KIDS ILLEGAL DOWNLOADING: RESULTS OF SURVEY ARE ALARMING, CALL FOR EDUCATION

The world of children is full of risks related to the use of the internet, which, in addition to various types of cybercrime, also includes the risk of copyright infringement. For today’s children, the computer is an integral part of life from a very early age. They are at home on the Internet and routinely surf the web as early as ten years old, often even earlier. The computer and the internet are natural means of entertainment and communication for them. They usually start with streaming songs and playing games, gradually moving on to downloading software, movies, etc. But they often have no idea that what they are doing may be illegal.

With the explosive growth of the internet, the data volume restrictions that used to be a natural barrier to the rapid and uncontrolled spread of content, including pirated content, have long since disappeared. Whereas a few years ago downloading films required enormous patience, today it is possible to download large files such as films in a matter of minutes.

Unfortunately, research suggests that children are actively engaging in morally and socially ambiguous online behaviour, which includes sexual socialisation, recklessness, rude and abusive behaviour and illegal or unauthorised online activities, including hacking or unauthorised downloading or distribution of copyrighted content.

Online piracy has become an activity that now appears to be firmly embedded in the daily lives of children. Parents often do not even have a rough idea of what their children use computers for and, if they do try to control them, their concern is usually focused on basic security. They usually leave copyright education aside, possibly to the school, etc.

Children and young people are not taught to respect intellectual property. Copyright works are perceived as elusive and therefore unrestrictedly available to all. Copyright and intellectual property are not actively supported by the general public. As is evident from various discussions on the Internet, the public considers them to be incomprehensible, complex and unjustified. No wonder. Piracy is often perpetrated by parents. According to the Czech Anti-Piracy Union, the most widespread arguments to justify piracy are claims such as “the author did not lose anything”, “I wouldn’t buy it for the money anyway” and “it’s too expensive”.

Downloading copyrighted content requires little technical knowledge and is unfortunately often considered “morally acceptable” among children. Children usually do not fear punishment or even know that they are committing a crime.

Risks of illegal downloading

But criminal liability is not the only problem that pirate downloading entails. What children think is free may in fact be linked to adware, spyware or other malicious software, which is often designed to go unnoticed for as long as possible. The consequences of such an infection can range from unwanted ads and pop-ups to stolen personal information and loss of access to all important data. This doesn’t just apply to PCs and laptops. In addition to dodgy websites, streaming devices, mobile phones and smart TVs are also a danger:

  • If a child is streaming illegal content online, they can be exposed to cyber threats, intrusive pop-ups and harmful content.
  • Pirated content does not come with parental controls to protect the whole family.
  • Unsolicited explicit advertisements may appear.
  • Streaming pirated content puts family devices at direct risk of malware infection.
  • The criminals behind online piracy make money by installing unsolicited ads and viruses.
  • Malicious software on devices puts families at risk of identity theft and fraud.
  • Families should be aware of the criminal consequences of illegally viewing pirated content.
  • Viewers, persons who share the stream, or anyone who shares links to them are breaking the law.

EU Kids Online Project

At the European level, the EU Kids Online project has been addressing the issue of cybercrime, making a significant contribution to current understanding, debate and research across Europe since 2006.

According to the 2020 EU Kids Online research report, the Czech Republic is not in the best position. For example, when asked how often their parents talk to them about what they do online, only 16% of 9-16 year olds said often. A full 56% of children said that their parents never or hardly ever communicate with them about their internet use. This is 21% higher than the average for all countries surveyed.

26. 3. 2024

CNN PRIMA NEWS: NEW GRAPHICS REFLECT CHANGES IN NEWS

The graphic concept of news reports and continuous broadcasting of CNN Prima News is one of the main factors that motivates viewers to watch the station, say Tomáš Vojáček and Petr Závorka.

