Lenka Hrivnáková, Author at The Association of Commercial Television

STRATEGIC SHIFT TO REALITY SHOWS HAS TV ÓČKO BRING NEW REVENUE

The fundamental step of Óčko TV is to reorient the programme offer to ensure higher viewership and new revenues from the sale of advertising time.

The strategic change of the programming offer towards reality show formats is one of the steps taken by Óčko to improve its economic results. In addition, it is taking cost-saving measures, especially in the area of overheads, increasing its online and social media reach and seeking to monetise it more effectively. This is according to the annual report of the operator of Óčko TV, for 2024.

Although Óčko managed to stabilise the viewership of its linear TV channels in autumn 2024, its financial results remained loss-making last year. Last year’s loss amounted to CZK 13.4 million. CZK 11.3 million in 2023 and revenues from the sale of products and services decreased by 25% year-on-year to CZK 96.9 million in 2024. CZK. Key revenues from the sale of advertising time fell by CZK 35.4 million year-on-year. CZK. This decline, according to the company’s management, “was unfortunately complemented by the negative development of the direct business, which also lost sales year-on-year.”

This year’s bet on the domestic version of the reality show Naked Attraction thus proves to be the right move in terms of viewership. To date, the first three episodes have been watched on TV Óčko by an average of 164 thousand viewers over 15 years of age, with a share of 7% (9% in CS 18-69). This is several times higher than the average viewership of TV Óčko and Naked Attraction is by far the most watched October show on Óčko. As expected, the show is even more popular with younger viewers, specifically in the 15-24 audience group, with a 28% share of the audience (source: ATO-Nielsen).

The follow-up programme One Blade Naked: Second Chance, with which the Philips brand has teamed up, is also above average in terms of viewership, with a share of over 6% (CS 18-69).

Although the foreign versions of Naked Attraction do not achieve the same viewership as the local editions, their viewership on Óček is also higher than that of the classical music programmes.

The management of Stanice O estimates that the implemented measures will lead to an improvement in the company’s performance. They believe that Óčko will “strengthen both the viewership of classical television broadcasts and performance on social networks and secure additional revenues from the sale of advertising space”. The reorientation of the programming offer is a crucial step in this effort.

Source: mediaguru.cz

STUDY: AI ASSISTANTS DISTORT NEWS IN ALMOST HALF OF CASES

As many as 45% of AI assistants’ responses contained serious errors in their output when dealing with intelligence information. This is according to a study by the EBU and BBC.

New research coordinated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and led by the BBC has revealed that AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini or Perplexity distort news content. The study involved 22 public service media from 18 countries, including Czech Radio. Journalists from the participating public media outlets examined more than 3,000 responses from AI tools in 14 languages. Four key criteria guided their evaluation: accuracy, sourcing, differentiation of opinion and facts , and contextualization. The research uncovered a number of systemic issues across the four leading AI assistants.

“The results show that nearly half of the responses – 45% to be exact – contained at least one major error. The most common issue was insufficient or misleading sourcing, which appeared in 31% of responses. In one fifth of cases, there were factual inaccuracies, including hallucinations or outdated information,” Martina Májíček Poliaková, Director of Strategic Development at Czech Radio, describes the results of the study. According to the study, the worst performing tool was Gemini, where the evaluators noted serious errors in 76% of the responses, mostly due to misquoting and unprovable statements. Although there has been a partial improvement from the previous phase of the BBC survey, the overall error rate remains high and worrying.

“These are not exceptions – they are systemic failures that transcend national boundaries and threaten public confidence. When people don’t know what to trust, they often stop trusting altogether, and this can undermine the very foundations of a democratic society,” said Jean Philip De Tender, EBU Director of Media and Deputy Director General.

Key findings

45% of responses had at least one major error.
31% contained problems with citing sources – including false, misleading or non-existent references.
20% had factual inaccuracies, often called hallucinations or outdated information.
Gemini failed in 76% of responses, mainly due to misquoting and unverifiable statements.

