FORTA prides itself on its proximity to citizens and focuses on attracting a youthful audience
At a time of globalization and digitization of content, with the consolidation of the major streaming platforms in our country such as Netflix, HBO Max or Amazon Prime Video, regional broadcasters are competing with the same weapons with which they were once created, the seams of the decentralized state became strengthened: proximity, public service and the commitment to immediacy thanks to direct. “The pandemic has placed us in a fundamental place for the management of co-government between the state and the autonomous communities, as the main information element for the solution of the measures with a regional picture. We have grown and our news programs have worked,” boasted Andoni Aldekoa, president of the Federation of Autonomous Radio and Television Bodies or Entities (FORTA).
The head of the group of regional radio and television shows off a song: «We suffer from the uncertainty and volatility of the data, but FORTA will have a good audience this year. We are the third fourth reference to compete with TVE ». Thus, in April, they matched La 1 with a screen share of 8.3%, although in May the distance widened in favor of the first state channel (9.5%) thanks to the broadcasting of Eurovision and the major sporting events.
There is also a difference in results between regional television stations. For example, the Catalan TV3 is the leader in its area (13.9% in the previous month) compared to the Valencian À Punt (3%), the least followed. Average Aragón TV (10%), TVG (9.6%), ETB2 (9%), Canal Sur (8.1%) or TPA (7.8%), while Castilla-La Mancha Media (6.7% ), Telemadrid ( 5.5), Televisión Canaria (5.2%), La 7 de Región de Murcia (5.2%), IB3 (5%) or Canal Extremadura TV (4.8%) close the lower part off the table, according to Barlovento Comunicación.
The most imminent challenge for FORTA, according to Aldekoa, is dealing with “globalization and digitization” in the audiovisual environment, which is developing its transformation “fast” due to the predominance of platforms and “the evolution they will have”. «We are affected by the total change in the behavior of society and of the new generations, in terms of consumption. What has been done so far is faltering. We have a future, but if you stay put, it will be very difficult,” he warned during a breakfast organized by the New Economy Forum in Madrid yesterday.
Because watching television is no longer sitting in front of the couch in the living room. Series, entertainment and even genres such as reality shows can be consumed via a mobile phone while sitting on public transport. A “market repositioning” which, according to Aldekoa, FORTA cannot look the other way. It is committed to working on “content generation”, which will no longer be followed by linear consumption in 40-45%, as traditional channels will increasingly diminish in importance due to the fragmentation of viewers. “The consolidation of the audience will come from the sum of the two consumptions,” he predicted. And he targeted the younger population precisely because of the fear of a “detachment” from their public regional television if there is no adaptation to the new media landscape. “We need to connect young people and take risks at certain times,” he claimed.
For this reason, the also General Manager of EITB advocated alliances with platforms, “conversations” of shared work “that go well”, to generate attractive products for young people that allow them to claim and not lose the identity of any autonomy. “It’s happening in Europe. There’s a preponderance of OTTs that aren’t European. They’re all American. The problem isn’t the technology, it’s the content that comes,” he said.
In that sense, Aldekoa defended the value of regional television ‘for culture, industry and the democratic narrative’. “In short, for all citizens,” he added later. The FORTA manager also clarified that “public television funding in the state is half that of Europe” and that the regional channels have a budget of 1,100 million euros together with about 8,000 employees. “Each of us is part of the ecosystem of regional and regional audiovisual hubs. We are an element of generating industry and impact in each of our areas,” he added, also highlighting the preservation of advertisements in these media, which serve as a platform to “guarantee local consumer markets”.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