CNN Prima News has introduced a new graphic design for its news reports and continuous broadcasts after mid-February. The changes include a new concept of the studio, including the jingles of individual programmes. The graphic changes have been fine-tuned by Prima’s graphics and production team in cooperation with the editorial team and the American CNN for several months. We talked to the station’s editor-in-chief Tomáš Vojáček and head of the graphics department Petr Závorka about the graphic changes, the new news concept and CNN Prima News’ plans.

You said that the graphic changes are based on the concept that CNN Prima News used for its election specials last year and that you consulted the new graphic concept with the American CNN. How much of the need for the redesign of the newscast came internally from the needs of CNN Prima News and how much was an initiative from the American CNN?

Tomáš Vojáček: It is purely our activity. We have said for a long time that our intention is not to see the news as just a list of events, but above all to show these events as they affect people in this country and how they affect their lives. The graphic design has to be adapted to this. I mean, first of all, that news graphics must constantly evolve according to needs and current developments. These are very dynamic times. That’s why we started adding graphic elements to give the viewer the necessary context. And we also want to have a clear, snappy graphic presentation that is in line with modern trends. In the continuous CNN Prima News broadcast, we have increased the graphic elements, and we ask the presenters to work more actively with the graphics, and not just by having one presenter stand at the graphics and say something. That’s what we think American CNN is best at, and that’s why we consult on these things and try to use what we can.

If you had to describe the basic changes to the visual concept, which ones would you highlight?

Tomáš Vojáček: We use full screen displays, we don’t use as many additional materials, we included a light background to make the whole presentation cleaner and clearer. We take care to offer the audience as much visual information as they can read. We are mainly concerned with the interactivity of the graphics and being able to involve one or both presenters. We’ll show the facts on one display, and offer a more detailed view using a magic wall where we work with the presenters and experts in the studio. They explain the information and add context. This concept is based on our election studies, we started working with it in local elections and further used it in presidential elections. That’s where our transformation began, when we started to take the way we broadcast specials into daily operations and daily newscasts. Because we see that it has resonated with the audience. It doesn’t mean that we weren’t happy with the graphics we were using, but we were responding to the change in the concept of news.

Full interview on: mediaguru.cz

Source: mediaguru.cz

26. 3. 2024

INTERVIEW WITH LUCIE ORAVČÍKOVÁ: VOYO WITH ADS? NOT THIS YEAR.

Lucie Oravčíková has been in charge of Voyo and Nova’s other digital activities since 2018 and was the closest collaborator of Daniel Grunt, who is now her “double” boss: in addition to being CEO of all of Nova, she also retains her position as head of digital services for the CME group, which, in addition to Nova, includes TV groups in five other Eastern and Central European countries.

In January it was a year since you replaced Daniel Grunt as head of Nova’s digital activities. Is it an advantage or disadvantage to take over from the man who is now your direct superior?

I never thought of it that way, but I think it’s more of an advantage. Among other things, because I still have the same boss. We’ve worked quite closely together for the past two years since he rejoined Nova. So I’m not new to him and we didn’t have to go through that phase where the new director is finding out who can do what and what they think. We have worked together for quite a long time and on most strategic issues our views coincide, which is also an advantage in these days when speed of decision-making is important.

When you announced these personnel changes last year, Daniel Grunt was leaving his position as head of digital services not only at Nova but also throughout CME, and you were taking over activities only in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Recently, Vladimír Mužík, who is in charge of digital at CME, has returned to CME, so has that been resolved? And who led CME’s digital activities in the interim?

It wasn’t exactly like that. Dan never left his position as CME’s head of digital, he basically stayed on to become CEO of the Nova Group. So he’s still coordinating the other countries, especially as far as Voyo is concerned. So if he was sitting on two chairs before, one was the head of digital activities in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and the other was the head of digital activities in the whole CME, he left only one chair. For Vladimir Mužík, it is not purely about digital services, but digital transformation and also news, which is logical given his background.