Compared to the previous phase of BBC research, there has been some improvement, but error levels remain worryingly high

Accuracy and facts first

From the perspective of the public service media, representatives say it is crucial that AI assistants’ responses to news queries are first and foremost accurate, free of factual errors, hallucinations or misattributed statements. Transparency is also key – every answer should be based on clearly stated and verifiable sources. Assistants must be able to distinguish facts from opinions and not introduce hidden or unstated interpretations into the text. Developers should also pay particular attention to providing context, especially for complex or controversial topics where there is a risk of simplifying or omitting important information. The whole process should be under regular and independent scrutiny, with opportunities for feedback from the media and the public, and with clear rules for continuous improvement of the output.

“Public service media must be at the forefront of the fight for credible information. Artificial intelligence has enormous potential, but according to this study, it also has major limitations. We approach reporting with the utmost care, verifying facts and working with sources according to clearly defined rules. But when processed by AI assistants, the result can be a narrative that does not honor the same principles of quality journalism. That is why it is our duty to protect the public from distortions and misinformation, regardless of the tool that spreads it,” adds René Zavoral, Director General of Czech Radio.

The EBU therefore believes that AI responses need to be regularly and independently tested, as one-off analyses are not enough. It is equally important to have an early warning system that can quickly detect when AI tools start to spread biased outputs. But none of these steps can be effective without collaboration. AI companies, regulators and the media must work together.

Czech Radio’s experience

AI assistants’ performances in the Czech environment have shown recurring mistakes, ranging from the use of untrustworthy websites to the misinterpretation of laws or politicians’ opinions, see examples:

Distortion / shift of meaning

Perplexity claimed that surrogacy is prohibited by law in the Czech Republic. In fact, it is neither explicitly allowed nor prohibited – Czech law does not regulate it.

Use of disinformation sources

Both ChatGPT and Copilot drew key information in the example from the website prvnizpravy.cz, which was designated by military intelligence as a pro-Russian disinformation channel and blocked by some internet providers after the invasion of Ukraine.

Mistaking opinion for fact

Copilot in reply to “What is NATO doing?” cited as fact a statement that came from an interview with politician Alexander Vondra. The AI transformed it into a generally valid fact, making the answer misleading.

Silencing counterclaims

Copilot answered the question “What does China export?” based on a radio debate where two opinions are expressed (CRo Plus, Pro and Con) – but AI only included one, leaving out the other entirely. This distorted the tone of the whole issue.

EBU challenge

The EBU calls for immediate action from all key players in the digital and media space:

Technology companies should immediately adjust the way their assistants respond to news enquiries. They have a News Integrity Toolkit that outlines specific requirements for quality, accuracy and working with sources.
Regulators and legislators should ensure that rules to protect information integrity are consistently applied in the AI environment. At the same time, public media literacy needs to be strengthened to help people navigate new technologies.
The news media have an indispensable role to play in monitoring developments, detecting risks and informing the public. Their voice is key to ensuring that technology serves the public interest – and not the other way around.

According to the Digital News Report 2025 (Reuters Institute), 7% of online news users use AI assistants, and the figure is as high as 15% among the under-25s.

The full study is available at this link: Report EBU MIS BBC

Source: mediaguru.cz

UEFA JOINS ACE TO BOLSTER LIVE SPORTS ANIT-PIRACY

UEFA has become the first exclusive sports rights-holder to join the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), deepening cross-sector efforts to disrupt illegal live streaming worldwide.

The move positions UEFA and UC3 – the body commercialising UEFA club competition rights – at the forefront of coordinated global enforcement.

UEFA will participate in ACE’s Live Tier, which targets sports piracy through real-time intelligence, takedowns and cooperation with law enforcement. ACE, led by the Motion Picture Association, now counts more than 50 entertainment companies among its members.

Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA’s executive director of marketing, said the partnership expands UEFA’s enforcement capabilities and leverages ACE’s tools to disrupt illegal services. MPA and ACE chair Charles Rivkin said UEFA’s membership strengthens efforts to detect, deter and dismantle piracy affecting broadcasters and fans.

UEFA and UC3 said protecting media-rights revenue remains essential to funding professional and grassroots football across Europe.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

DAZN PURSUES ITALIAN IPTV USERS WITH COMPENSATION CLAIMS AS PIRACY CRACKDOWN ESCALATES

Italian authorities have intensified their clampdown on illegal IPTV use, with DAZN, Sky Italia, and Serie A preparing to seek compensation from thousands of viewers identified during recent anti-piracy operations.

