No ratings spike for Tropika Island of Treasure 5: Jamaica viewership on SABC1 with the dead model Reeva Steenkamp as a contestant.

The first episode of the "in very bad taste" Tropika Island of Treasure 5: Jamaica on Saturday on SABC1 pulled 2,345 million viewers at 18:30 but didn't represent a viewership and ratings spike due to the inclusion of the dead model Reeva Steenkamp.

Reeva Steenkamp who was a contestant in Tropika Island of Treasure 5: Jamaica was shot in the head and killed by her boyfriend Oscar Pistorius just two days before. Oscar Pistorius is in jail awaiting the conclusion of his bail application and is then facing a premeditated murder charge.

On Monday I asked the South Africa Advertising Research Foundation (Saarf) who compiles and tabulates South Africa's TV viewership under the TAMS ratings system for Saturday's viewership figures which I received today.

Interestingly less than a 10th of the available South African TV audience watching television on Saturday night bothered to tune into Tropika Island of Treasure 5: Jamaica.

With a 7,7 AMR only 7,7% of the available viewers older than 15 (the demographic and target market most desired and of significance for advertisers) tuned to SABC1 to watch the first episode, according to figures released by Saarf. It doesn't represent a rating spike for the show - in fact it's quite average for the SABC1 timeslot.

Given the instant hype preceding the advertiser-funded production (AFP) which SABC1 and the production company Stimulii refused to pull, it was expected that the viewership for the first episode of the product placement filled Tropika Island of Treasure 5 would have been higher.

Tropika Island of Treasure 5: Jamaica did get a boost over the 4th season which was shown on e.tv, but SABC1's overall reach as a channel is bigger and therefore has a bigger potential viewership available since it's physical TV signal is being transmitted to, and can be received by, slightly more homes and TV households than e.tv.

Compared to the 2,345 million viewers who tuned in for the first episode of the 5th season, 1,75 million viewers with a 6 AMR (or 6% of the total audience watching television) watched the first episode of the 4th season of Tropika Island of Treasure on e.tv, according to figures supplied by Saarf.

The 5th season of Tropika Island of Treasure therefore only pulled a marginally better viewership on a new channel with a bigger signal footprint, and doesn't appear to have been affected by a "dead model effect".

South African Advertising Research Foundation changes its name to South African Audience Research Foundation; Saarf acronymn remains.

The South African Advertising Research Foundation (Saarf) has changed its name to South African Audience Research Foundation - the Saarf acronymn remains the same, although the wording has changed.

Saarf is the research foundation behind the TAMS, or the TV viewership measurement currency South Africa uses to compile and track television viewership in South Africa.

In a statement Saard says the name change is because "Saarf is the custodian of the industry's media audience currencies, and sets the standard for audience research in South Africa - the new name better reflects this."

BREAKING. South Africa's TV audience steadily increasing; DStv Compact households surpass MultiChoice's DStv Premium bouquet.

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South Africa's TV audience is steadily increasing with a massive increase in pay TV uptake in South Africa thanks to huge growth in MultiChoice's DStv Compact offering and the growing popularity of the cheaper bouquet aimed towards the lower end of the market.

"DStv has made large increases and from viewing figures its very clear that MultiChoice is selling the DStv Compact bouquet like there is no tomorrow," Craig Johnson from Nielsen South Africa told ad planners, media buyers and media specialists at the quarterly industry update of the South African Advertising Research Foundation (Saarf).

The TV audience measurement company is also seeing not just increases in the overall number of TV households and TV viewers in South Africa, but also households owning and using a personal video recorder (PVR). "M-Net is the only broadcaster where its viewership is steadily decreasing - but it's got to do with M-Net not being able to switch-over to digital terrestrial broadcasting yet and the phasing out of its analogue decoders. Once digital terrestrial television (DTT) starts in South Africa, M-Net will get there," Craig Johnson said.

South Africa's TV universe - the pivotal number ad buyers, planners, broadcasters and media strategists use to allocate and make advertising campaign decisions - has grown by more thousands of people.

"The interesting thing is that DStv Compact households in South Africa has now firmly overtaken DStv Premium households," said Craig Johnson. DStv Premium households within the TV universe are estimated at 1,75 million and DStv Compact at 1,85 million in South Africa.

On Digital Media's (ODM) TopTV has also shown growth and is estimated at 205 797 households after two years since it started.

The latest viewership data for April 2012 shows for instance not just a total TV viewership increase for South Africa, but also a huge increase for DStv viewership. SABC viewership is increasing as well largely attributed to SABC1. SABC2 however is down (-4,3%) while SABC3, M-Net and e.tv remain flat.

Time-shifted viewing (TSV) under South African TV viewers thanks to DStv's PVR is also growing. TopTV doesn't have a PVR in the market yet.