Let’s get to some numbers. CME recently announced that Voyo has reached one million subscribers in all six markets where it operates. You have set the same benchmark for the Czech and Slovak markets by the end of 2025. But now you’re talking about the end of 2026. Why the one-year delay, when in all your interviews you say you’re over schedule with Voyo?

We are definitely over schedule, but what made you think we would push the deadline back? If I remember correctly, Didier Stoessel was coming on board at CME in the fall of 2020 and at that time it was announced that we wanted to have a million subscribers in five years. In the spring of 2021, Daniel Grunt came back to Nova, so maybe in that context they started talking about 2026. For me, that target is still at the turn of 2025 and 2026. I don’t think there will be any shift.

You currently have about 700,000 Voyo subscribers in the Czech and Slovak market…

In the autumn of 2023 we crossed the 650 thousand mark and we are still growing.

… is it possible to say how much of that is in the Czech Republic?

No comment.

I’ve read speculation that it’s half a million.

Our goals and project management are focused on the outcome of Czech-Slovak Voyo.

Okay. Is it realistic for Voyo to overtake Netflix in the Czech-Slovak market in terms of subscribers?

Anything is realistic, the question is when. It is not our ambition at the moment.

But I suspect that Voyo has already beaten Netflix in some of the markets where it operates.

Yes, in Slovenia Voyo is bigger than Netflix. In Slovakia, we have overtaken it in Brand Awareness, so Voyo as a brand is better known than Netflix. However, our strategy is not to overtake Netflix, but to coexist with it. We believe that subscribers are able to comfortably stretch their subscriptions to both services and what we want to differentiate ourselves with is local content.

Now, during the tenth anniversary of Iveta Bartos’ tragic death, we’re releasing the first Voyo Original to television. The first two seasons of the Iveta miniseries will appear on Nova, while the third season will premiere on Voyo at the same time. Does this mean that Voyo Originals could start appearing more regularly on Nova’s main channel, or in linear broadcasting?

Iveta in particular is a very special case. Firstly, it is a commemoration of the anniversary of her death, but also a special gift for our viewers on the occasion of Nova’s 30th birthday. Yes, I read in an interview that you should never say never, and that applies here too. Voyo Original is for Voyo subscribers. But it is possible that at some stage some of the titles will make it to the screen after a few years.

When we interviewed Daniel Grunt some time ago, when he was still head of Nova’s digital activities, we talked about this, and he distinguished between Voyo Originals like Roubal and, for example, the series Ordinace, which Nova has moved from linear broadcasting to Voyo. In the interview we mentioned, I asked the same question of Silvia Majeska, Nova’s program director, whether the episodes of Ordinace that were made only for Voyo will ever be brought back to linear broadcasting. She said she could not rule it out.

I can’t rule it out either. But at the moment, only Iveta is really planned to mark Nova’s birthday, and there’s nothing else in the pipeline for the foreseeable future.

So if Iveta appears in the linear broadcast, will it also be available on Nova.cz in the free archive?

Yes. In the same mode.

On Voyo it is possible to watch some of the paid linear channels, namely Nova Sport 1 and 2, but not Nova Sport 3 and 4, and there are no new stations Nova Sport 5 and 6 with Formula 1. How so?

It’s due to Voyo’s profile in these two markets. Although Voyo in the Czech Republic and Slovakia are very similar, they differ in content. While Voyo Originals are more targeted at the Czech viewer, in Slovakia we have gone the sports route. It started with the Nike League, the top Slovak football league. With Formula 1 it’s a bit of a specific case, because the Slovak viewer wouldn’t be able to get to it otherwise. While in the Czech Republic it appears in the offers of some operators, in Slovakia there is no major distribution agreement for Nova Sport 5 and 6 yet.

No one has agreed to your terms. Or is it also due to the fact that your sister service O2 TV does not exist in Slovakia?

