Credible Audience Measurement An essential step towards a more developed, diverse and democratic Television in Egypt by Ali E.

H Belail

The lack of a credible and verifiable audience measurement system for television in Egypt has hindered the development of television. It has stunted the growth of the essential components of a healthy television environment: the channels which remain essentially one hit (peak time) wonders, the producers- the bulk of which remain on the peripheries of the mainstream unable to break into it and of course the audience who under the existing audience measurement system remain an enigma. The establishment of a universally utilized audience measurement system is an essential step that will be a catalyst for the evolution of the Egyptian television industry. It will bring into focus the weaknesses and flaws in the existing model and open the way for innovative solutions that are contemporary and indigenous.

That all of Egypt now is at the foot of very steep hill is without question. But I am sure many will agree that some areas or aspects are more developed than others and therefore some are more needy than others. In the case of the democratization process in the political realm, the process is under way and the debate and the players in it manifest a high level of awareness and sophistication: constitutional amendments, electoral reform and laws, the role of religion; all these aspects and many more are exhaustively debated. Of course there are severe challenges but the basic and essential components exist: the institutions, the practitioners, the historical precedents that are particular to Egypt and the universal references from which to draw; and the most important component: the will to proceed to a democratic Egypt exists. The same cannot be said of media and I speak here specifically of television. If we were to judge solely on what is reported in the media one would conclude that, with the revolution, television in Egypt ceased to have any problems except for the figureheads in state media from the previous regime who have remained. It suggests that the problems with television were almost solely to do with propaganda and censorship and that is plainly not a fact.

It is high time that those in the industry engage in debates and discussions about television that deal with details and specifics rather than generalities. When it comes to television, both state owned and private, there is so much that needs to be done beyond issues of censorship and freedom which have thus far dominated mainstream debates about the media in Egypt. The need for regulation, Public Service Broadcasting, editorial integrity in news and current affairs are all issues that need immediate attention. They are all issues that are closer to my heart and career than what I have chosen to speak about, namely: Audience Measurement of Television in Egypt. It is in my opinion a cornerstone of any developed television environment and thus far audience measurement in Egypt has been wanting in many respects. I would like to note at the outset that this modest endeavour is mostly based on interviews with practitioners on the data gathering side and channel marketing. Solid information was very hard to come by which highlights one of the key problems with audience measurement in Egypt- that of transparency about the processes and methodologies involved. Of the three major data providers, I was only able to gather basic information about two companies. One uses telephone interviews to gather data the day after the viewing occurs. The other company uses a diary system to gather its data. Both these systems are non-automated, which underscores a crucial weakness in the whole process. According to experts in the field rural areas are the least surveyed in their coverage of Egypt. That alone poses another serious deficiency in the whole project. The diary system is based on a checklist that is given to households and is collected on a weekly basis and analysed to produce a viewership report that reports on ratings including the demographics of the viewership. The data is manually recorded at 15 minute intervals by a member of the household. Moreover, the diary tends to be filled out by the female in the household, which according to some professionals in the field leaves the male understated in the survey. The diary system also does not take into account viewership that occurs outside the home, say in the coffee house for example, which also underlines another weakness. The proponents of the diary argue that it is gathered in real time as the viewing is happening in contrast to the telephonic method which conducts interviews the day after the viewing. The diary system is essentially paid for by the very people whose channels are in the survey and thus potential bias can occur since those channels and programmes are pre-listed in the list. For the rest of the market there is a slot that covers other channels. So while the diary system will have a list of channels and programmes to be checked by the subject, the telephonic system will ask the subject a general question: what did you watch yesterday. The telephonic system eventually results in a report that also measures ratings and demographics.

