Former radio broadcaster tapped to lead ITV lab at Montreal’s Media Experts

A Montreal media company has hired a former programming director from the CHUM Radio Group to help advertisers prepare for the pending arrival of interactive television. Ian MacLean, the new head of the ITV lab at Media Experts, says a large audience for ITV is closer than many realize, and if advertisers want to exploit this new medium, they have to act now. "There are 20 million Americans who have access to ITV now. And, in Canada, we’re closing in," says MacLean, who also worked as a new media executive at CHUM. About 2.5 million Canadians are expected to subscribe to digital television either through cable or satellite this fall. "There’s still some obstacles at this point," he adds, "but the big decision that advertisers are going to have to make is ‘do you want to be in this space when the audience arrives, or do you want to spend a couple of years playing catch-up?’" Announced last week, MacLean’s appointment is the culmination of eight months of work to reposition the advertising buying and consulting firm within the ITV space. The group, which billed over $80 million last year, has put the services of 30 researchers, buyers and planners at MacLean’s disposal to study ITV hardware, software and business case models. "Our role is to be there to anticipate these changes and to help advertisers to adjust and to take advantage of all the opportunities that will be available when these technologies become widespread," MacLean told CNM. He says interactivity offers new ways to build brand loyalty and create consumer demand for more advertising. As an example, he cites the popular series of long-form BMW advertisement/films on the web directed by such luminous directors as Guy Ritchie. "The interesting thing is this long-form advertising is a way to connect with someone who is predispositioned to want to own a BMW, or is in the market looking for a car. This is the kind of voluntary download that they have made. It’s customizing all the information that you’re getting." He notes that the web has limitations in terms of having to download lengthy files, player software and the jerky, small nature of web video. "In the ITV experience, this is going to be viewed much more as a television experience with all the full, rich motion that film and television can provide you. It’s a completely different experience." Asked if advertisers are hesitant to embrace ITV advertising in the current climate of failing web-based advertising, MacLean says advertisers seem willing to consider the possibilities. "I don’t think they’re hesitant. I think there is some feeling that these things are a little further off than they really are. I think there are, certainly, some natural obstacles at this point, but they will quickly begin to dissolve. One of them, of course, is greater availability of digital signals into homes." Applications such as programming-on-demand, he says, will prove a "killer app" driving subscriber numbers. As for the current debate raging in ITV circles about revenue sharing between cable or satellite TV operators, broadcasters and advertisers, MacLean maintain there’s enough of the pie to go around. "I think we’re going to have a model where the broadcasters, the advertisers and the (large broadcast distributors) will all be sharing in the revenue. One interesting application that the cable companies will have is the ability to build a walled garden, as an example, where certain companies and brands will build an exclusive relationship with that MSO… That’s one revenue stream that’s available to them."

Former radio broadcaster tapped to lead ITV lab at Montreal’s Media Experts

News | 07/25/2001 4:00 am EDT

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