It exists there, but it is significantly smaller than in the Czech Republic. At the moment, we simply don’t have any agreement with operators in Slovakia, and since the Formula 1 season has successfully started, we decided to solve it this way.

And the moment Nova Sport 5 gets into the offer of a pay-TV operator in Slovakia, will Formula 1 disappear from Voyo?

I can’t say at the moment.

The whole interview available here.

Source: televizniweb.cz

19. 3. 2024

PRIME TIME DOESN’T CHANGE EVEN IN THE AGE OF STREAMING SERVICES

Prime time, i.e. the time when most viewers sit down at their screens and the TV stations show the news or the most attractive programmes, was always between seven and eight in the evening. With the advent of internet television, viewers have been given the opportunity to change this. According to the data from the TV channels, they continue to sit in front of their screens most often in the evening, with only the rhythm of viewing during the week differing.

For example, according to the long-term statistics of the TV operator Telly, the average highest viewing is on Sundays, while the least watched day is Thursday. The prime time for Telly is from quarter to nine and ends around ten in the evening.

The biggest Czech TV stations have a similar experience.

“The main station Prima has long had the highest number of viewers and the highest share, i.e. the share of total viewership, in the main evening time between 8 pm and 10 pm. The same is true for the Prima COOL, Prima LOVE and Prima ZOOM channels and Prima MAX. At the same time, Prima COOL and Prima MAX are also shaar strong in the later evening hours of 22:00 to 00:00,”

said Prima spokesperson Gabriela Semová.

She added that on the contrary, Prima KRIMI station has the highest viewership and share in the afternoon between 2 pm and 6 pm. The CNN Prima NEWS news station attracts the most viewers during the evening news.

The main Prima station, she said, has the strongest viewer interest between 7pm and 9pm on weekdays, when Prima broadcasts premium in-house productions. “On the main Prima station, the highest viewing figures are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, when we broadcast the flagship series ZOO. The station is also above average on Wednesdays thanks to the series On the Waves of the Adriatic,” Semová calculated.

On thematic stations, such as Prima COOL, Prima MAX and Prima KRIMI, the highest viewership is at the weekend. “For most of our thematic stations, Saturday and Sunday are among the most watched days. Prima LOVE has the highest viewership on Wednesdays and Fridays,” the Prima spokesperson added.

Nova is similar, with ratings peaking just before 9pm.

“We call that segment the first prime time, it starts at 20:20. It copies the time when the most people are in front of the screens. The second prime time is after about 9:30, that’s when the second prime time segment starts, which follows the first one,”

said Silvia Majeská, programme director of Nova, in an interview with iDNES.cz.

She added that the viewership varies during the week. “The number of viewers varies. I think it kind of naturally follows the cycle of the week and historical habits. Most viewers are in front of Czech screens on Sundays, especially on Sunday evenings. Sunday is generally strong. The second most watched day in prime time is Monday,” she described.

The same experience is shared by Czech Television (CT), which has prime time defined as the time slot between 7pm and 10pm. “Most viewers watch TV around 9pm. This applies both to television in general and to the main channel CT1, where the news hour between 7 pm and 8 pm is added to it,” added public television spokeswoman Vendula Krejčová.

In the case of CT2, the peak in viewership occurs between 8pm and 9.30pm. In the case of ČT24, viewership follows the news at 12 and 18 o’clock and the news hour between 19 and 20 o’clock. “For Déček, most children are around 7am, a little later at the weekend, and in the evening between 6pm and 8pm. Viewing habits have been stable for a long time, they do not change,” Krejčová recalled.

She added that in general, most people watch TV in prime time on Sundays, and the least on Fridays and Saturdays. From Monday to Thursday, the number of viewers at the screens is quite similar. “Even in the case of Czech Television, the most people watch on Sunday evening, we register high interest of viewers, but also on Monday, Friday and Saturday, which is related to the deployment of primetime broadcasts. The weakest days are Tuesdays to Thursdays,” Krejčová added.

