Sustainable Development TVSDPI’s Web-TV Initiative

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Dr. Vaqar AhmedSustainable Development Policy Institute

IDRC TTI Cape Town Meeting 19th June 2012

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• New York Advertising Creative (NYAC) started online television drama and soap opera in 1995

• The management refused to cater through its own resources

• The management succeeded in getting venture capital from APPLE and VISA

• Through this capital NYAC was able to attract contemporary artists and performers.

History of Web TV

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• During the course of soap opera the Web TV was receiving 100,000 hits a day

• Audience was able to live-post their comments

• Writers had ease in shifting plot lines due to readily available audience poll

• Parsimony in reaching targeted audience - no matter if you are late in reaching home

• Parsimony in attracting targeted advertisers

• Tagging issues over blogs much easier

History of Web TV - 2

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• With the coming of broadband bandwidth, speed and availability of quality videos was certain through:– Streaming – Podcasts

• You Tube, Vimeo and Daily Motion launched their services allowing Web TVs to have their pages and access mass advertisements

• By 2006 we had independent producers selling their output to Web TVs

• Social media further slashed outreach challenges for Web TVs

History of Web TV - 3

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• By 2008 Hollywood embraces Web TV

• ABC and NBC allowed programs with niche interest over web e.g. sci-fi – These were self-created, self-

produced, and self-financed programs which these channels will webcast

• The beginning of cross-channel distribution– Programs graduating from web to

cable

History of Web TV - 4

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• Viewers visiting website had little time to register, read and give their feedback on our publications

• Even in case of policy briefs – hits did not imply impact

• With videos we discovered that people were posting comments faster than the usual peer-review process

How SDPI discovered this?www.sdpi.tv

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Step 1: Develop internal core production facility

Step 2: Synchronize output with research projects

Step 3: Networking with target audience

SDPI Web TV – Beginnings

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Current Affairs

DocumentariesStructured Programs

Areas of Activities

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• Video Packages in episodes– Triangular stories • My view • Opponent’s view• Third party judgment• Synthesis

– Following packages produced faster than cable TV• Prime Minister’s Zero Hunger Program• Rio +20

Potential of Various Tools

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• Merging Development 3.0 tools– Pre-Budget and Post-Budget Debate in Pakistan• Research Findings• Outreach Seminars• Social Accountability Tools

– Sustaining Interest in Political Economy Discourse• Youth Groups• Women Groups• Minorities Groups

Potential of Various Tools - 2

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• Merging Development 3.0 tools– Creating demand through social media– Shaping real time opinion– Piling pressure for change

Potential of Various Tools - 3

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Setting up – Cost Structure (%)

Personnel; 55.6

Operating Exp.; 5.7

Communica-tions; 0.2

Stationary; 1.1

Equipment; 35.7

Other; 1.7

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• Can commercial operations be considered?– Loss: Think Tank’s own message Vs. advertisements– Gain: Cash flows ensured

• Who will be interested in commercial scale-up? – Barter agreements (MoU with major channels to give us

time in lieu of knowledge product)– Time Buying (from channels) profit and loss is ours

• How are we doing this currently? – Specific portion of project financing

Sustainability of Web TV

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• Challenges of Training Manpower– Per person training = USD 5000

• Need for competitive salaries otherwise retention problem– Deregulation of media has created demand

• Dedicated web team required for managing web-TV site

Human Resource

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• Invitation to think tanks to think digitally

• Focus on value for money

• Focus on sustainability of digital strategy

• Think branding!

Conclusion

Thank You

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vaqar@sdpi.orgwww.sdpi.org, www.sdpi.tv