I N T E R N A T I O N A L www.V i deoAge.org BUSINESS JOURNAL OF FILM, BROADCASTING, BROADBAND, PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION March/April 2014 - VOL. 34 NO. 3 - $9.75 (Continued on Page 36) For Canadian broadcasters, particularly large conventional broadcasters such as Bell, Rogers and Shaw, buying for an upcoming fall season begins post NATPE, and continues at MIP-TV and the L.A. Screenings. For specialty buyers looking for niche content, MIP is very important, but for the conventional television buyers, Los Angeles in May is where it all really happens. Of the international buyers that descend on L.A. to screen the new Canada’s Buys All About the Simulcasts My 2¢: Aereo, a new digital delivery service, wants a free content ride MENA-DISCOP Review: Business in the midst of boycotts, censorship The challenge of launching new int’l TV channels MIP-TV Preview: Waiting to see if a burst of activities brings sales Page 42 Page 38 Page 26 Page 14 In George Orwell’s book 1984, The Ministry of Love’s O’Brien, a powerful member of the Inner Party, tells the protagonist, Winston Smith, “the thing that is in Room 101 is the worst thing in the world.” Now, we’re left wondering: Has the European Commission opened the door to content’s “worst E.U. Questions Territorial Pay-TV Exclusive Rights (Continued on Page 28) U.S. Pilot Season: Doubts Run inCycle, Value Remains FOX’s chairman of Entertainment, Kevin Reilly, surprised critics at this past January’s Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Los Angeles when he stated that his network would be killing off the traditional pilot season — which usually occurs in early spring — in favor of year-round production. With a drawing on the screen of a FOX headstone marked “R.I.P. Pilot Season 1986-2013,” Reilly noted that the network had been trying to do this for a long time (FOX network was born in 1986). “Many of you heard from Damon Lindelof last week in his HBO session — Damon has had a lot of network television success — and he said something about ‘Cable is far superior to network.’ He said, ‘When you slow down the conveyor belt, the quality goes up.’ And I agree with him, and that’s what we want to do on FOX. This year, officially [and] for the first time, we are going to be bypassing pilot season,” he said. (Continued on Page 16)
SEASON 1 – 8X60 MINS www.starzglobal.com AT MIPTV: RIVIERA 9.A32 (FORMERLY RSV25) FROM EXECUTIVE PRODUCER COURTNEY KEMP AGBOH (THE GOOD WIFE) Starz and related channels and service marks are the property of Starz Entertainment, LLC. Power © 2014 Starz Entertainment, LLC. EXE4120-14-G Monday, April 7th at 18:15 The Grand Auditorium With appearances by cast members Omari Hardwick and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson 2014 OFFICIAL MIPTV WORLD PREMIERE TV SCREENING
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April 2014 4 World (Continued on Page 6) Net Neutrality Loses Equality The Los Angeles-based American Film Market (AFM) and Focal Press, a company with offices in both the U.S. and Europe, published their first co-venture e-book available as a free download to qualified readers online. The title of the 364-page book is The Business of Show Business for Creatives: Film Business Essentials for Getting Your Film to Market, edited by Anne Marie Gillen, a Los Angeles-based film consultant. The book is divided into eight parts for a total of 25 chapters covering everything from pitching, financing, budgeting, marketing, distribution, festivals and how to navigate film markets such as AFM. AFMWants You To Know Film Biz Last January, a U.S. appeals court threw out the communication authority (FCC) rules that require broadband providers to treat all Internet traffic equally (an idea known as “net neutrality”), raising the likelihood that services that use a lot of bandwidth— likeNetflix —may have to pay according to usage to ensure good service. The Wall Street Journal commented that “the ruling could usher in an era of tiered Internet service, in which they get some content at full speed while other websites appear slower because their owners chose not to pay up.” Until now, FCC rules have stated that Telcos and MSO companies like Verizon and Comcast have to treat all content on their networks equally. Verizon brought the suit against the FCC, and the panel of judges ruled that the FCC saddled broadband providers with the same sorts of obligations as traditional “common carrier” telecommunications services, such as landline phone systems. Though theFCCmayappeal, if it remains as is, the rulingmeans Internet-service providers can experiment with new types of pricing arrangements, charging companies like Netflix or Google (which owns YouTube) higher fees to deliver Internet traffic faster. They could also degrade the quality of content unless the creators pay. President Barack Obama has pushed for equal treatment of Internet traffic, so the ruling is considered a blow to his administration. The ruling also sharpens the strugglebybigentertainmentand telecommunications companies to shape broadband regulation. Tens of millions of Americans view video and other media via broadband connections. Preschool Live Action/Animation 26 X 12’ HD Always here for you! 122 Sherbourne Street Toronto Ontario Canada M5A 2R4 t 4I6.366.6588 ext: 133 distribution@breakthroughentertainment.com Canadian Pavilion P-1 A.0
April 2014 6 World Last month, both The Washington Post and The Financial Times addressed the issue of Comcast’s great political influence in Washington, D.C., where regulatory agencies have to review the $45 billion acquisition by Comcast, the U.S.’s largest cable company, of Time Warner Cable (TWC), the nation’s second largest MSO. According to FT, the FCC (the U.S. communication agency) has achieved “a monumental failure of regulation,” and “Americans pay more per megabyte than consumers in any developed country, except Chile, Mexico and Turkey.” The FT article, written by Susan Crawford, a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, stated that if FCC chairman Tom Wheeler approves the deal, he’ll be remembered as the former chief cable lobbyist. The Post’s article, on the other hand, focused on Comcast’s political and social contributions. During the 2010 Congressional hearings for Comcast’s takeover of NBCUniversal, it was pointed out that “the company had given more than $1.8 billion in cash and in-kind support to community organizations over the previous nine years.” According to the paper, in the 2012 election cycle alone, Comcast has given to both the Republican and Democratic parties a combined $6.5 million. In addition, Comcast’s Washington lobbying budget has increased from $2.4 million in 2003 to $18.8 million in 2013, for nearly 100 lobbyists, including