Between January and May 2012, viewership data shows about 25 000 people who are watching time-shifted programming daily (live plus viewing on the same day as live (VOSDAL) viewing). It increases over a 7 day period. Although the bulk of added time-shifted viewing happens with the first 3 days of a recording, significant TV viewing happens up to 7 days after a broadcast.

"Even though the number is still small compared to the rest of the world, South Africa's time-shifted viewing pattern follows exactly the international trend where significant viewing gains are being made for programming up to 7 days later with cumulative time-shifted viewing," said Craig Johnson.

DStv BoxOffice and DStv's video On Demand programming and offerings are not measured yet.

Meanwhile MultiChoice is in the process of installing a "boosted HD PVR panel" of 170 households into South Africa's TV universe also getting the TVM5 series meter with UNITAM technology. Whilst it won't affect TV audience measurement in terms of  ratings, it will help to provide a much clearer picture in future of what exactly on DStv subscribers are watching, and to measure time-shifted viewing more accurately.

Nine additional HD PVR households out of the to be installed 170 have already been added, with about 20 to 25 which will be done per week.  About 100 will have been installed by the start of the 2012 Olympic Games by the end of July.

Craig Johnson warned that the upcoming 2012 Olympic Games to be broadcast on multiple SuperSport TV channels as well as SABC2 from the end of July and in August will lead to viewership disruption as broadcasters alter their TV schedule and viewers alter their viewing patterns.

BREAKING. The eNews Channel leads the pack of TV news channels in South Africa - by a viewership mile.

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What a truly magnificent, splendid and superbly incredible performance by the eNews Channel (DStv 403) that's just over two years old and showing massive growth, strength and viewership gain.

I can exclusively show you this bar graph with the latest South African TV viewership of the various available 24 hour TV news channels in South Africa. The daily TV viewership is the latest that's just been made available, according to the just released South African Advertising Research Foundation (SAARF) TV universe in South Africa. Because the available TV audience for satellite television in South Africa is smaller, it's measured in 100 000's instead of millions.

The eNews Channel continues to consolidate its position as the market leader among the available TV news channels and now boasts over half a million regular TV viewers in South Africa - 526 000. That is 70% more viewers than its closest competitor, BBC World News (DStv 400) with 309 000 viewers and then CNN International (DStv 401) with 254 000.

BREAKING. Latest daily viewership for South Africa's biggest TV channels.

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I can exclusively show you where the viewership of South Africa's major TV channels (and DStv which is a TV platform) stand and how the various channel's are squaring off against each other in the TV ratings race in this easy to interpret, bar chart. The daily TV viewership is measured in a factor of millions.

The South African Advertising Research Foundation (SAARF) just released their latest TV universe which they use to determine TV viewership in South Africa. SABC1 is still the most popular TV channel in South Africa with just over 18 million viewers who tune in daily, followed by e.tv with 13,44 million and showing an increase. E.tv is ahead of SABC2 with 13,184 million viewers and SABC3 with just over 9 million daily TV viewers. DStv has almost 5 million viewers daily and M-Net lures just over 1 million TV watchers per day.

BREAKING. TV Information Forum coming to make sense of TV ratings in 2010.

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The South African Advertising Research Foundation (SAARF) who compiles TV ratings in the country is holding a TV Information Forum early in 2010 to discuss very important industry information regarding TV ratings and the new factors influencing TV viewership.

''The television scene in South Africa is changing rapidly,'' says SAARF CEO, Paul Haupt. ''In order to aid the industry in unpacking the implications of these factors, an TV Information Forum will be held.''

The TV Information Forum (attendance is free, but registration is necessary) will take place in Johannesburg (20 January), Durban (21 January) and Cape Town (22 January).

Paul Haupt calls the TV Information Forum ''a crucial session'' and says that it's essential for key senior industry players to attend ''to understand the various factors'' that is now having a far reaching influence on TV ratings in South Africa.

Some of the factors that will be discussed and that's having a seismic impact on TV ratings (AR's) are:
* More TV viewers switching from the free to air channels to pay TV (especially because of MultiChoice's cheaper DStv Compact offering).
* The growth in the amount of TV households who watches and uses a PVR (digital personal video recorder) which enables time-shifting and fast forwarding over ads.
* The transition to digital terrestrial television (DTT) and the process of digital migration in the country.
* The effects of heigtened airtime demand pre- and post the Soccer World Cup tournament in 2010.
* A possible dip in the amount of female TV viewers during the middle of the year because of an ''overload'' of soccer programming, as well as normal program schedule disruption by broadcasters.
* TV rate pricing through 2010 and 2011.

The TV Information Forum will be held from 12:30 to 15:30 where broadcasters, agencies and researchers can collaborate and try to get a better understanding of the changing scenario regarding TV planning for 2010.

People interested in attending can phone SAARF at 011 463 5340, fax 0866 353 592 or send an email to saarf@saarf.co.za