She noted that if CT offers viewers a premiere drama programme, an attractive sport or an extraordinary news event, the viewership is above average on any day of the week.

“In general, however, we see higher viewer interest in CT broadcasts on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. In the case of the premiere of a detective series, also on Mondays,” Krejčová noted.

Prime time remains, but quality is changing
Decades of prime time also apply in the era of streaming services. According to Netflix data, the highest number of movie or TV show viewings worldwide is at 9 p.m. In countries with long working hours such as Argentina, Mexico or Singapore, the peak streaming time is around 10pm.

“The time between 7pm and 9pm, or 7pm to 10pm, is crucial for TV and will remain so for years to come. Although rewatching will grow, the habit of watching TV directly in the evening is so strong among most viewers that prime time will certainly continue,” added Juraj Koiš from the TVKompas.cz expert server.

He warned, however, that qualitatively, prime time is not nearly as strong as it used to be. “Whereas five to ten years ago you needed at least two strong titles every night to keep the viewer’s attention, today you can rotate older reruns of established series in prime time and you can maintain the necessary viewership,” he said.

The viewer, he said, is no longer as demanding of quality and “newness” as they once were. “I think it has to do with the possibility of rewatching in IPTV, where the viewer finds the quality he wants to watch,” Koiš explained.

The average Czech spent three hours and 40 minutes watching TV every day last year, according to data from the Association of Television Organizations.

Source: idnes.cz

8. 3. 2024

CZECH TELEVISION WAS THE STRONGEST IN FEBRUARY, TV NOVA LEADER IN PRIME TIME.

Czech Television stations remained the strongest in February in the universal 15+ group in all-day broadcasting. In prime time, the Nova group is still the leader. The Prima group grew the most year-on-year in prime-time in February.

Czech Television stations were the strongest in February in the 15+ group in terms of viewership. Their aggregate share was 29.71%, down 1.6 percentage points from February last year.

Nova stations remained the strongest in the 15-54 and 18-69 viewer groups. It also has the highest share in prime time in all key audience categories. Here, it improved year-on-year shares in the 15+ and 18-69 groups.

Prima Group then showed the biggest year-on-year gains in prime time across all TV groups. It also increased share in the 15+ group across the day.

However, the top three TV groups, with the exception of Prima in 15+, did not improve their all-day viewing figures compared to last February. Atmedia grew the most year-on-year in daytime viewership.

Television Seznam also continued its slight growth. The share of the Barrandov group decreased year-on-year.

Of the individual TV stations, CT Sport (broadcasting both the biathlon and cyclo-cross World Championships) grew the most this February compared to February last year. Its share rose to 4.01% in February (15+, +0.7 pp y-o-y). The second highest growing channel was the main channel TV Prima (+0.59 ppts. to 12.25%).

Source: mediaguru.cz

7. 3. 2024

SILVIA MAJESKÁ: AUDIENCES WANT TO WATCH GOOD STORIES AND NOVA HAS A LOT TO OFFER

At the beginning of February, TV Nova celebrated its 30th anniversary since it began broadcasting. On this occasion, the programming director, Silvia Majeská, who is in charge of both Nova’s and the slovak Markíza’s programming revealed in an interview whether the two TV stations can be connected, what viewers in the Czech republic and Slovakia want to watch and how she sees the future of nova.

Nova celebrated 30 years. How would you evaluate this period?

This question comes up a lot. I was wondering how a person who has been here for a relatively short period compared to 30 years and who is from another country can evaluate it.

But that may be an advantage for your evaluation, you can keep your distance.

Maybe, but I may be biased as it is really an honour for me to work for Nova. I think it’s great that Nova has managed to launch television that people watched then and still watch 30 years later. I think that is a really amazing achievement and the main thanks go to the viewers who have remained loyal to us and watch our programmes. They keep giving us the energy and the desire to bring more and more things that they like. A huge humility is part of it all because we are television with a good track record.

