By Etan Vlessing
AS EVEN NETFLIX gets set to enter the advertising game, the IndieNET Group of independent broadcasters today pitched Canadian marketers and media agencies on what they see as the biggest frontier in television currently: linear TV.
As they unwrapped a fall 2022 programming slate for Canadian TV audiences, the consortium comprising six indie stations belonging to CHCH, YesTV, CHEK and NTV returned to a familiar pitch: linear TV’s live audience share and reach can still be depended on to deliver a solid return for TV ad investments and remains a dominant force in local markets where IndieNet stations operate.
The consortium’s advertiser presentation reaffirmed how, as Canada opens up to over-the-top digital platforms, linear TV remains a big draw for audiences and advertisers, at least for now.
“IndieNET delivers reliable, year-over-year performance, thanks to our strong focus on appointment television, timely and relevant news magazines, and time-slot owning first-run syndication gives the IndieNET as many simultaneous hours as possible,” Christina Larisse from Yes TV told advertisers during a virtual presentation.
The IndieNET group employs an off-network syndication model, where non-exclusive shows are leased to multiple Canadian TV stations, rather than distributed by a single conventional TV network.
Beyond the Hollywood fare, IndieNET stations offer locally packaged news and local and live programming as they upfront pitch at advertisers looking to diversify their conventional TV and digital platform buys.
The syndication model works by allowing major series producers to secure revenue for their content and IndieNET programmers get popular series to reach audiences countrywide.
The indie broadcaster consortium boasted 94% national coverage, unchanged from last year’s pitch from IndieNET.
But much as the indie group casts a wide net for popular programming and goes countrywide, advertisers were reminded with buzz-phrases like “coast to coast,” “we’re stronger together” and “one call, one buy, one invoice” that it’s easy to buy air-time from the consortium’s sales teams.
“Advertisers have relied on us more than ever as a tried and true, consistent, safe environment to deliver your advertising messages,” Lorraine Pope, director of sales and program acquisitions at St. John’s, Newfoundland-based NTV, billed as Canada’s superstation, told advertisers.
The IndieNET broadcasters went back to the future as they unwrapped a fall 2022 programming slate filled with off-network series reruns, news magazine shows like 2020, Inside Edition and Nightline, long running game shows like Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, tentpole movies and tailored local news and live programming.
To demonstrate reach, CHCH boasted viewers across Ontario, including the Toronto market beyond its Niagara/Hamilton backyard. And the newly branded CHEK TV station, headquartered in Victoria, B.C., also reaches into the nearby and larger Vancouver market.
Another draw: hyper-local news operations that advertisers were reminded of for CHEK includes The Upside, a lighter side of Vancouver Island hosted by Jeff King and Ed Bain with positive stories from the community and around the world.
CHEK’s mix of local and simulcast programming includes Game Night Tuesdays, British shows on Friday nights, and police procedurals and Hollywood movies.
“Thank you, to all of you, our customers across Canada, for your support of local, independent, employee-owned CHEK Media Group,” John Voiles, general sales and marketing manager at CHEK, told advertisers during the IndieNET virtual presentation.
As the TV industry debates whether ad-supported video-on-demand channels online are a fad as consumers face a recessionary threat, or a fixture on the industry’s horizon to compete with Disney+ and Amazon Prime for years to come, the IndieNET stations again and again pitched stability to advertisers via the promise of bulk-delivery syndicated series, blockbuster Hollywood movies and local and live TV fare.
David Garby, director of business development and affiliate relations at YES TV, branded his TV stations CKES-Edmonton, CKCS Calgary and CITS Ontario as the “reliable and consistent home” for popular syndicated programming like the second season of You Bet Your Life With Jay Leno and Family Feud Canada.
And the CHCH pitch to advertisers included a drone shot of the new state-of-the-art studio in Hamilton, Ontario to indicate that the broadcaster is keeping up with the digital times.
“A new era begins at CHCH,” Chris Fuoco, vice-president of marketing, Channel Zero/CHCH TV, said as he opened his station’s presentation with the promise of a refreshed fall slate of local news, information and entertainment programming.
