Murdoch urges more transparency in Gulf ad markets

MEDIA GIANT: Rupert Murdoch was delivering the keynote speech at the inaugural Abu Dhabi Media Summit. (Getty Images)

Rupert Murdoch has called for more transparency in the Gulf advertising markets, saying that without it advertisers are effectively “throwing money in the dark.”

Addressing the Abu Dhabi Media Summit, the News Corporation chairman said: “The simple fact is that if you want quality content, you have to encourage a marketplace where money flows to those who invest in and create that content.

“A more transparent advertising market means having effective tools to measure who and what people are watching. Advertisers and creators need metrics that tell them who they are reaching and how effective their message is, or else they are simply throwing money in the dark.”

Murdoch said that making the advertising markets in the Gulf and wider Middle East more transparent would better drive money towards the creative indistries.

He said: “A more transparent advertising market will also encourage media buyers and sellers to compete for business. By contrast, opaque markets tend to be unfairly dominated by one or two players.

"This can be a cosy arrangement for those players. But a nation pays a very high price for this cosy arrangement – because it takes away the financial engine needed to drive investment in local content.”   

On the back a resurgence in global advertising sales and the success of the film Avatar, which the company financed, Newscorp recently posted a fiscal Q2 net income of $254m, up from a net loss of $6.4bn a year ago.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Murdoch will swallow most of the Arab media.
Posted by Dastagir, Trichur, India on Wednesday 2 June 2010 at 11:53 UAE time


Murdoch is no fool and he know how to play the game effectively. He proved it in India, and even swallowed very small regional channels. He is trying to do the same in Arab World. This type of talk is just a beginning. His empire will spread like a cancer in Arab World.

Transparency
Posted by Sally on Wednesday 10 March 2010 at 22:18 UAE time


Transparency means open for him to come control the market and lead the new generation of the whole area to where he wants them to go. Google him, you'll be enlighted.

Transparency
Posted by Jeddy on Wednesday 10 March 2010 at 14:09 UAE time


What he means by transparency is make the market more open so that he can come & take over & mainulate the market as he likes...

It is about time to have transparency in media
Posted by Syed.Owais, Dubai, UAE on Wednesday 10 March 2010 at 12:39 UAE time


I think it is about time that local media houses should put their house in order by bringing transparency through audit and tools. How many media houses here juggling with subscription numbers, tv ratings etc. If they want the media industry to grow and prosper then they need to bring transparency in their operations.

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