four former members of Congress. Also working on the acquisition are lobbyists for TWC, which last year reported more than $8 million in lobbying spending. To underscore the power of Comcast togetwhat itwants, the Postalsowrote that theMSOhas worked with most of the major think-tanks in town that are interested in communications issues, including the Aspen and Brookings institutes. The Power of Money Over Regulations The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics may have recently concluded, but we remember just before the 1980 Summer Olympics in Russia (then the Soviet Union). Sol Paul, the former boss of VideoAge’s editor Dom Serafini, sent Serafini to Moscow and Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) to report on the preparations for the Games. Paul, then publisher of TV /Radio Age, wanted to please NBC, the official U.S. network covering the Olympics and one of Paul’s largest advertisers together with RCA (that provided some electronic equipment to what were then called the Moscow Olympics), which at that time owned NBC (now NBCUniversal, a Comcast group). As we all know, ultimately the U.S. boycotted the 1980 Olympics under orders from then President Jimmy Carter, who was upset by the Soviet’s jail sentences for two dissidents. Serafini is pictured with Russian Olympics deputy chairman Alexander Issurin and translator Tanya Kashyntseva. (Continued from Page 4) Recalling The 1980 Moscow Olympics R7.K17
LINES WILL BE CROSSED European Premiere April 24th
HAPPY FACE KILLER starring David Arquette AMANDA KNOX : MURDER ON TRIAL IN ITALY starring Hayden Panettiere FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC starring Heather Graham A DAY LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT starring Whoopi Goldberg THE WRONG WOMAN starring Danica McKellar RETURN TO ZERO starring Minnie Driver BABY SELLERS starring Kirstie Alley ©2014 A&E Television Networks, LLC. All rights reserved. 0087A.
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Sample contracts, real-life cases and various checklists offer filmmakers simple and straightforward examples of procedures to get through problems they are likely to face. April 2014 10 Book Review From soup to nuts, everything the indie filmmaker needs to know, from those truly in the know The Independent Film Producer’s Survival Guide: A Business and Legal Sourcebook by Gunnar Erikson, Mark Halloran and Harris Tulchin (Shirmer Trade Books, 440 pages, $27.95) presents itself as a guide for the legal and business aspects of financing, creating and distributing an independent film. Plus, it’s filled with colorful anecdotes and practical examples. Although the term “survival guide” implies that the book is ready to be used by an inexperienced independent filmmaker to flip through on an as-needed basis, the conversational tone of the book and abundance of anecdotes make it imperative to read the book cover to cover, or risk missing an important point or step that an aspiring producer might not be aware of. Additionally, because the authors outline several aspects of pre- and post-production, such as obtaining insurance for everything that could go wrong on a film set, prop release for copyrighted materials present in the picture and fireman’s fund clearance procedures (presented as a checklist of things to be taken care of), an independent filmmaker might not immediately go thumbing through the book the same way they would for help on the more pressing issues such as forming a production company, selling the distribution rights, or drawing up a contract for the actors they cast — the book should not be consulted on a selective basis, especially by the target audience, inexperienced directors and producers, most likely straight out of film school. Unfortunately, at first, going section by section seems like the natural way to read the Survival Guide. The Survival Guide is written jointly by Gunnar Erikson, a formerly active member of the entertainment bar in Los Angeles (whose whereabouts the book implies are currently in some remote corner of Mexico), Mark Halloran and Harris Tulchin, both principals at their respective law offices, and respected names in Hollywood entertainment law. The authors certainly have experience, and Indies’ Source of Wisdom for Filmmaking the handbook shows it. Each of the book’s sections and subsequent subsections follow the paper trail a film leaves behind, from the development process, to financing, casting, pre-sales, and setting up production companies, all the way to marketing, promotion, distribution and everything in between. Sample contracts, real-life cases and various checklists offer filmmakers simple and straightforward examples of procedures to get through problems they are likely to face. Of the countless movies stuck in development hell, who knows how many are there because of legal disputes? Or projects brought to a screeching halt by problems that surfaced only after filming was well under way. If all this can happen under the meticulous scrutiny of studios’ legal departments, the task is truly daunting for an aspiring producer starting out independently. With the help of this Survival Guide, at the very least, independent producers can assure that any problems they encounter won’t be the result of a legal issue if they follow the instructions stepby-step, section-by-section. Perhaps the book would be more readable if it followed the life of a fictional film, outlining the necessary legal procedures along the way. In that case, it would be less of a handbook and more of a textbook, which might not be in line with what the authors were trying to provide, but getting prospective filmmakers to read a legal handbook is a tough job. In all, The Independent Film Producer’s Survival Guide is a useful tool for those willing to pore over the bits they probably already know in order to come upon the truly golden nuggets on film production. The book can be used on an as-needed basis, but in this reviewer’s experience with independent filmmakers, that would ensure that a lot of important paperwork wouldn’t get filed at all, increasing the risk that the picture get stuck in development hell. Now if only there were a guide to dealing with directors whose “artistic vision” requires them to argue with the lead actor during every take. YS
