Ben Liebmann

STREAMING AGGREGATION: Print advert for Hubbl Glass from today's Daily Telegraph (Sydney) 7th June, 2024. If you have questions about the products, marketing and strategy of Pay TV and streaming businesses worldwide, or you'd like to see other notable case-studies and examples, please reach out. #hubbl #australia #hubblglass #aggregation #4kultrahd #dolbyatmos #entertainmentos

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Carefully tight-roped, leaving for interpretation around the word “tension.” https://lnkd.in/eqKrjFsQ

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STREAMING VIDEO: 'Get it all on Disney Plus' - a New Zealand TVC for Disney Plus, featuring a broad range of titles including recent releases such as The Acolyte and Shardlake, TVNZ, June 2024. If you have questions about the products, marketing and strategy of Pay TV and Streaming businesses worldwide, or you'd like to see other examples such as those featured here, please reach out. #disney #disneyplus #newzealand #svod #streamingvideo

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FOMO of not being able to grab time at the #YellaUmbrella booth at #NAB2024 (West Hall — W3921V — PropelME)? Missing out on all the juicy #Subtitle, #audiodescription, #dubbing and #voiceover technology? Maybe you didn't get to NAB? Well, no problem, just email sales at yellaumbrella.tv, and we'll arrange a time for discussion after the show. YellaUmbrella have developed #nebula and #stellar over the last 7 years to enable subtitling to be good again, and at prices that anyone can afford - pure pay per use, so your costs match your productivity, and that productivity can be higher with Yella. Automated processing and sharing of tasks with staff or freelancers - no more file transfers - and integration of world leading #media #AI tools to ensure you always have access to your choice of the best services. Plus, use your own cloud storage for DRM protected assets, your own cloud compute for the servicing of tasks - own your data. Oh, and did I mention Audio Description & Dubbing? Well, I don't need to really, you should already know that Stellar is probably the most comprehensive tool for that... including for highly adaptable TTS.

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Here is your opportunity to help us demand protections against AI image theft and it’s unregulated non consensual, non disclosure usage! Sign our petition to parliament here: https://lnkd.in/gbprrcrR Massive thanks to ABC News and Triple J - ABC for helping us raise awareness around this issue. #ai #artificialintelligence #images #contentcreation #deepfake

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Any and all dysfunction on the Supreme Court of the United States is a Clear and Present Danger to our national security. I remember the idea of public good. Do you? Currently, only Democrats are willing to fix real issues. A landslide is sorely needed for many reasons. Please start now and do all you can to help. #democracy #ruleoflaw #civilsociety #scotus #election2024 #democracy

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I could write an essay or professional white paper on the many remarkable experiences I had this week at the 2024 NAB Show. I was introduced to the technological roadmaps of such iconic and trusted names as Grass Valley, Chyron, EVS and Ross. My immediate, initial takeaway is this: In a sports production world where betting (rather, “gaming”) is strongly emerging from the shadows to the forefront, we as an industry have a decision to make: are we going to serve the gaming industry or are we going to innovate for the rest of our audience? Real time technological Innovation means introducing inherent processing delay. Inherent delay, no matter how small, sits well with neither the gaming industry, nor their oversight commissions. Thus we, as an industry, are at a crossroads of which no one is really speaking. I will state the obvious for those who will not: The broadcast / media distribution industry can either innovate and move technology forward for the larger viewing audience *with* the introduction of understood, inherent delay … OR we can dial back and simplify our presentations (and still introduce inherent transmission / distribution delay) to accommodate the needs & desires of the gaming community to the best of our ability. We absolutely cannot do both, nor can we do either without the introduction of some form of delay. In my view the gaming industry must accommodate their own needs with no reliance upon the media distribution companies. Watching an event on television should have no bearing upon those who chose to place wagers. It should absolutely be incumbent upon the companies accepting those wagers to provide an “as-close-to-real-time-as-possible” version of the gameable events as they unfold in real time. This may seem trite, perhaps even a no-brainer for those who understand broadcast or app based distribution models of media, but I have yet to see one person come out and openly state that our industry cannot serve both. It’s truly one or the other and, quite frankly, I would prefer that my beloved industry continue to innovate and introduce further processing delay, while leaving the realtime gaming to the gamers.