More than 2,000 users have now received registered letters from DAZN demanding €500 in damages following a major investigation by the Guardia di Finanza, which uncovered large-scale use of illegal IPTV platforms – known locally as pezzotto – offering access to premium sports and entertainment content for as little as €10 to €15 per month.

The letters, sent on 26 September, invite recipients to settle out of court within seven days or face potential legal action. The approach marks a new phase in Italy’s coordinated crackdown on piracy, shifting enforcement beyond operators and distributors to include end users.

DAZN’s action follows approval from prosecutors in Lecce, who authorised rights holders to access the list of fined users after an earlier nationwide operation identified 2,282 individuals across 80 provinces. The investigation traced more than €500,000 in proceeds from illegal subscriptions, leading to the seizure of properties, cars and cash.

Authorities say the losses to Italy’s economy from audiovisual piracy exceed €2 billion annually, impacting jobs, tax revenue and football club finances.

Broadcast regulator AGCOM Commissioner Massimiliano Capitanio confirmed to local media that Sky Italia and the football leagues are preparing similar measures, calling DAZN’s letters “only the beginning” of broader industry enforcement.

The initial fines issued by authorities start at €154, but repeat offenders face penalties up to €5,000 under Italy’s copyright law, in addition to any civil claims pursued by rights holders.

The original Guardia di Finanza operation, led by Rome’s Special Unit for Goods and Services and the Economic and Financial Police Unit in Lecce, dismantled a network that distributed pirated feeds from DAZN, Sky, Netflix and other pay-TV platforms.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

43% OF SPANISH FOOTBALL FANS ADMIT TO PIRACY, SAYS MOVISTAR

Movistar Plus+ says almost half of Spanish football viewers are now watching matches illegally, warning that piracy has become “socially accepted” and calling for tougher laws to protect sports rights.

Chief executive Daniel Domenjó told Spanish media that 43% of football fans in the country pirate live games, undermining the economic model that sustains premium sports coverage. He said the current legal framework was too weak to act as a deterrent, urging the government to strengthen legislation against online piracy.

Speaking at a recent event in Madrid, Domenjó described illicit viewing as being “socially well regarded” in Spain — a cultural problem that, he argued, normalises theft of content and erodes the value of media rights.

Movistar, which holds key broadcast rights for LaLiga and UEFA competitions, is in talks with football authorities to step up action against the pirates. The operator also wants to expand its offer beyond live matches, developing more documentaries and sports-related entertainment to reduce dependence on match rights.

The company says its findings highlight the scale of the challenge faced by rights holders and broadcasters as illegal IPTV services continue to thrive despite enforcement efforts.

Movistar has joined calls from LaLiga for a coordinated crackdown on piracy across Spain’s digital platforms.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

MULTICHOICE LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN TO COMBAT SIGNAL PIRACY

MultiChoice Zimbabwe has launched a new campaign, DStv ZIMnandi, aimed at curbing cross-border signal piracy and encouraging viewers to switch to locally licensed subscriptions.

Unveiled in Bulawayo, the campaign carries the slogan “Keep it simple, keep it legal. DStv ZIMnandi.” It targets Zimbabwean households using South African DStv accounts — a practice the company says breaches copyright and undermines the domestic broadcasting sector.

As part of the initiative, MultiChoice is offering incentives for customers to migrate to legal Zimbabwean accounts, including a waiver of reconnection fees and expanded payment options through local agents, banks and mobile money platforms such as EcoCash and Mukuru.

The operator says subscribing locally helps fund national content creation and supports Zimbabwe’s television ecosystem by ensuring revenues stay within the country.

DStv ZIMnandi is being rolled out as a multi-channel media campaign, with radio, outdoor and digital promotion across Zimbabwe.

The move forms part of a wider anti-piracy push across southern Africa as MultiChoice seeks to protect its subscription base and clamp down on unauthorised account sharing and illegal IPTV services.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

TV SEPTEMBER WAS WON BY NOVA, THE SHOW OF THE MONTH OCTOPUS

In September, the Nova TV group recorded the highest audience shares in all critical audience groups.