Both methods raise serious questions about accuracy and integrity of the data. In the words of an expert in the field: not all investment [in advertising] is therefore sound. The current system of audience measurement has resulted in a television menu that is dominated by drama, sports, political talk shows and entertainment talk shows and only during peak-time evening hours. Viewing habits are monitored in wide brush strokes showing only the big and very big and completely disregarding genres and types of programming that might attract modest audiences but successfully deliver a particular demographic to an advertiser. Current audience measurement analysis will also tell you that morning hours are a dead time for advertisers, which must at least raise some questions as to the viability of that premise. Morning television has its peculiarities but it is extremely successful in many parts of the world that are comparable to Cairo, if not Egypt as a whole, and Cairo is a city that can deliver huge audiences but only if there is a system that can detect the demographics that advertisers seek and only if that information is irrefutable. In 2000, CNBC, an American cable business channel, had it largest audience ever of 343,000 viewers. While the figure is quite low considering that the channel is in 95 million homes in the U.S and Canada, it delivers a key demographic: those with the highest disposable income. The point here is that there is a mechanism that can accurately detect figures and demographics. It also illustrates that figures are not the be all and end all in ratings. The lack of a similar system and willingness to accept that not all programming can have mass following, has led to a copycat culture which while common in all circumstances has become the rule here in Egypt. We now have near identical general channels in terms of content because the figures apparently show that that is what people want. It seems channels and media buyers and advertisers have concluded that, when it comes to television, all people have the same tastes. In turn this has led to advertisers, channels and a content production culture that are slow in taking on new and innovative programming. So while you might watch with tens or maybe even hundreds of thousands some very compelling content produced in Egypt by amateurs on YouTube, turn to most Egyptian channels and you will still find the same actor or actress being asked the same questions but perhaps in a more glamorous set than the previous time. What we have now in Egypt, especially in private channels, is a lack of variety and diversity in content and form which does not reflect the constituency of young and talented producers, writers and directors who remain on the fringes of television. I will also dare to venture that those who were responsible for the revolution who produced the songs, placards and the artistically and culturally rich atmosphere in Tahrir are also not reflected in much of Egyptian television content. And if they were watching I can only speculate that it must have played a part in fuelling their revolution even further.

But audience measurement ultimately is not only about good research and data gathering. For reliable audience measurement to begin impacting what we watch it has to be used and be seen to be useful. Advertisers, agencies and media buyers and brokers have to recalibrate their approach to one that is more nuanced and sensitive to different tastes. Egyptian television channels and their partners in advertising and media have to come of age and accept that audience insight for that is what it is called has to become a main feature and stage in the production process. A few years ago no one in Egyptian television would have dared invest in a Turkish dubbed drama or imagined that they would be popular. Now that MBC has done its homework with their research and insight department, other Egyptian channels are piggy backing on that knowledge and airing the same dramas. But that is not a sustainable way to proceed if Egyptian indigenous television content is to be relevant and dynamic. Focus groups and other tools that measure appeal, quality and content are an essential investment and those on the advertising and media side need to become responsive to these developments. For television programming to allow the diversity and innovation knocking at its door, those responsible in advertising and media need to start talking in terms of slots, genres, strands and demographics and drop the utterly misleading term the people. It is frustrating and sometimes infuriating when talented producers with very good ideas are consistently being told by the media companies who lease the commercial airtime on channels and are co-producers of much of the revenue generating drama and programming this is not what the people want. This from a private television industry that is just over a decade old and that has not even begun to scratch the surface in terms of types of content and programming. Niche audiences are the key to diverse programming. At the moment, advertisers are not willing to invest in advertising in programs that are watched by some only. They want the mass. They want to reach the largest crowd not the niche. Audience measurement is a tricky aspect of television anywhere in the world. To this day, there are criticisms levelled at Nielsen ratings in the United States but that should not excuse us here in Egypt from developing our own rating system that borrows from other models and develops its own schemes and methodologies that factor in Egypts peculiarities. At this point, the people meter which is an automated electronic system that measures detailed viewership and demographics at the source is long overdue here in Egypt. The people meter seems to be the most efficient and rewarding if only because: firstly there is no middle man; secondly it can handle much bigger samples, thereby improving on both the diary and telephone system which typically take smaller samples; and thirdly the information is generated almost in real time. Ultimately and according to experts in this field, audience measurement in Egypt will need to combine different tools and

methodologies that accommodate the diversity of viewer constituencies. At the moment more than half of Egypts population (52%) is not covered by audience measurement despite 100% television penetration. What does that say about media reform? Indeed how does it figure in Egypts new democracy? Rural areas, which until now have been deemed largely irrelevant and inconsequential, must be included even if they are arguably not significantly commercially attractive. At the end of the day, audience measurement should serve both those wishing to cater to commercial needs as well as those who might just want to engage in that other cornerstone: public service broadcasting. Commercial competition has been a positive addition to television in Egypt. But it is time to take the next step towards an industry that is fair, mature and encourages innovation. Audience measurement and analysis that is credible and professional will be key in making that transition. For that to begin happening the partners in this industry need to garner the will to proceed. Unfortunately that is still lacking.