The question remains, however, whether producers are willing to sacrifice the Los Angeles Screenings in late May in favor of a few previews in April, and whether there will actually be pilots or sizzle reels ready for viewing. 14 This MIP-TV might be better than expected due to the changing strategy of the U.S. TV networks that are now giving the green light to an increasing number of new series prior to the New York City Upfronts in mid-May. For MIP-TV, this development means studios and other distributors will be in Cannes with a greater number of new series compared to previous editions of MIP. In fact, among the four big U.S. networks alone — ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC — 16 dramas and comedies have long been announced for Fall 2014 on (see the full report on page 16). The total number of new shows, including those for cable, that have been ordered straight-to-series could reach into the 40s. The question remains, however, whether producers are willing to sacrifice the Los Angeles Screenings in late May in favor of a few previews in April, and whether there will actually be pilots or sizzle reels ready for viewing. Naturally, new series attract more buyers, even though some buyers, especially from Latin America, will still make the trip to L.A. The MIPTV mix is particularly interesting to those buyers who like to stay one step ahead of the competition by reviewing the newly available slate one month early. According to MIP’s official figures, the breakdown of buyers by region indicates that Europe has the largest contingent with 67 percent, followed by Asia-Pacific with 16 percent, the Americas with nine percent and MENA with seven percent. Another question involves the actual number of acquisition executives that will be able to go to Cannes. Some smaller buyers who usually get market access through their companies’ sales departments exhibiting at MIP-TV have reported that they will not be able to get free badges, either due to the fact that their sales department will not be exhibiting this time around, or because they will be scaling down exhibition space and will therefore be entitled to fewer badges. Even though participants will be caught up in back-to-back business meetings, MIP-TV organizer Reed MIDEM has once again packed themarket endingApril 10withkeynote speeches, screenings and sideshow attractions such as the newly launched Junior at MIP. Now the question is, will these additions to the program schedule have an impact on the event’s bread and butter, the buying and selling of content? Exhibitors VideoAge caught up with ahead of the market were focused on sales. Caracol Television Internacional’s Juan David Gomez Gutierrez said MIP-TV has experienced “great growth year after year,” and noted that his company basks in the reduced presence of the U.S. studios, as they believe “this brings us more attention and we are able to make our presence even stronger.” Asked where her company tends to launch new titles, A+E Networks’ Marielle Zuccarelli responded, “Traditionally, we use MIP-TV and MIPCOM as launch pads for unveiling our new content. That said, with the development of A+E Studios, we are looking at L.A. Screenings as a potential platform to introduce new dramas coming out of our studios in 2015. We are fully dedicated to bothMIP-TV and the L.A. Screenings alike, as we target different buyers at each market.” Similarly, Hat Trick International’s Sarah Tong said, “We launch the majority of our new shows at either MIP or MIPCOM, as most of the world’s content buyers attend these markets and it’s a good platform to show off what we have.” She added, “In between the markets, our sales team goes on dedicated sales trips focusing on areas of expansion and importance.” Hat Trick’s goal at this MIP is to launch new shows and meet up with existing clients from Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, France, Germany, Benelux, Poland, Russia and more, as well as to “explore new opportunities in Asia and some parts of Eastern Europe.” A+E’s Zuccarelli explained, “Our goal is to increase our TV movie sales in Europe and Asia.” She also noted that formats are a key part of the company’s expansion strategy. In the weeks leading up to MIP, Esther van Messel of First Hand Films was confident that her company would have a very busy market. “Our schedules are almost already fully booked and we haven’t even done our mailing to buyers yet,” she said. This time around, First Hand Films is looking to expand relationships in places such as Europe and Asia, as well as tackle newer territories, such as Russia. This year MIP-TV will host a “Focus on Israel,” shining a spotlight on the growing international success of Israeli TV content. Though MIPCOM-goers look forward to opportunities in children’s television offered by MIPJunior, which is held directly before the October event, this year MIP attendees will also get to explore the newly launched Junior at MIPTV, which will be held on Tuesday, April 8. Also new this year are the “MIP Digital Fronts,” the new international screenings for original online video. MIP-TV will be heavy on screenings this year, with the “World Premiere TV Screening” of Starz Worldwide Distribution’s original drama series Power on Monday, April 7. There will also be screenings at the aforementioned “MIP Digital Fronts.” “Fresh TV Fiction” will showcase drama from across the globe in two different sessions, “Fresh TV Fiction” and “Best of Fresh TV.” Plus, U.S. restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill was named MIP-TV’s Brand of the Year in recognition of its original online series Farmed and Dangerous. The series, which was produced with New York-based studio Piro, will make its international premiere on April 9 in the Grand Auditorium of MIP-TV’s Palais des Festivals. Finally, MIP-TV has gathered a group of speakers from well-known organizations, including Chris Albrecht, CEO of Starz, who will participate in a keynote as part of the Media Mastermind Keynotes. By Sara Alessi A Burst of Activity and Change in U.S. Pilot Pattern Could Bring Bursting Sales April 2014 MIP-TV Preview
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16 April 2014 U.S. Pi lot Season “The broadcast, development and scheduling system was built for a different era. It was built in a three-network monopoly when we had all the talent and all of the audience. It’s highly inefficient,” Reilly complained. He continued: “After the pilot season is over, we screen them and schedule them and announce them in a compressed and crazy, condensed two‑week period. We go to the Upfront [presentation to advertisers in New York City]. Then they have six weeks to get into production and get on the air. Honestly, it’s nothing short of a miracle that the talent is able to produce anything of quality in that environment,” he said. “We can create a better, more talent‑friendly, more consistently creativeway to do this. We have, in fact, been ordering series throughout the year.” As a result, FOX already has several new series in production, as they plot a course for full-season rollouts. “Of thebalanceof themany scripts intheprocess of being read now, I anticipate a few more will be ordered to some version of series