Tough Trading Remains The Theme For Broadcast And Media Technology Industry

With two excellent years in 2007 and 2008, the broadcast and media technology industry is enduring a difficult year in 2009 with limited confidence for a rapid recovery.
This is the finding of the latest IABM industry trends survey, carried out by Ernst & Young LLP in association with IABM, who represent broadcast and media technology suppliers worldwide.
The industry is naturally affected by a four-year cycle, driven by major television events such as the Olympic Games and the US presidential election which involve huge capital expenditures on new equipment. The completion of this cycle in 2008, followed immediately by the economic downturn, has led to much more difficult operating conditions for suppliers.
In this survey, carried out in May 2009, 68% of respondents felt that next quarter will be the same or better than the last quarter, but 43% stated that confidence for next year is diminished or diminished significantly.
Looking ahead six months there was a broad spread of opinion: 29% thought things will be improving, 31% that they will be about the same and 24% saw a continuing deterioration in the situation.
While customer deferrals are seen as the major limiting factor in business growth - cited by 45% of the survey - only 8% put the blame on the availability of finance. The major impact of the credit squeeze is seen in the manufacturers' own ability to fulfil orders: a year ago only 9% of manufacturers surveyed quoted finance as a constraint on output; today it has quadrupled to 36%. The need to control costs is also likely to show an impact on future innovation, with 17% of manufacturers reducing R&D investment.
Jonathan Dunn of Ernst & Young, said: "Looking forward, suppliers are circumspect and, in aggregate, believe that things will be about the same in six months' time. Perhaps the most worrying aspect of this survey is that output is being limited by the scarcity of credit and finance.
This is indicative of today's tougher banking environment and by the predominance of small and medium-sized businesses in the broadcast technology supply chain."
The IABM Industry Trends Survey Analysis is based on a confidential survey of IABM member companies. The full details of the survey are available only to those businesses which take part in the survey. Archive copies of previous summary reports are available at: www.theiabm.org/its.
(KMcA/BMcC)