How were you looking forward to celebrating Nova’s 30th birthday?

It is a bit strange because we have been preparing for the celebrations since last year. They have different phases, they are intertwined with the programming, marketing and communication, we will also go out to the audience. It is a very complex topic, but it is obviously a great feeling. I think 30 years is a really beautiful age, it is a kind of maturity. Really, when I think about it, I am flooded with hope that if we have made it through the 30 years up to now, we will make it through the next 30 years. Nova still has a lot to offer.

What is your vision for the next 30 years?

The world is evolving fast. The progress of digitalisation and technology is changing everything and creating new opportunities. It is naturally changing the way audiences are watching content, and we are seeing that especially with younger audiences. I think video content consumption will continue to grow and will only get fragmented based on the ways in which viewers watch their favourite shows. Everything is getting more individual and personalised, but I believe strong and quality stories will always have a place on TV.

When Nova started broadcasting back then, it brought a revolution to the market in terms of the type of programming offered and the approach to news. It has shown over those 30 years that it can keep up with trends. That is probably what we have been focusing on most recently – being ready for the challenges of the future and finding a way to continue to bring our fans stories that they enjoy watching and that they can find with us.

What are the challenges of the future? Where do you look for inspiration? In the last two or three years, Nova has expanded the number of channels, you have started making your own series… How is it going to go on, haven’t you reached your limit?

We have definitely not reached the limit of our strength and certainly not the limit of our appetite (laughs). I think we have a passion for what we do. At Nova we have a team of people who are very keen to bring things that the audience enjoys, so we are also united by a mutual desire to move forward in some way.

Of course, we often draw inspiration from abroad. It gives us some perception of what we can expect in the future. The overall consumption of video content in the world is growing, as is the interest in quality video. We have built one of the biggest creative teams for feature filmmaking here, we have a really strong production, we have multiplied the number of projects we have produced. We think we are ready for the future.

The Czech and Slovak markets are small and according to surveys, viewers spend longer looking for something to watch than they spend watching TV. Aren’t you afraid of flooding the viewer?

We are not afraid because this we think is our advantage – we are able to create series and projects that people seek out and watch en masse, whether it is on linear TV or on Voyo. People want and will want to watch something that is entertaining. The problem of too much content on the platforms actually plays into the hands of linear TV. There you will find pre-selected content that is presented to suit the audience on a given station at a given time of day. To fit in the viewer’s “life cycle”.

How did you deal with the time-shifted viewing? Or is it still true that viewers sit down to watch TV around 8 pm?

Fortunately, this is still true. Of course, the share of time-shifted viewing is also growing, but the dominant viewership is reported during the live broadcast, which means within 24 hours in our calculations. The proportion of viewers is incomparable, with the majority watching the programme within the first 24 hours. There is a slight increase in the percentage generated by time-shifted viewing but it does not seem like it is going to be vice versa soon. It is a natural moment of watching content: I wait for a new episode because I want to know what is going to happen next.

Or I wait and watch maybe two or three episodes at a time.

Exactly, and that is the advantage of the modern way of distributing content. There is the option to have the whole series together, and even viewers who don’t have the patience to wait from week to week can watch it.

Which is your most watched station? Is it still the main Nova station?

Yes, it definitely is. Nova is the most watched station in the Czech Republic among the active population, which is the age range of 15 to 54 years old, and with that comes a lot of responsibility. Today, when everyone is more concerned with their personal needs and personal consumption, it is not easy to create a programming line-up and offer programmes that can reach the masses of viewers.

NObody CAN GUARANTEE WHAT WILL WORK

What does a programming director actually do?

That is a common question (laughs). But until now I haven’t found a simple answer. Does he or she form a programme? (laughs)

Do programming directors just sign scripts or do they come up with the programme themselves?

