Flextech Deal Will Mean November Debut For NME TV
IPC is living up to the ‘brands not magazines’ pledge made during its revamp earlier this year (see Bailey Says Brands Not Mags For IPC’s Future) by announcing a deal with Flextech and Rapido to produce NME TV.
Nick Ryle, IPC’s head of TV development said, “For IPC Media, moving this influential and highly-regarded brand onto TV is a natural step. Magazines have huge advantages for digital TV in terms of brands and content.”
The print version of NME is indelibly associated in some minds with Julie Burchill’s editorial debut or as an essential item in the earnest Morrissey fan’s army surplus bag. However, as music has changed over the decades, so have the NME’s fortunes, which have been hit in recent years by the internet revolution (see Feature: The Sound Of Mouse Clicks). IPC responded well, giving the the title its own website, nme.com which has increased its hit rate as the print version sheds readers, to become the most visited music website in the UK.
The next step for the generation brought up on MTV has to be television. Even the doggedly cynical NME has already taken its first step to appease an image-obsessed culture by broadcasting its NME Premier Awards on the internet earlier this year (see NME.com Broadcasts First WebTV Show). The new deal with Flextech will expand this idea into an eight part series of half-hour shows made by the Rapido production company. It is hoped that the show will become a regular feature of the Bravo schedule in 2001.
NME TV will go out on cable, satellite and digital channel Bravo, which targets 16-34 year old males. Starting in November, the programmes will consist of music news, live performances, interviews and behind-the-scenes footage of the industry. Covering all kinds of popular music genres, there are also interactive elements planned, a factor which has proved a useful asset in another programme popular with young adults, Big Brother (see Nasty Nick’s Nightmare Notches Up Record Ratings For Big Brother).
Music television is not a new concept, and on non-terrestrial platforms channels such as MTV and VH1 already have tried and tested formulae, as does Emap’s own viewer choice music channel The Box. Despite this, Steve Sutherland, NME’s brand director has expressed “great excitement and confidence” in the move, based on the success of the print and online versions. Jonathan Webb, director of interactive media for Flextech Television adds, “Music television has had a rollercoaster ride in terms of ratings over the years, but NME TV will prove that this type of television can be a ratings winner.”
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