InBroadcast - InShow Guide 2017 - 20

20

www.inbroadcast.com | IBC2017 InShow Guide | 15-19 September

The Broadcasters'
Four Agreements
Martin Junek from Provys, considers the
similarities between Toltec philosophy
and broadcasters' agreements...

F

lying home from Telemundo Show
in Mexico, I contemplated the
similarities between a broadcaster's
fundamental four agreements and the
best-selling 'Four Agreements' by Don
Miguel Ruiz, master and shaman of the
Toltec philosophy.
The four Toltec agreements are:
*	 Be impeccable with your word;
*	 Don't take anything personally;
*	 Don't make assumptions;
*	 Always do your best.
These agreements formed the four
pillars governing Toltec civilisation.

The four fundamental agreements
every broadcaster must comply with in
order to thrive are:
*	 A licence with the appropriate
licensing authority;
*	 Commercial agreements with the
rights owners;

*	 Commercial agreements with
advertisers;
*	 A quality-based unwritten
agreement to attract potential
viewers (free-to-air) or a
commercial agreement (pay TV).
It occurred to me just how close
these two sets of agreements are and
how we may benefit from applying
the Toltec philosophy to modern
broadcasting practice. (See Fig. 1.)
For a broadcaster, the critical first
step is to obtain a licence from the
government or the licensing authority.
An important part of the application
procedure is a long-term plan covering
the general philosophy and direction of
the channel which must be submitted
for consideration.
Almost no modern broadcaster can
survive solely on their own content,
and in order to create a full schedule,

Fig.1

it is necessary to purchase external
content. Rights owners are always
sensitive to unauthorised use of their
intellectual rights and transgressing
these legal constraints can prove
expensive. The Toltecs teach us not to
take things personally - it is wise to
use a professional rights management
tool.
The principle source for most
stations' funding is advertising.
Broadcasters sell commercial space to
agents who arrange to fill the capacity
with appropriate advertising, which
of course, raises revenue. The Toltecs
teach us not to make assumptions and
it is very clear how appropriate this
guidance is in this context. Errors can
be expensive so decisions should be
based upon facts and not assumptions.
The broadcasting business is

extremely competitive and hundreds
of channels are just waiting to steal
your viewers. The Toltecs teach us to
always do our best and this principle is
the key to getting and keeping a high
audience share.
So we see how the ancient wisdom
of the Toltecs is still valid for modern
day commercial operations, in this
case broadcasting. We would like to
conclude this article and recommend
that broadcasters can always do
their best by establishing a long term
partnership with Provys whose suite
of modules can assist all processes
mentioned in this article. We trust you
are all in agreement.
(With thanks to Richard Schiller's
contribution to Broadcast Engineer's
Reference Book.)
www.provys.com

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