The Nova Group achieved the highest shares in both full-day and prime-time broadcasting in all key audience groups 15 , 15-54 and 18-69 in September. In the broader 15 group, its full-day audience share was 28.45%. This is according to official ATO-Nielsen viewership data. At the same time, the new channel performed the best among the strong three in the all-day telecast year-on-year.

However, the margins in the universal Group 15 are not large within the strongest domestic top three. The Nova group has a share almost 0.6 percentage points higher than Czech Television (27.88%). The Prima group is only 0.4 percentage points behind Czech Television (27.46%). In the 15-54 and 18-69 audience groups, the gap between Nova and the number two, which is the Prima group in these target groups, is larger.

Nova also held prime time in September despite a year-on-year decline in share. Czech Television followed with a year-on-year higher share in prime-time in 15, while Prima was the number two in 15-54 and 18-69, and improved the most in prime-time in the 15 group of all the entities monitored. Prima also had a better result in prime-time in the 18-69 group than last September.

Televize Seznam continued to grow in September, moving over 2% in 15 and improving 0.44pts to 2.19% in its primetime 18-69 group. And Atmedia‘s representation of thematic stations also had a higher share in September.

ELECTIONS ON ČT, CNN PRIMA NEWS AND TV NOVA REACHED OVER THREE MILLION PEOPLE

Saturday’s election telecasts on the three domestic television stations were watched by 3.3 million viewers over the age of 15.

The day-long coverage of the Czech parliamentary election results reached 3.3 million viewers over the age of 15 on Saturday on ČT24, CNN Prima News and TV Nova. That’s how many viewers sought out the election coverage for at least three minutes (reach) from early Saturday morning to the end of the day. Data from the official ATO-Nielsen measurement shows this.

Both news TV channels, CT24 and CNN Prima News, broadcast throughout the day from morning until midnight. TV Nova offered a continuous afternoon and early evening block, which was rounded off by Televizní noviny. The blocks broadcast from 16:00 to 19:00 were the most popular.

The average viewership (rating) of the entire afternoon broadcast on ČT24, from 14:00 to 19:00, was 586 000 viewers over 15 years of age, with a share of 27.8%. The afternoon broadcast on CNN Prima News from 14:00 to 18:40 was watched by 309 thousand viewers over 15 years of age (share 15%) and the special on TV Nova from 13:00 to 19:15 was watched on average by 236 thousand viewers over 15 (share 11.6%).

CT24′ s total share of the day on Saturday was 16,13 % (15 ), the best result of all TV stations on the market. CNN Prima News’ s all-day share climbed to 9 % to 8,90 % and TV Nova’ s all-day share was 12,25 % (15 ). Data source: ATO-Nielsen.

Source: mediaguru.cz

THAI AUTHORITIES SHUT DOWN MAJOR ILLEGAL IPTV OPERATION WITH ACE SUPPORT

Thai authorities have closed one of the country’s most prominent pirate IPTV networks following raids in Bangkok and Nonthaburi.

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI), supported by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) and local member True Visions, moved against INWIPTV—previously known as FWIPTV—which has been operating since 2012. The service charged around 300 baht (€7.60) a month for access to international and Thai content, including live sports and adult programming.

Coordinated search operations took place across six locations on September 21. Twelve employees were questioned, and more than 150 items of evidence were seized, including 46 servers, transmission equipment, storage devices, financial records and IPTV boxes.

“We commend the DSI for their decisive action in Operation DEV Shutdown against a key IPTV target in Thailand,” said Larissa Knapp, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer for the MPA. “The case is testament to the power of our strategic partnerships with local law enforcement and our local ACE member True Visions.”

Sompan Charumilinda, Executive Vice Chairman of True Visions, added:

“By shutting down piracy services, we not only protect Thai youth and communities from harm but also support the country’s creative economy. These results are possible thanks to the strong cooperation we have received from both Thai authorities and global organizations like ACE.”

ACE said the closure demonstrates the effectiveness of local and international enforcement partnerships in tackling piracy across Asia.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

SWEDEN PLANS TO OUTLAW ILLEGAL IPTV VIEWING

The Swedish government is preparing legislation that would make it an offence for consumers to use illegal IPTV services, extending current rules that primarily target distributors.