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Loving the new innovation from the team at Super Hi-Fi who are now working together with Audacy to transform how we experience radio streams. They’re pioneering some cutting-edge audio technologies that make streams not just sound better, but are smarter and more tailored to what listeners want. For us in the industry, this concept is a window into where the future of broadcast could be heading. It's more than just an upgrade—it's a potential roadmap for how radio can stay relevant and competitive. Is this the cue we need to open up more discussions on how these advancements could influence more than just our streams, but the core of how we connect with audiences today? What's your take? #AudioInnovation #RadioTrends #FutureOfBroadcasting https://lnkd.in/ehpF7cen

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A new debate on the cost of cool, which digs into the environmental impact of increasing vinyl sales and rising concerns among several major artists. In summary, some counter-argue that the tech behind vinyls is significantly evolving, notably with BioVinyl, whilst others mention the environmental cost of storage data from streaming platforms. For me, it is entertainment, it is what consumers want, and it is the same debate as EV cars vs. good old gas. It’s evolution meets nostalgia. What do you reckon? 

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PAY TV MARKETING: This promo from New Zealand is for winter highlights across Rialto Channel. Rialto Channel is a bolt-on subsription available to SKY TV subscribers in New Zealand for NZD $11.18 a month (Equiv. of GBP £5.40, EURO €6.34, USD $6.90, AUD $10.38) With quality independent films, international films and documentaries, Rialto feels, at least to me, like the missing piece of the puzzel in the UK Pay TV landscape. It has the kind of unique, visually distinctive, stand-out content that you will find on other Pay TV services such as Canal Plus, Movistar and HBO, however much of the content you find on Rialto has never really found a home in the UK. Certainly many of these titles don't appear on traditional Pay TV, and instead arrive on the BBC after a number of years, or Channel 4 (with ad-breaks) often scheduled in the middle of the night. Fortunately, these days, the kinds of critically-acclaimed content featured on Rialto in New Zealand can now be found with the convenience of on-demand, on streaming services such as MUBI, BFI Player and The Criterion Channel. However, placed within a conventional Pay TV offer, Rialto's offer is often the kind of content that has the potential to bring a little bit of serendipity and suprise, keeping the offer fresh, aligning with award-winning, challenging and innovative directors, and helping to maintain the brand status of a disruptor and and an outsider in a market which is becoming increasingly homegenised and commoditised. This is certainly something that becomes evident when you compare Canal Plus in France vs. the UK Sky / Sky Cinema side-by-side. Some of these 'suprises' might just be the thing that re-invigorates the brand and stops longstanding subscribers from cancelling. The V.O. in this Rialto promo also presents something which is fundamentally different to conventional movie propositions: 'This Winter, witness the extraordinary'. - 'Discover critically-acclaimed, award-winning and exceptional storytelling from the masters of their craft'. - 'A spectacle of film to illuminate our past and inspire our future.' - 'This winter, the stars are shining bright.'  Although New Zealand is a realtively small TV market, there's something distinctive and powerful in Rialto's brand and positioning as 'The Storyteller' and I'd like to see just a sprinkling of that content and curation DNA appear in other, more mainstream movie products. Rialto Winter Upgrade Promo, SKY New Zealand, June, 2024. If you have questions about the products, marketing and strategy of Pay TV and Streaming businesses worldwide, or you'd like to see other examples such as those featured here, please reach out. #skynz #rialto #skycinema #brand #cinema #upgrade #paytv #marketing

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In the high-stakes world of film production, here's an observation that could save your next project from disaster. In the film industry, promises are made and often broken, leading to lost opportunities and tarnished reputations. But what if the secret to success is as simple as setting realistic expectations and then exceeding them? Observing various projects, I've noticed that the teams that adopt the principle of under promising and over delivering consistently outperform those who do the opposite. This approach not only secures trust but also surprises and delights clients, leading to more referrals and repeat business. It’s a strategy that turns average producers into sought-after partners. Think about your last project: Did you over promise and struggle to deliver, or did you manage expectations wisely? What strategy has worked best for you in maintaining client satisfaction?

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Are the different methods used to evaluate attention leading to confusion in the marketplace and is there a way to determine which to adopt? There are two approaches usually taken, with one making an assessment applying biometrics whilst the other applies measures of media quality. In a recent article in the Media Leader, Jonathan Waite, Global Media Director of Havas Media Network, argued that some clarity was needed about the terms currently in use and, in this asiCast, he speaks with Brian Jacobs about how this can help when selecting vendors. Jon identifies six principles for buyers to consider and discusses the extent to which the criteria he lays down have been met. #attention #advertising #metrics

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A few thoughts on the challenging times for broadcast media in NZ & Australia. Thanks to the Center for News, Technology & Innovation - CNTI for the invitation. #journalism #broadcastmedia #digitalplatforms Bastion

