#WorldTelevisionDay celebrates quality of TV around the globe

TV professionals around the world are celebrating World Television Day today (21 November) to remind us that TV - as in Total Video - is so much more than linear viewing. As part of the annual United Nations initiative, a 30 second-spot  will be shown by broadcasters on air and online across the globe.

TV content that entertains, informs and inspires

The topic of the 22^nd edition of this global celebration is quality content. The outstanding quality of TV programmes is reflected in how this proven medium has the unmatched capacity to entertain, inspire and inform viewers, across all platforms.

Last year alone the production of TV fiction in the European Union amounted to around 920 different titles, representing over 16,400 episodes and more than 11,000 hours, according to the European Audiovisual Observatory's latest report.

Quality content can incite viewers to broaden their mind and look beyond the everyday life through inspirational shows. It also has the power to entertain and unite scores of people around live programming, such as the recent World Cup (3.4 billion people watched some of the World Cup this year, according to GlobalWebIndex). Finally, TV informs viewers through in-depth news broadcasts, makes them aware of current societal issues and provides learning through quality children’s programming or insightful documentaries.

“Television must continue to play its role as to educate and engage viewers, especially young audiences. This includes sharing success stories about individuals or organizations that are part of making our society better and more sustainable. This is amplified by the theme ‘premium content-content that unites, inspires and informs’ of this year’s World Television day, November 21st,“ said United Nations Regional Information Centre for Europe (UNRIC) Deputy Director Caroline Petit.

Nothing beats unique combination of sight, sound and (e)motion

A clear indicator of the good health of television is the vast amount of money being invested in programmes by broadcasters around the world, both in original content as in the acquisition of shows.  Figures¹ gathered from IHS Markit for a total of 27 countries and a survey among egta members in 21 countries show that last year, close to $140 billion dollars was invested in programmes - with North America accounting for $61bn -  surpassing any investments made by OTT platforms around the world. The most notable investments² in television programmes in Europe were made by the UK (€8.6bn), Germany (€8bn), France (€5.5bn) and Italy (€4.4bn).

In addition to this, figures gathered from over 24 countries by The Global TV Group in the second edition of its Global TV Deck highlight TV’s resilience and effectiveness as an advertising medium.

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