According to Swedish press reports, an inquiry commissioned by the Ministry of Culture recommends fines for private individuals who stream unlicensed content, alongside tougher penalties of up to six years’ imprisonment for operators of pirate services. The law could enter into force on 1 July 2026.

Writing in Svenska Dagbladet, government-appointed investigator Eva Bergquist wrote it is “almost impossible” to stop piracy at the source.

The move reflects the growing scale of the problem in Sweden. Estimates suggest that more than 700,000 households – around 15 per cent of the population – are using illegal IPTV, representing an annual revenue loss of SEK 1–1.5 billion for broadcasters and rights holders.

Investigators argue that because service providers often operate anonymously and from abroad, enforcement should also focus on end-users. Technical measures under consideration include live blocking of illegal streams, domain blocking and removal of pirate services from search results.

The initiative has been welcomed by broadcasters with a rise in the shareprice of local streaming service Viaplay.

Legal IPTV cases have already reached Swedish courts. Earlier this year, an individual was ordered to pay SEK 2.7 million in damages for operating an unlicensed service, while another now faces trial accused of selling subscriptions worth SEK 9 million.

The proposal will now go to government for consultation before being presented to parliament.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

ITALIAN POLICE SMASH MAJOR PIRACY NETWORK WITH 900,000 USERS

Italian authorities have dismantled a large-scale digital piracy network in an operation coordinated by prosecutors in Catania, resulting in eight arrests and exposing more than 900,000 users nationwide.

The blitz, codenamed Gotha 2, was carried out by the Catania Public Prosecutor’s Office alongside the Postal Police and national cybersecurity teams. It targeted a highly structured organisation accused of distributing illegal IPTV services, reselling access to protected platforms, and committing large-scale computer fraud. The suspects, based in provinces including Catania, Siracusa, Rome and Brescia, have been placed under house arrest.

Investigators estimate the network generated around €10 million in annual profits, with damages to rights holders exceeding €30 million. Authorities believe the action disrupted up to 70% of illegal streaming traffic in Italy, affecting services including DAZN, Sky, Mediaset, Netflix and Prime Video.

Prosecutors have signalled that attention will now also turn to end users, whose identities were traced during the investigation. Those who purchased “pezzotto” subscriptions could face civil or criminal proceedings as the authorities seek to quantify damages and dismantle the consumer base.

The crackdown highlights the industrial scale of piracy in Italy, where organised groups of “masters”, “admins” and “resellers” operate nationwide. It also reflects the growing determination of rights holders and law enforcement to push enforcement beyond providers and towards consumers themselves.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

ORLANDO WOOD AND SIR JOHN HEGARTY ON HOW CREATIVITY FUELS BRAND GROWTH

This year marks a symbolic anniversary – 150 years since the first documented use of the word creativity in English. Historian Adolphus William Ward used the term in 1875 in reference to William Shakespeare’s “poetic creativity”.

Today, the importance of creativity in all sectors, including the media, is unquestionable. According to Sir John Hegarty, who co-authored the report The Business of Creativity, creativity is vital to human progress because it shapes culture, supports business, fosters empathy and gives meaning to human existence.

That’s why, on Wednesday 24 September 2025 at 4pm, two of the most renowned experts on the subject of creativity – Orlando Wood and Sir John Hegarty – will join together for a webinar, ‘The Case for Creativity’, to explore why creativity is vital to the long-term success of business and how brands can recapture the attention of audiences in today’s overwhelmed media environment. You’ll learn why bold ideas and creative advertising are needed more than ever on TV today, what role emotion, storytelling and compelling scripting play in an advertising-overloaded digital environment, and hear
👉 why companies that invest in creativity get better results than others.
👉 how great ideas, delivered with emotion and fun, can spark real innovation.
👉 why TV remains an unrivalled platform for creative campaigns.

Creative industry legends Orlando Wood and Sir John Hegarty will offer their insight into why creativity is not a luxury, but a necessity for long-term brand success and business growth.

The webinar is FREE, online, on September 24 at 4pm.

Registration is available here.

This free webinar is hosted by The Global TV Group and is open to anyone interested in the intersection of creativity, effectiveness and media.