The programming director actually prepares the programme strategy. This means that he or she is in charge of proposing solutions for each day of the week and for key time slots. That is, what and what type of programme will be broadcast on which day at which time. After that, more detailed work is required. The individual slots have some parameters and some focus. You have to work closely with the development and production department to arrange for the programmes. The programming director is also in charge of what the channel portfolio looks like. That is, which stations are in that portfolio and who they are aimed at, what programmes they offer, what their programming concept is…

As far as scripts are concerned, of course, programming directors are involved in the assessment of projects that have been in the pipeline for a long time because it is very important to set the right tone. The project is prepared and production is ordered with some idea of where it will run. We know what kind of audience we want to reach, and that is very important.

If you really like a show, do you push it through even if others are against it?

I very much welcome teamwork. Basically, there is no one in the world who can 100% guarantee that a programme will work because there are so many parameters to have an impact. That is why it is very important to really work in a team and to have a team of people who are experienced and really have insight. It is important to somehow confront and discuss your perspective with them. Then we know that together, we have arrived at the best solution that we can bring to the audience.

Of course, there are things I believe in. But it is not as easy as waking up in the morning and saying: I want to air this, and we are on the air right now.

Some series are available in both Czech and Slovak versions (for example, Zlatá labuť and Dunaj), Markíza is now running Specialisté in Czech. Have you thought of broadcasting any Slovak series in Slovak on Nova?

That is a very good question. The fact that there are Czech crime series on Markíza in Slovakia is a relatively recent change. Historically, it has not been done, but some time ago we dared to try Policie Modrava, one of the most successful series on Nova TV, and we found that the Slovak audience responded very positively to it. That is why we expanded the volume of Nova’s crime series that Markíza offers. And by launching Markíza Krimi in Slovakia, it opened up the opportunity to collaborate even more on this genre.

As far as the exchange of content in the opposite direction is concerned, Nova has already broadcast, for example, the Slovak version of Undercover Boss in the past. As for minor channels, Nova Fun broadcasts the series Súsedia, Nova Lady broadcasts the series Oteckovia, so we are trying to incorporate Slovak content into our broadcasting plans. In Slovakia, we don’t make crime series. That genre has not been successful there for a long time, we have had more success with the Slovak adaptation of the series Případy mimořádné Marty, as it is called in the Czech Republic, in Slovakia we have Výnimočná Nikol. That was actually a crime series that had more success after a long time.

STRONG EMOTIONS ARE WHAT WORKS IN SLOVAKIA

Is the Czech and Slovak audience the same? Are there any differences?

Sure, it is the same as asking if Czechs and Slovaks are the same. They are not. Every nation has its own specifics, some of its needs, some of its favourite things, and the programme has to reflect that. If they were the same, we would probably broadcast the same programmes. But they are not too different markets. We are similar in some ways, perhaps because we are drawing on a common history.

You mentioned that crime stories are more popular in the Czech Republic while in Slovakia, they are not in great demand.

Yes, I have often said that strong emotions tend to work in Slovakia, and that was our long-term explanation for why crime genres did not work there. Slovak viewers did not need to solve an equation in a series and reach a conclusion, but they needed to cry, to fall in love. They were just looking for different attributes and I think that is still true to some extent. We see it on Voyo as well. Voyo offers a lot of Czech and Slovak content and can swap some programmes. It is great that we can offer the opportunity to watch both Markíza’s and Nova’s programmes to those who are interested.

Is there any difference in viewership during the week and on the weekend?

Yes, the number of spectators varies. I think it sort of naturally follows the cycle of the week and historical habits. Most viewers are in front of Czech screens on Sundays, especially on Sunday nights. Sunday is generally strong. The second most watched day in prime time is Monday.

Is viewership still the highest between 7 and 9 pm?

Yes, it was always around 8.50 pm. That is the time when most of the spectators showed up. That is what we call the first prime time segment, which starts at 8.20 pm. It corresponds to the time when the most people are in front of the screen. The second prime time is after 9.30 pm. It is the start of the second prime time segment, which follows the first one.