or production for this cycle, and then I imagine a balance of those projects will be pushed and ordered for summer or early fall production next year to be almost a full 12 months ahead of development for the following season,” Reilly explained. “We can’t be in the one‑size‑fits-all business. There shouldn’t be a set order pattern…There are so many things, thousands of original shows competing for [the audience’s] attention right now, we just can’t do it all at once.” CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler, on the other hand, did not agree with the idea of doing away with pilot season — especially since hers is the number one network in total viewers and often wins in advertiser-friendly demographic groups. “I can appreciate where [Reilly’s] coming from, and, obviously, he’s got to make decisions relative to his own company and his own needs,” Tassler noted. “Pilot season isn’t perfect, and it certainly is a very difficult time. It’s frustrating, but it’s also exciting.” Tassler cited past television show successes like The Big Bang Theory andCSI as examples of when the pilot process worked well. “As a reminder, Big Bangwas apilot thatwe shotwithJim[Parsons]and Johnny [Galecki], but we didn’t have Kaley [Cuoco]. So we and [executive producer] Chuck [Lorre] looked at the pilot and said, ‘You knowwhat: I could do better,’” Tassler said. “We shot a second pilot and we added Kaley Cuoco. Same thing withCSI. “The pilot process is not perfect, butCSI was the last script in, and those producers had to get that script in because of pilot season. It was the last script picked up…When [Danny Cannon] was set to direct the pilot, it literally was moments before we were supposed to start shooting. It was the last pilot delivered, but it had to get in. And it was the fact that it was delivered under that kind of pressure that sort of forced, in analysis, a very smart creative team to make the best creative decisions,” Tassler acknowledged. Mark Pedowitz, who runs CBS sibling network The CW, also plans to stick with the more traditional pilot season. “With the year‑round schedule, pilot season is tried and true. It’s Early Pick-Ups, Holdovers Abound In Pilot Season By Lucy Cohen Blatter The big news among this year’s crop of 20142015 commissioned pilots is that over a dozen series have already received series commitments. In fact, amongst the four big U.S. networks — ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC — 16 dramas and comedies have already been picked up for fall 2014 on (they’re all listed below). Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of the quick-tobe-picked-up series have famous (and already well-proven) names attached to them, like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who are both behind comedies coming to NBC. Among the trendsVideoAge is seeing in this pilot season are the usual based-on-a-foreign-series shows, including ABC’s An American Education, based on a BBC Three series about an unorthodox public school teacher; Exposed, which is based on a Scandinavian format and follows an investigative journalist; Strange Calls; a cast-contingent drama based on an Australian series about a cop who’s exiled to night duty on Nantucket; Secrets & Lies, another based-on-an-Australian series about a family man who finds the body of a young boy and quickly becomes a prime suspect; and Irreversible, a drama about an eccentric couple that’s based on an Israeli series (all four are for the alphabet net). There’s also Jane the Virgin, for the CW, which is based on a Venezuelan telenovela and is about a girl who accidentally becomes artificially inseminated; and ABC’s Sea of Fire, about the aftermath of a pornographic film, which is based on a Dutch series. CBS will do a reality musical competition based on a Turkish format, Keep Your Light Shining. FOX also has comedy Dead Boss, based on a British series. Interestingly, a new trend seems to be shows based on comic book characters (no surprise seeing ABC’s success with Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. this year). The CW has commissioned a pilot based on DC Comics’ The Flash; NBC’s Constantine is based on DC Comic stories about a con-man-turned-reluctant-supernatural-detective and FOX’s Gotham is a prequel to Batman. Among the spin-offs are How I Met Your Dad, from the creators of CBS’s longtime comedyHow I Met Your Mother, the CW’s Supernatural: Tribes, based on the long-running series about brothers who hunt supernatural beings, CBS’s NCIS: New Orleans and a newCSI. inefficient in some ways, and it’s very efficient in others,” said Pedowitz. “We do not do that many pilots at CW. When we do our pilots, they have a great ratio of going to series…Last year, we ended up doing seven pilots. Five made it to series… So, for us, it’s a very efficient system…I’m perfectly happy with the traditional in this case. I wish FOX well…[Reilly has] taken a real good leap, and I hope it does work out.” ABC Entertainment president Paul Lee also anchored his network’s commitment to a more traditional pilot season. “The Upfront is very important to us and will continue to be important…for the foreseeable future…I’m a gradualist, for good or ill, and we are gradually moving off it. If you think of the things that I brought to you here for midseason — you know, we didn’t take Black Box to the Upfront. We didn’t take Rising Star to the Upfront. We did take Resurrection to the Upfront, and it’s definitely true that we have the ability to take our time, cast well, and really land a Kelly Reilly and a Vanessa Redgrave. But it’s equally true… that the focus and the deadlines that pilots bring have been extremely successful for American television for 50 years. And I for one sat in British television and looked up to the American ability to create factories of television that last for five, six, seven years. And I for one on this particular job am immensely proud of what our showrunners have done in pilot season to go through the Scandals and the Revenges and the Onces and the others,” Lee said. When asked to comment about Reilly’s thoughts on pilot season, Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment said, “It’s funny. I hear he abandoned pilots and then just picked up a bunch of prototypes with an intent to go to series with extra scripts and stuff. So I don’t know if that’s not sort of another way of doing a version of the pilot process!” Greenblatt was enthusiastic about pilots. “I actually love pilots,” he said. “The Blacklist probably would never have seen the air had we not made a pilot, because it came froma relatively young, inexperienced writer. We weren’t exactly sure immediately from that script that we should order a series. We found a great director to direct a prototype of the show, Joe