Cracking TV Nova's monopoly

By limiting the air time that Czech Television can devote to ads, Parliament is giving a de facto monopoly to the duo of TV Nova and TV Prima. Advertisers have tried on occasion to break the stations' hold through temporary boycotts, but with little success. Nova is simply too strong. But now Procter & Gamble, the No. 1 advertiser, has withdrawn from Nova, as noted by Richard Hunt in Marketing & Media. P&G spent Kč 73m per month (rate- card) in the first half of 2003 on TV spending, so the blow is significant. It comes at a time when TV viewership is falling and Nova is facing pressure in its arbitration with CME. Other advertisers are also addressing the issues of discounts, audience delivery and value for money, but more quietly than P&G. If there was ever a time that a concerted effort by the major players could make a difference in Nova's behavior, it is now. magazine