Advertiser funding gets viewer thumbs up, new survey says

Participants in the survey were initially unclear about the definition of

advertiser-funded programmes. ’When asked, participants assume it’s the

same as TV sponsorship,’ Meirion Alcock, the Flextech TV head of

sponsorship, said.

Once the concept is explained, viewers feel ’relaxed’ about it, providing

quality is not compromised. Without prompting, respondents went on to name

advertiser-funded programmes.

The findings of the survey, which was conducted for Flextech by the

Sponsorship Research Company, show multi-channel viewers respond to

broadcast sponsorship on thematic channels differently to the way in which

terrestrial viewers’ respond to sponsorship on mainstream channels.

’These differences vary according to the channel,’ Mike Bloxham, the

managing director of the Sponsorship Research Company’s parent, the

Bloxham group, said. ’With lifestyle channels, there is a feeling among

viewers that this is ’my channel’ - the viewer-broadcaster relationship is

closer.’