Carnahan, who also helped contribute to what that show is and what it should look like. You learn valuable information from the pilot process. What I think Kevin was saying, and we all say on a daily basis, is we hate the pilot season. Now, we’re locked into it for a lot of macro Upfront reasons to a large degree, but I don’t think the pilot is a flawed concept. In some cases it makes sense to go right to series, as we did with Crossbones and Emerald City and Tina Fey and Robert Carlock’s new show, but in a lot of cases a pilot can be really valuable. We just have to figure out, can we make them more off‑cycle? If we get a star that no one else has, I immediately feel like that’s half the battle.” And, he added, “Casting is the worst part of the pilot season. If you have Ellie Kemper attached to a show already and we don’t have to figure out who is going to play this central female character in Tina and Robert’s new show, then you’re ahead of the pack.” By Susan Hornik NBC has picked upWelcome to Sweden (Continued on Page 18) (Continued from Cover)
April 2014 18 U.S. Pi lot Season (Continued on Page 20) Also, it’s interesting to note that many of the pilots and series that have been picked up for the 2014-2015 season were first introduced for 20132014 but passed over. CBS’s The McCarthys, about a sports-crazed Irish Catholic family in Boston, and their Untitled Jim Gaffigan comedy based on the stand-up comic’s real life as a father of five in New York City, were both in the running last year but not picked up (and their fate this year is still unknown). Mulaney, a comedy about an up-and-coming comedian, was optioned by NBC last season and has now received a series order from FOX. Backstrom, a drama about a self-destructive detective, has been ordered by FOX as well, though CBS ordered the pilot last year. Mr. Robinson, about a talented musician who’s now a middle school music teacher, was passed over byNBC last year, but has already beenordered to series by the network this year. For a complete list of the major networks’ fulllength series, starting in fall 2014, read below. ABC Comedy An American Education Based on the BBC series Bad Education, about an unorthodox San Diego public school teacher Black-ish An upper middle class black man tries to raise his kids with some cultural identity Damaged Goods A look at the sexual politics that have changed in the post-feminist era Fresh Off the Boat Based on chef Eddie Huang’s memoir, it revolves around a Chinese family that moves to suburban Orlando Galavant A musical comedy about a handsome prince galavant and his quest for revenge Irreversible Based on the Israeli seriesBilti Hafich, about a somewhat eccentric, self-absorbed couple, and their trials and tribulations —most of which they bring upon themselves My Thoughts Exactly Exposes the internal monologues of a young couple in a new relationship Saint Francis A blue collar, no-nonsense cop butts heads with the liberal world when his sister gets pregnant out of wedlock Selfie A self-obsessed 20-something garners unwanted social media attention and tries to live through the aftermath Strange Calls ** Based on an Australian series about a good-hearted, bumbling Boston cop Toby Banks, who is exiled to night duty on Nantucket Island Untitled Brian Gallivan project An overworked father moves his family from the city to New Hampshire, where they open a group of tourist cottages Untitled Hart, Goldman and Donovan Project ** Based on Kevin Hart’s life, the show asks the question: “Can a man and woman ever be friends?” The Winklers An emotionally reserved construction worker unexpectedly moves in with his in-laws Taxi-22 An off-color cab driver in NYC is perpetually on the brink of a breakdown Untitled Jim Gaffigan Project Stars comedian Jim Gaffigan as a NYC father of five, as he is in real life Drama Battle Creek* Two detectives with very different worldviews are teamed up on the semi-mean streets of Battle Creek, Michigan CSI Spin-off Revolves around a special agent in Virginia Madam Secretary Explores the personal and professional life of a maverick female Secretary of State NCIS: New Orleans A spin-off of the current series Only Human A soapy medical drama about quadruplets who grew up on a reality show Scorpion A procedural about an eccentric genius and his international network of super-geniuses who form the last line of defense against the complex threats of the modern age Untitled Elmore, Cavell and Cusack Project Set in the world of power and money on Wall Street Untitled Kevin Williamson Project A psychological thriller about a pair of detectives who handle stalking incidents at the LAPD Untitled Nikki Toscana Project Centers on a retired CIA operative who must rejoin the group when a terrorist event rocks Washington, D.C. Reality In The Spotlight Based on a Turkish format, this music competition reality series comes from former American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe CW Drama The Flash Based on the DC Comics character Identity Inspired by Israeli script Dance of the Hours, about a whip-smart New Yorker who discovers her only possible organ donor is a newfound half-brother, part of a wealthy and powerful Southern family iZombie A med student-turned-zombie gets a job in the coroners, office but she inherits the corpses’ memories whose brains she reluctantly eats Jane the Virgin Based on the Venezuelan telenovela Juana La Virgen, about an innocent girl who accidentally becomes artificially inseminated The Messengers A group of strangers awaken to learn they are being deemed responsible for preventing an Apocalypse Supernatural: Tribes A spin-off of Supernatural that explores the clashing hunter and monster cultures of Chicago Drama Agatha A former convict becomes a big-city criminologist American Crime A racially charged murder and its subsequent trial are examined through the lives of the victims, the accused and their families Clementine When she stops running from her past, a troubled 28year-old psychic sees her life change in unexpected ways The Club* AnUpstairs, Downstairs-style soap set at a private country club Exposed Based on a Scandinavian format, it follows an investigative journalist who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth Forever Centers on New York City’s immortal star medical examiner How To Get Away With Murder A legal thriller about ambitious law students and their brilliant, mysterious criminal defense professor who becomes entangled in a murder plot Sea of Fire Based on a Dutch TV series, set in a small town torn apart when three teenage girls are in a pornographic film Secrets & Lies* A family man finds the body of a young boy and quickly becomes the prime murder suspect Untitled Richard LaGravanese Project Revolves around the love and