Broadband TV News speaks with Andrew Semchenko, CEO of English Club TV
How is English Club TV distributed and where is it currently available?
English Club TV was launched in 2008 by ASTRA 4A (former Sirius 4A) covering all European countries. Since February 2013, the English Club TV HD channel has been available through ASTRA 4A for all European viewers. The English Club TV Group is always distributing its channels via local agents. For viewers in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, we launched an SD version of the English Club TV channel on November 2012. In the Asian region we also work via local companies. Now, we are negotiating opportunities for English Club TV channels in North America and Latin America, and very likely in 2013 English Club TV channels will be launched in these territories as well.
How many viewers does the channel have?
It’s a good question as the English Club TV channel is going FTA through MEASAT 3A. In terms of our strategy, we are going to encrypt the signal on July 1, 2013. Such a promotional step gives our potential clients the ability to check the content we provide and to show the content to their subscribers. Regarding European territory, we have approximately 12 million households.
The English Club TV Group is expecting to increase its audience base by extending the Kids module on the channel up to 3 times.
What is English Club TV’s ownership structure?
English Club TV channels are operated by three companies: English Club TV LLC and ECTV Network, registered in the UK, are responsible for content production and worldwide distribution; and English Club TV Ltd., registered in Ukraine, is responsible for distributing channels in some Central and Eastern European countries.
What markets is English Club TV most popular in and why is this the case?
Our strategy is to extend our borders of distribution. Every market is very important to us. As mentioned, we are close to our goal of covering all continents as English is the most popular choice of language for communication nowadays. As for English-speaking countries, we are trying to find our niche. In times of migration and globalization, all people need to know the English language. New technologies and trends give us the opportunities to use different ways of content delivery. Moreover, what’s very important are the governmental programs in different countries that support English language learning. We’ve had great feedback from Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, UAE, Turkey, Malaysia and CIS countries. We also expect good distribution results from the South-East Asia market after receiving all necessary permissions and licences which we are now applying for.
What is English Club TV’s multiscreen strategy and how can you see it developing?
A combination of phone, tablet, PC and TV, to consume digital content, is a key point for players on the market and the only feature of success now. It is a room for consumption as consumers demand such a combination “On the Go” all day from their service providers. What is interesting, according to research, is that most users using TVs, which is the most popular device, also simultaneously use other devices like a smartphone or tablet.
We are obviously part of the trend. The English Club TV Group produces a lot of content for English language learning and that gives us an opportunity to offer our clients implementation of the content into different services.
On the other hand, up until 2013, the English Club TV Group was mainly engaged in the B2B sector, but our next strategic aim is to extend our activity by adding the B2C sector. In January 2013, we launched our online service called English Club TV On-the-Go through our website where users can use our standard services like English language learning via content of the English Club TV channel and other supported materials, and also communicate with other users through the ECTV social network, read the latest news and find new friends worldwide. The website (www.english-club.tv) has been visited by users from 74 countries throughout the whole world. Moreover, this summer we are planning to launch a few applications that will be available for the B2C sector as well.
Why did you decide to launch English Club TV HD?
Launching English Club TV HD is part of our global strategy to provide viewers with high quality, educational content. By watching educational programs in HD, viewers feel the effect of being present during interactive lessons, therefore improving their listening skills.
What are the distinctive features of English Club TV?
Founding the channel, we formulated our main idea — to create a universal resource that helps people learn English without limits. We combined education and entertainment. We are creating a program that not only helps viewers learn English, but also allows them to spend time with their families. One more feature is the trend of being “mobile.” People that would like to learn English can do it via different devices anywhere, anytime. And one more key reason is the freedom of choice. It doesn`t matter where you live or how much money you earn, you can watch edutainment programs in the most appropriate way.