SBS2 to reveal relaunch plans
SBS TV boss Tony Iffland will reveal details of the relaunch of the SBS2 channel in Sydney on Wednesday.
The major overhaul will see the public broadcaster unveil the new programming line-up for media.
Iffland has already overseen a relaunch of SBS1 which now has themed nights – such as food on Thursdays – and analysts believe he wants to tidy up SBS2’s sporadic programming line-up which often competes, rather than differentiating, with the SBS1 mothership.
A spokeswoman for SBS described the second station’s current positioning as this: “SBS2 is aimed at the 25-54 audience and offers a deeper dive into some of the much loved genres SBS offers including documentaries (mainly history), sport, food and entertainment, as well as world cinema and drama often in foreign language.
“It offers a wide range of premiere content such as The Killing, The Bridge, Australian Track Cycling Championships, UEFA Champions League Hour, and Come Dine with Me Greece as well as encore screenings for programs previously seen on SBS1.”
Iffland: Relaunch
Iffland joined the network as director of TV and online last year from BBC Worldwide. He is part of a new senior management team which includes SBS MD Michael Ebeid who joined from the ABC in 2011 and marketing director Helen Kellie who joined from BBC Worldwide late last year.
Among the internal debates at SBS, have been questions about whether SBS 2 should deliver a specific generes or genres, or to aim at super-serving a particular demographic.
The broadcaster – which supplements its public funding with advertising – won additional government money last year which saw it announce a more varied 2013 season for SBS1 than previous years.
Any growth in audience for SBS2 could deliver new advertising dollars for the broadcaster. Currently the channel struggles to attract audience. So far this week, it’s share of the free to air audience has been less than 1% according to OzTAM.
Note that SBS’s channels are branded as “SBS ONE” and “SBS TWO”, not “SBS1” and “SBS2″/”SBS 2” as written in the article. Unless this shift is part of the re-brand?
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