rivalry between two powerful socialites with an obsessive attraction The Visitors Based on Ray Bradbury’s short story “Zero Hour,” this chronicles a race against the clock to defeat an unseen alien enemy Warriors The best and brightest active duty military doctors and nurses practice trailblazing medicine on wounded warriors CBS Comedy Cuz-Bros A successful and suave ladies man sees his life turned upside down when his mess of a cousin comes to stay Good Session A happy couple decides to see a therapist to help them decide if they should have a baby, but quickly learns there’s more to discuss How I Met Your Dad A spin-off of How I Met Your Mother about a new group of friends who hang out at MacLaren’s The McCarthys Centers on a large Irish Catholic family from Boston that is crazy about sports The Mistake A couple who just “finished” raising their kids becomes pregnant More Time With the Family A husband and father makes a career change in order to spend more time at home The Odd Couple A modern version of the classic, with Felix and Oscar Save the Date A single 35-year-old drunkenly books a wedding venue and embarks on a race against the clock to meet the right man in time (Continued from Page 16)
April 2014 20 U.S. Pi lot Season FOX Comedy Bordertown* Animated comedy from Seth MacFarlane, about two families living on the U.S.-Mexico border Cabot College* A women’s college begins accepting men Dead Boss Based on a British series, a comedic mystery in which an overachiever is wrongfully convicted of killing her boss Fatrick Centers on 30-something Patrick, who was once a chubby kid The Last Man on Earth* Stars Will Forte, about the last man left on earth Mulaney* Follows an aspiring comedian coming of age in NYC under the influence of his over-the-top boss —who was a major stand-up comedian in the ’80s and ’90s and now hosts a game show No Place Like Home A mom who’s been single for two decades traumatizes her stunted son when she remarries and three teenage step-children are about to move in Sober Companion A court-appointed, highly unconventional sober companion takes control of the life of a charming, selfdestructive attorney Weird Loners* The story of four relationship-phobic people who form an unlikely bond in a townhouse in Queens, NY WTF America*** A hybrid scripted/unscripted project that explores smalltown America Drama Backstrom* Offensive, irascible Portland Detective Everett Backstrom tries, and fails, to change his self-destructive behavior while leading the Serious Crimes Unit Empire Family drama set in the world of a hip-hop empire, which features original and current music Gotham* Batman prequel, centering on DC Comics fixture Commissioner James Gordon and the villains that made Gotham famous Hieroglyph* A notorious thief is taken from prison to serve the Pharoah, and navigate palace intrigue, seductive concubines, criminal underbellies and divine sorcerers Home A family thriller/soap that delves into the secrets lingering behind the façade of a suburban family The Middle Man Explores the unique relationship between Rudy MacAteer, an FBI agent charged with taking down the Italian-American mafia, and his confidential informant, Irish-American gangster Mickey Flood Red Band Society This “series prototype” is based on Spanish seriesPolseres Vermellesand is a coming-of-age drama that explores with dark humor the lives of a group of teenagers living in a hospital who become unlikely friends Welcome to Sweden* A New York accountant follows his heart, and his love, to Sweden Working the Engels* A family must come together when their father and breadwinner dies and leaves them with a ton of debt Drama Babylon Fields The dead are rising in Babylon, New York Coercion Based on an Israeli thriller about a war hero who’s unaware that his parents are part of a Russian sleeper cell Constantine Based on the characters in DC Comics’ John Constantine stories Emerald City* A new take on theWizard of Oz The Mysteries of Laura Based on a Spanish series that follows the life and relationships of a female homicide detective who can handle murderous criminals — but not her hell-raising twin children Odyssey Three families are torn apart when a stranded female soldier, disillusioned attorney and political activist are pulled into an international conspiracy Salvation Family drama set against the backdrop of a Texas mega church State of Affairs A key CIA attaché counsels the president on high-stakes incidents around the world Tin Man A psychological crime thriller set in the near future that revolves around a fugitive robot and a young female public defender Picked up Cast contingent pilot pick up Pilot presentation NBC Comedy A to Z Romantic comedy set in the world of an online dating company that details the “A to Zs” of a relationship, from meeting to break-up Bad Judge A hard-living woman struggles to balance her personal life with her job as a criminal court judge Ellen More or Less Centers on a woman who reinvents herself in life and love after losing 100 pounds Feed Me Dark comedy centering on a dysfunctional family bound by love and the restaurant they run together Fifth Wheel A young woman confronts her new reality when the last member of her tight-knit group of friends gets engaged Lifesaver An odd-couple comedy about two polar opposites who become linked after one gives the other a kidney Love is Relative A husband and wife begin to see their marriage in a whole new way after her newly divorced brother moves in Marry Me A longtime couple quickly learns that engagement is harder than it looks Mason Twins Two 30-something fraternal twins still live together Mission Control Workplace comedy set in 1962, about a strong woman who butts heads with a macho astronaut in the race to land on the moon The Money Pit Inspired by the movie about a couple that bites off more than they can chew in their new home Mr. Robinson* A talented musician adjusts to life as a middle school music teacher Mystery Island Animated comedy set on an island where people get marooned after their cruise ship malfunctions One Big Happy Gay and straight best friends decide to have a baby together, but when the man finds love, things get complicated Old Soul A young woman tries to find herself while working as an aide to a group of elderly people The Pro Workplace comedy set in and around a tennis and golf club Tooken* A woman who escapes from a doomsday cult starts life over in New York City Two to Go Two long-time best friends grapple with dating challenges while their friends try and prove they are destined for each other * ** *** Seth MacFarlane’sBordertownanimated series got a straight-to-series order from FOX. (Continued from Page 18)
