Abstract:

The introductory speech of the ESOMAR Seminar on the Expansion of Broadcast media is divided in two parts. The first part’s purpose is to define the key role that broadcast media -and in particular Television- play in every person’s life, and to expose summarily the dramatic changes occurred in the European scene in the last decade. The influence of advertising as the main source of income of most of the existing channels in 1990. Part two deals with the role that Research plays in providing sufficient manageable, reliable information on the media audience, that is critical for advertisers investments and media professionals. Research programs have been developed for an stable market, when now the media picture is changing rapidly, requiring from the Research professionals considerable amounts of creativity, agility and versatility. It is not only a wider, more open market in terms of new channels, but also of new commercial formats, which evaluation is more difficult. Then, there’s a description of some of the challenges that the technological development poses to the professionals in the communication area : HDTV, Passive meters, ”Inteligent" VCR, Radio Electronic Diaries, ... and other items that are even unknown today. The final part deals also with the future, in terms of describing some of the most important problems that Research specialist shall face to make a relevant contribution in the future This concerns the volume and manageability of the information provided, its homogeneity, the improvement of data from "People Meters", a further evaluation of the different advertising messages delivered by the media, the Zapping problem measurement and the credibility of the new TV Channels.