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Luminate has published its 2024 Entertainment Diversity Report, an important analysis of progress over the last 12 months. See below for some of the key findings and the link below to access the full report: • Diminished content spend is evident as TV/Digital series projects declined ~19% year-over-year • With fewer overall series, many underrepresented groups a saw declines in their representation in TV/Digital series in 2023. Conversely, representation in film was up, or at least even with 2022. • Projects with women film directors had an average of 12% more diverse casts than male directors. In TV, female show creators averaged 9% more diverse casts than men in the same time period. • The largest disparity is among the Latin/Hispanic population, who make up about 19% of the U.S. population, yet their representation in key roles lags considerably • There were more Indigenous series creators than Latin/Hispanic creators in 2023, with their representation in key roles at 8% and 7% respectively • Superhero projects lean into diversity but face increased cancellations on screen and dwindling audiences in theaters • Diversity appeals to audiences and the proof is in the viewership numbers. Top shows on broadcast, cable and digital/streaming outlets boast diverse casts. Access the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gUV6pasF Or join Unpacking Luminate's 2024 Entertainment Diversity Report with Mark Hoebich from Luminate and Kamala Avila-Salmon from Lionsgate on Tuesday June 18th at 2pm PST Join the webinar here: https://lnkd.in/g2khKT78 Congrats to Brett Banducci, DMA, Kelley Williams and Carolyn Finger for compiling this comprehensive and thoughtful analysis.

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Sometimes the best bits are the bits that go wrong #StevePenkRadioNightmares #RadioNightmares https://lnkd.in/gTqfjBgu

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16.6% of VoD households are choosing a cheaper ad-support plan, compared to 9.2% of users a year ago, according to Kantar’s latest Entertainment on Demand (EoD) data on the Australian video streaming market #AdTiers

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Navigating the film scanning market is exhausting! 🎞️ Every day brings a flood of marketing emails and pitches for pricey scanners targeting the vast Australian market. Yet, there's a glaring need for affordable solutions that match our market's capacity. I champion high-quality film scanning and preservation standards, but often, our clients' budgets don't allow for such luxuries, and most don't notice the difference between a high-end scan and a DIY setup. It's a classic catch-22: convincing clients of the value of a top-tier scanner is tough without one, but investing in such equipment is risky without client buy-in. Here’s hoping we find a way to break this cycle. Meanwhile, I'm adding yet another vendor to my list. #FilmScanning #QualityVsCost

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Part 2 - A MISSION TO RECLAIM THE AIRWAVES 365 Radio is brought to you from The House of Sound Ideas, where we believe Creative Innovation leads to Audio Inspiration. The 365 Radio management team can boast decades of collective experience in Radio and associated industries such as Broadcasting, Performance, Production, Management, Promotion & Merchandising. We firmly believe that the “bits” in-between the music, the “links”, are of equal importance when it comes to entertaining the listener & that’s why we remain focused on putting together a growing team of “Presenters with Personality” to provide that missing charismatic spark.  A team whose sole purpose is to deliver fun, insightful, informative & engaging radio programs that entertain rather than just play out the same songs in a different order to the preceding show. 365 Radio Presenters are not hamstrung by restrictive playlists & non stop advertising. There are NO playlists, there is NO advertising to distract and annoy an audience & therefore there is nothing to interfere in the relationship between the Presenter & their listeners. It’s all about the entertainment and that’s exactly how it should be. 365 Radio presenters can choose to play an excellent new unsigned band or an established Legacy artist, both of whom cannot currently find airplay for their music, and they be played alongside the more established popular acts of the moment. All in the same radio program.  Having No Playlists means we trust our Presenting team to play a wide & varied selection of music of their own choice. It also means that we are able to offer the listener a unique experience in every show. It’s Radio without fear of repetition or hesitation. Our station addresses the needs of every different types of radio listener & we are able to bring back variety, entertainment and most importantly listening choice to all of them. Available on all modern broadcasting platforms, 365 Radio allows its’ listeners the chance to enjoy programs both in real time & on a listen again facility that’s available alongside a vast repertoire of fresh, innovative & diverse entertainment. All provided on its excellent premium catch-up & On Demand service, which is called 365 Sounds.  This platform makes available in excess of 200 hours of entertainment per week with a series of quality programming that is exclusively produced for 365 Sounds. We don’t “do” Bland Radio in a “Beige” colour scheme.  We endeavour to provide a much needed kaleidoscope of colour & sound to all Listeners and, so far, it’s being very well well received. We are on a determined Mission to reclaim The Airwaves Why don’t you sign up & join us? The 365 Radio Team  www.365Radio.co

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