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24 WhenBellMedia recently acquiredAstral Mediaaspartof aC$3billiondeal, ithad to divest itself of some of its broadcast assets to satisfy the requirements of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Canada’s regulatory body. The CRTC’s mandate is to ensure a dynamic marketplace and a healthy and competitive broadcasting system in the country. With huge deals like Bell/Astral, it must make sure that increased consolidation and scale does not upset the balance, i.e. that the combined viewing share will be within the CRTC’s acceptable threshold. Bell agreed to divest itself of radio stations as well as cable channels in order to bring this about. Channels that were put up for sale were largely genre-specific. Bell, like CTV, which it had previously acquired, and even CHUM, which CTV acquired even earlier, had never been in the children’s television business. So it seemed to make logistical and probably also financial sense to unload the previously Astral-owned Disneybranded services: Family Channel, Disney XD, and Disney Junior, English and French, as well as a half-share in Teletoon Canada, with its related licenses. And it made perfect sense for Corus Entertainment to pick up the 50 percent of Teletoon Canada it did not already own. That purchase received CRTC approval this January. Corus Entertainment has had considerable success with its niche-focused television brands. In addition to its share in the Teletoon services, its kid’s portfolio includes YTV, Treehouse, Nickelodeon Canada and ABC Spark. It also owns animation producer and distributor Nelvana, with its library of over 4,000 half-hour episodes. “We are very pleased to have completed the acquisition of Teletoon,” said Colin Bohm, vice president and head of Corus Kids. “With our prior 50 percent interest in the company, we are already very familiar with these services. They will contribute to the growth and success of our kids business, which is a strategically important segment for us.” Where did Family Channel and the other Disney-branded channels end up? Halifax-based DHX is a publicly-traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange. It has been aggressively expanding its reach, and has increased its market presence with offices in Toronto, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Halifax and London, Paris, Barcelona, Milan and Amsterdam. It is a creator, producer and distributor of children’s entertainment content, and has been very active in targeting digital platforms such as Netflix, iTunes and Yahoo!. DHX has been in acquisition mode. In 2012 it acquiredToronto’s Cookie Jar Entertainment, and in2013 it purchasedU.K. outfit RagdollWorldwide for C$27.7 million. Ragdoll’s library of children’s properties includes the iconicTeletubbies. It is no secret that Michael Donovan, DHX’s CEO, has wanted to enter the channel business, and in November 2013, DHX announced that it had made an agreement to purchase the Bell children’s channels for approximately C$170 million. The transaction is expected to close in 2014, subject to approvals by the Competition Bureau and the CRTC. “The acquisition of these high-quality Canadian channels represents an exciting new addition to DHX, one that complements and enhances all areas of our business and positions us for our next stage of growth,” said Donovan when the acquisition was announced. Advantages he listed include a platform to create more shows to sell globally, a vehicle to increase Canadian-created animated shows for children, a distribution channel to promote its own family and kids brands and the ability to fill the increasing need for content as more and more television is watched on TVs, computers, tablets and smartphones. TheDisney-brandchannelsgeneratesubstantial revenues, which have been increasing over the past three years, and owning cable assets provides stable cash flow through subscriber fees. In particular, Family Channel, a premium commercial-free service, holds a Category A PayTV license, giving it a “must carry” designation by the CRTC, meaning cable and satellite companies are required to carry it on all their services. Having the recognizable, world-famous Disney brand is an advantage in itself. Harold Greenberg, founder of Astral, was instrumental in bringing it to Canada, but the Canadian relationship with the Disney Channels is not in perpetuity. Kevin Wright, former SVP of Programming at Astral, said thatmaintaining theDisney trust and respect was a vital part of Astral’s business. Wright, a casualty of the Bell take-over, brings his considerable experience in children’s programming to a now arms-length view of the changing landscape. From his perspective, the DHX deal is a good thing. “They are smart, strategic players who bring an entrepreneurial attitude to the business, with both a domestic and international perspective. As a new broadcaster, they should provide a fresh, authentic, independent voice, different from the older established vertically-integrated companies. And with their background, they bring to the table legitimate children’s DNA: a children’s player buying a children’s asset!” Like Corus, DHX will be a broadcaster with a related production company. In the Teletoon decision, in order to limit the potential for anti-competitive behavior, the CRTC imposed safeguards, for instance that Teletoon devote 75 percent of its expenditures for first-run original programming tonon-relatedproducers (upfrom50 percent), and that at least 75 percent of all original first-run programming exhibited be acquired from non-related producers. DHX is likely to have similar conditions of license applied. For program suppliers, such as Toronto-based 9 Story Entertainment, a large producer and distributor of family programming similar toDHX, or Ottawa-based animation specialist Amberwood Entertainment, it should be business as usual regardless of ownership. From his perspective, Sheldon Wiseman, president of Amberwood, sees the DHX deal and its potential conditions of license, like those of Teletoon, increasing the opportunities for independent producers. The above-mentioned children’s outlets are not the only ones in Canada. Others include TVOntario, with its long-standing reputation for preschool programming, and in British Columbia, BBCKids, owned by Knowledge Network. Its president, Rudy Buttignol, looks forward to a continued relationship with DHX, a company with whom he shares a mission for “good value children’s programming.” And “good value children’s programming” is what it’s all about. IB When Consolidation Is Involved, the CRTC Spares No Regulatory Hurdles April 2014 Canada’s Channels Corus Kids’ Colin Bohm DHX’s Michael Donovan
