by the mobile
IDEAS
THE POINT OF VIEW OF MICHEL COMBES
The future of television passes by the mobile
Will television be able to pass to the era of mobility? The report is shouting: television with the traditional direction, i.e. diffused, remains the only media with the variation of mobility. Radio, Internet, telephone, press and even cinema, all profit from a mobile mode of diffusion. Except one: television. Why? If uncertainties remain, the majority of the obstacles are raised and tangible opportunities. It is time to mobilize itself to make a success of starting in France of personal mobile television (TMP). The stake is major for the industrialists, but more especially the consumers. The craving of the public is proven and the TMP will be a market of mass. The reasons are simple: initially technology is easy of use, it is enough to press on a button and its terminal of predilection, the mobile telephone, already known of the consumer. Then, in the prolongation of the TV and the mobile which are addressed to all social generations and categories, the TMP will be general public media. To look at the TMP is a question of circumstance, not age or of statute. And the occasions will be numerous: outside (transport, left school, place of work) but also at home (to continue to look at its program in another part, to look at an emission different from the remainder of its family). It will be the TV which I want, where I want, when I want. All the experiments in France and abroad confirm a massive use (half of the participants looked at it the every day or almost) and a broad and solvent market (propensity to pay between 5 euros and 10 euros per month for 15 to 18 chains). In France, the incomes of access could reach 900 million euros per annum under ten years, making it possible to finance the whole of the system. Amount to which an increase in the advertising incomes will be added related to the increase in the time of 30 minutes audience to 1 a.m. per day! Which will be the contents? The opinions vary and the answer will come from the market. Let us guarantee that industry will be able to adapt, the legislator having right now envisaged the flexibility necessary. If the conditions of starting are met side of demand, that in is side of? There too optimism is of setting: the actors are ready and voluntary. On each level of the chain of value, the TMP opens a new space, new opportunities. On the plan of the contents, it creates outlets and constitutes a formidable vector to stimulate audio-visual creation. For the editors, it prolongs times of audience, generates the new ones precedes times, gears down the diffusion of the programs. For the distributors, the TMP enriches the services, fidélise the user and improves Arpu (*). For the equipment suppliers and the diffusers, it is a relay of growth: new terminals, new networks… Everywhere in Europe the movement is started: Italy and Finland started successfully marketing. Launching prepares in Germany, in Spain, in the Netherlands, in Austria, in Switzerland… France must remain in the group of head. The experiments having been succeeded, it is now necessary to pass to the operational phase. Technology is ready. Progress of the terminals (autonomy, posting, treatment of the signal…) guarantee a positive experiment customer, the overcost induced by the DVB-H in the terminal is controlled, the cost of the network and the loads of the editors and distributors compatible with the new awaited incomes. The only true question relates to the economic model and the organization of the chain of value. In the field of the distribution, any possible doubt: the mobile telephone will be, at least at the beginning, the principal vector of diffusion of the TMP and, consequently, the operators télécoms will have a role to play beside the audio-visual distributors (operators of paying TV). In addition, the propensity of the users to subscribe to the TMP and uncertainty on the level of the advertising receipts militate in favour of a model with access paying to starting. If a consensus emerges gradually, the actors must still agree on the methods of their relations. The TMP will not function without strong contents and thus without the editors. The model will have to thus lie within a scope of collaboration gain-gaining between editors and distributors. So that the dynamics of success emerges, the distribution of the value created will have to answer two requirements: to incite with the development of the TMP and to reflect the industrial and financial risks taken by each one. Overall, it is a true co-operative project which must be set up, defining, beyond the key of distribution of income, plan of services, the cover, etc The higher Council of audio-visual was declared ready to launch the call to candidatures for the attribution of frequencies TMP before the end October since the majority of the actors will agree to guarantee the success of the project. We have, us industrial, three months to settle the last questions and to answer this call. MICHEL COMBES is a chairman of TDF
10/07/2007.