Do you come to work in the morning and discuss the ratings?

Yes, each morning the previous day’s viewing figures come in, and of course, those figures are then updated with the time-shifted viewing data, so we have the viewing trends for the specific day and specific programme. We can see the whole day, all the programmes, all the stations. We can see what the viewer watched, if they switched off something, what they watched instead. That is important for us to track whether they like or dislike something, whether they are happy with us, whether the way we have served it up to them suits them within the day. We make changes based on that.

Have you always worked in television? Have you ever tried radio?

No, I haven’t because I actually got into TV right away, relatively soon after college. It was always my dream job, I didn’t even think to look elsewhere. I have been very lucky that I have always been given some kind of opportunity to move on within the company, so I have been able to learn something new, and I love that.

You once said that when you interned at MTV, you worked in two departments at the same time.

Yes, the departments were looking for students at the time, so I said I would take both and we would see how it worked out in practice. It gave me more of a chance to learn, and it was actually my first contact with television. I had an amazing supervisor who showed me how acquisitions worked, how setting up a broadcast structure worked. They were just launching a new channel at the time and I was able to learn what it was actually about. It is not easy get engaged in these matters. An outsider has to be really lucky to have some experience to even get into those departments and learn how everything works. For me, it was actually a stepping stone.

THE WHOLE FAMILY CAN WATCH ULICE

Are you looking forward to something now? For example, a new series?

I always get excited when something is launched, it is my adrenaline rush every six months. When a new season starts, I get so excited. I am filled with anticipation how it is going to turn out. Then we have some lessons learnt, which we process for a while, and soon after that, we are preparing the next season.

But you also have the programming pillars, such as the series Ulice. It has been on the air for 20 years and still has high ratings.

We are even trying to make sure that the generation of viewers is changing, meaning that Ulice should have the opportunity to attract younger generations of viewers. Because multigenerational viewing of the series works very well, there are multigenerational characters and really diverse stories. We have a very experienced team that works to make sure that the characters and the stories reflect the people and their experiences. The series is prepared well in advance to be ready for specific days, specific weeks and months. It should accurately reflect the needs and mood of everything that people are experiencing. We are extremely proud of Ulice, it is one of Nova’s flagships.

Another such series is Ordinace v růžové zahradě. Viewers made a “revolution” when you wanted to end it in 2021.

We didn’t want to cancel it, we pulled it off the main channel and moved it to Voyo. We are really happy that Ordinace is continuing because it is very popular on Voyo and it is still getting new viewers, which is great. It is produced by a very skilled and experienced team.

You are in television all day. When you get home, do you still watch TV? Are you able to perceive it as an ordinary viewer?

When I come home, I don’t watch TV because I have little children, so they are the first thing I deal with. But I love to watch programmes of any kind, anywhere. I have been a TV fan since I was a kid. TV is my dream job. Talking about what I watch at home and if I can watch it as an ordinary viewer, the answer is yes, absolutely. At the end of the day, I am watching content with some personal feelings and personal sympathies but naturally, you can’t avoid some professional deformation. But I am very happy to watch something to relax.

Do you prefer crime stories or something else?

It depends. When my husband and I are watching, we tend to choose adventure or crime series. When I am alone, I like to watch typically female content and undemanding stuff.

Being a mother of young children, are you planning a children’s channel?

We don’t have a children’s channel in the Nova Group, but we do have a beautiful children’s section on Voyo, which is full of favourite fairy tales in the local language. In that respect, Voyo is convenient for kids and moms, they can watch whenever and wherever they want to. And it is available without ads.

How do you relax when you are so busy?

I prefer to relax with my family, our activities are adapted to the age of our children. I don’t mind being busy, I keep telling myself that I am very lucky in my life, I have healthy kids and I have a job that I enjoy and find fulfilling, so I try to be grateful for that.

Source: idnes.cz

5. 3. 2024
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