A+E Networks’ Sean Cohan withVideoAge’s Dom Serafini in the architecturally impressive atrium of A+E headquarters in New York City A+E Networks’ EVP Sean Cohan (Continued on Page 28) 26 VideoAge estimates that outside the U.S., 10 American companies own and/or manage over 1,000 international TV channels, generating — between sub fees, VoD share when applicable and advertising proceeds — annual revenues in the order of $10 billion. This excludes the American Forces Network, religious networks such as EWTNandTBNandTV shopping channels such as QVC and HSN. It’s important to note that those 1,000 channels represent no more than 50 brands and that they don’t include “feeds,” but only distinct channels. Nonetheless, it’s clearly a profitable business and a growing one, and even though it presents great challenges, the rewards are equally great. In some instances, like in the case of Brazil’s Rede Globo, the international channel business overshadows content licensing to third parties. To better understand the nitty-gritty of the U.S. international channel business and the challenges it presents, VideoAge spoke at length with Sean Cohan, executive vice president of the New York City-based A+E Networks, which has seven brands spread among 62 distinct channels in over 160 countries. The U.S. is excluded from those figures, as are the “feeds,” of which, in the case of Latin America (LATAM), there are 15. In terms of ownership, 16 percent — or 10 channels — are fully owned and operated (O&O) by A+E: five in Southeast Asia (SEA), two in Italy, and one each in South Korea, Russia and Canada. Of the remaining channels, 40 are 50-50 joint ventures (JVs) and the remaining 12 are license partnerships. Looking at the international channel business panorama out there, four hurdles come to mind: How crowded the field is; how costly it has become to enter; how competitive it is and how unclear the digital future is. It is indeed a “very crowded landscape,” concurred A+E Networks’ Sean Cohan, “both in terms of viewer and platform attention.” He also sees greater “saturation and fragmentation,” as additional challenges. According to Cohan, in the future the sector will see “fewer, bigger and better,” international TV channels and the industry’s trend is to “shed channels.” Another trend, previously reported by VideoAge, is for somemajor U.S. companies to group their channel operations in a few countries (e.g., Italy, Spain and France) under one central office. But apparently these trends do not worry A+E, which in 2013 launched nine new channels: two each in the U.K., France and SEA, and one each in Italy, Russia and LATAM. “It was a very good year,” commented Cohan, adding that A+E’s strategy is to be “more local, but take advantage of central efficiency.” And it is a very expensive proposition; a business that requires deep pockets since, in the words of the A+E exec, “the payoff ranges from immediate to five years. It’s a multi-year payback investment.” It is a business that requires “long-term orientation, strategic prioritizing and staggered investments,” he said. To this, add the fact that, nowadays, increasing competition from big players renders the process more arduous, compared to the recent past, when A+E was able to launch 35 channels in the span of five years. Preparing to launch a channel is a timeconsuming proposition. For example, “Before launching in Italy,” said Cohan, “we were in talks with the Italian platform for four years.” In addition to “having our own people on the ground we have to ascertain if the platform has an appetite for the channel.” Other considerations are: “making sure that each channel is different, evaluating local rules and regulations, making sure the market can support the new channel, and whether it makes economic sense to go solo.” Regarding the last issue, Cohan said that, at A+E the trend is going solo, in the sense of launching O&O channels, however, “there are still places where JVs make sense.” Nevertheless, he explained “focusing on long term, we want to create a path to ownership in the future.” As for the markets’ needs, Cohan stated, “most markets can support and have demand for a couple of our channels [and] if you put quality product out there, there is sill room to serve viewers on the platforms.” Negotiating with the platforms entails several issues, but apparently no longer includes pressure from them to co-own new channels. More importantly, today’s issues have to do with the channel’s position on the Electronic Program Guide (EPG), and its per sub fee. Cohan did not want to expand on the latter issue, except to say that “it has to be greater than zero.” In last April’s Issue, VideoAge reported that the digital online live steaming alternative has offered channels that are able to deliver quality programs greater negotiating power, especially those forwhich subscriberswill actually complain if providers don’t carry them. For the EPG’s channel position, the ideal is to be close to the top channels and close to page one. The factors that determine the EPG position are the channel genre (since it is desirable to be grouped together), local regulations, fee considerations and exclusivity, considering that generally, international channel operators like to be platform agnostic. However, those are elements that concern reserved negotiations and which Cohan couldn’t address publicly. For an explanation, VideoAge called upon Jacques de Suze, a Washington, D.C.-based TV consultant who has been involved in the launch of many international TV channels: “A good EPG spot is of great value, and thus there are a lot of negotiations. One can read about the fight between Comcast and the Tennis Channel over their EPG placement. If all the general interest are in the 200-300 channel range, then that’s where a new entertainment channel wants to be. If the new channel gets sent to the 800-900 channel range, it’s not good. Then there is the U.K. situation, where the channel pays Sky and other distributors (cable) for carriage, which includes the EPG fee and a possible sub fee. If the channel is valuable, then the carrier pays the channel a sub fee, but the channel number is not necessarily linked to the EPG fee. In my experience, for a local U.K. channel we launched years ago, we paid more than £300,000 [U.S.$500,000] a year for satellite carriage and £75,000 [U.S.$125,000] annually for the EPG listing. We got no sub fee from cable or satellite companies.” But Cohan did touch on the subject of local hurdles in the form of a country’s rules and regulations for content requirements, protection of indigenous channels, ownership limitations and other obligations. Typical examples could be provided by Canada’s regulatory agency, the Challenges and Rewards With International Channels Business A frank talk with A+E Networks’ Sean Cohan April 2014 Launching Channels By Dom Serafini
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