Partnerships are a must for thematic television projects
Philippe NICOLET (CH) Editor in Chief -- SwisswatchTV (Lausanne)
Founded in March 2000, SwissWatch TV was launched at the Basel International Watch and Jewellery Show. The aim was to provide ongoing information and updates, and to spread awareness abroad of this important sector of Swiss industry.
In view of its strictly thematic character, such a channel can only flourish through the establishment of strong links and partnerships with existing media.
SwissWatch TV was born out of the collaboration of NVP Nicolet Video Productions and the «Journal Suisse d’Horlogerie», which has been in circulation for 125 years and is the oldest publication of its kind.
In its first year at the Basel Show, SwissWatch TV organised and aired debates, interviews and discussions with industry leaders and creative designers, also available on the internet.
In 2001, coverage of the Basel show was increased to a 24-hour service, via local Basel cable TV as well as the internet. SwissWatch TV concluded partnerships with Newsweek and BBC World ; various of its shows were aired on EuroNews and on Swissair long distance flights.
It is, however, primarily with local television stations that the closest links are forged.
Addressing the Vietnamese community, worldwide, via Internet
Blaise FAVRE (CH) Manager -- Vietnet.tv (Yverdon)
Vietnet’s objective is to provide the Vietnamese overseas communities with a Vietnamese-speaking television on the web, filling the lack of any television programme in this language outside of Vietnam.
The programmes consist of a 26 minutes’ weekly news selection in Vietnamese and daily news in English, touristic and cultural documentaries, music, cooking lessons, Vietnamese language courses, a special page on the overseas communities, and business opportunities in Vietnam.
Vietnet.tv has an exclusive licence with Vietnamese television for the rebroadcasting of VTV4 (the international channel of Vietnamese television) on the Internet which is about 90% of Vietnet.tv programmes. The rest (10%) is Vietnet.tv’s own production.
All these programmes are available on demand. Some of them are changed daily, some every 4 or 5 days. The encoding goes from a 28K modem to a broadband access for a high quality full screen viewing.
Vietnet.tv was launched on January 24, 2001, for the Vietnamese New Year’s Day. At the moment, about 50% of the audience is located in North America (30% in Canada and 20%in the US), in Switzerland (20%), France (10%), the rest of Europe (10%) and 10% in other parts of the world.
Vietnet.tv’s team comprises six persons, all Vietnamese, with the exception of the founder and manager, Blaise Favre. The studios are located in Yverdon, Switzerland.