Jucaud, managing director of the Paris, France-based DISCOP East. “Some countries can still be considered as emerging marketplaces in terms of advertising expenditure per capita, disposable income, digital penetration and, most importantly, licensing revenues for our clients. Others are much more mature, with very competitive marketplaces, and are still buoyant despite the [financial] crisis.” Tobi de Graaff, director of Global TV Distribution for U.K.-based ITV Global, concurred. “CEE is certainly a mature market that is totally up to date with TV trends,” he said. “But there is continued development as various platforms switch over from analog to digital and new media and multiplex channels emerge.” As for concerns about the economy, de Graaff had few. “We believe DISCOP ’09 will continue the theme of MIP-TV, with our clients looking for affordable programming with volume and family-oriented entertainment.” Most importantly, he believes that DISCOP is a must-attend event since it “remains the affordable market for smaller territories that do not attend both MIPs.” For Jene Elzie, vice president, International Sales and Strategic Planning for Los Angeles-based Comcast International Media Group, DISCOP East is simply a market that allows her and her colleagues to cover a lot of ground in a short time. “The term ‘emerging’ is a bit of a misnomer at this point,” she said. “To me, a market that is emerging is still in its nascent stages. I would say that Eastern Europe is well past its dawn, but far from full maturity. It is really the best of both worlds: a sophisticated market with a tremendous amount of upside.” And that upside generally comes in the form of program sales. “Celebrity plays well for us [in the region], be it celeb-reality, countdown shows, fashion make-overs or live events such as news or red carpet shows,” she said. However, she also noted a trend towards local production and formats in Eastern Europe, saying: “We are also exploring opportunities in these realms.” Jonathan South, director, International Content Sales, EMEA, AETN International, concurred with Elzie that Eastern Europe could no longer be considered an “emerging” market. “Countries such as Poland and Hungary already have more sophisticated and diverse broadcasters to match the current media landscape in the region,” he said. In fact, revenues from Eastern and Central Europe have grown so much in recent years that AETN International expanded its sales team, adding a dedicated sales rep, Joss Duffield, to cater to the increased demand from the region. Duffield will attend DISCOP East 2009, where he will present a variety of series, including Life After People , which uses film-quality visual effects to take a look at what would happen to the planet if the human race was to suddenly disappear forever; and unscripted series Obsessed, which explores the worlds of individuals facing debilitating anxiety disorders. While South is a big fan of DISCOP, he does have some suggestions for its improvement. “It’s not particularly effective to have a sales market in a hotel,” he said. “An alternative exhibition center would definitely work better.” Gary MacKinney, vp, International Sales for Sherman Oaks, Californiabased Rive Gauche Television, disagreed, saying changes are not necessary to make DISCOP better for his company. “We look to this trade show for opportunities to meet potential buyers and create new relationships, especially in untapped markets,” he said. MacKinney also felt that while there’s been tremendous growth in the region, “we have only scratched the surface for the potential opportunities and there is still a great deal of room for further expansion.” He went on to say that in dire economic times such as these, it pays to provide cost-effective niche programming since buyers are cautious about spending. “As the privatization of television and increase in cab/sat offerings in the region continue, the demand for the kind of programming Rive Gauche offers will increase accordingly.” Jose Escalante, CEO and president of Dori Media’s Latin America operations, said that his firm’s programming — telenovelas — plays well in the region, no matter what’s happening with the economy. He did, however, feel that a market like DISCOP is affected more by the financial crisis than the MIPs and MIPCOMs of the world. “I want to see what clients from Bosnia or Kosovo or Armenia have to say,” he said, noting that very few of them made it out to Cannes for April’s MIP-TV. “It’s hard to get a real sense of what’s going on there until you talk to the people in these countries. There can be a slowdown in buying, but we won’t know for sure until we get there.” Escalante also said that while he doesn’t dislike Budapest, he’d love it if the market would move to a different locale each year. “Maybe Prague one year. Maybe Croatia the next,” he said. “It would push producers from other countries to participate more.” Regarding this last point, Eric Muller, vp, International Sales for U.K.-based Power, disagreed, remarking that Budapest is probably the best place for DISCOP East, as it attracts more international flights than most other CEE locales. Muller will be at the market with the hopes of meeting with those clients who couldn’t make it to MIP-TV this year, notably the Albanians, Macedonians and Bosnians who “maybe couldn’t afford a hotel in Cannes, but can afford one in Budapest.” He believes that the economic situation may make it tough to sell formats or reality shows, but that finished product should be a sure thing. “Most people will be buying smart,” he said. “They’ll buy family entertainment that’s good — which is what Power has to offer.” Janne Parving, head of Sales and Marketing for Copenhagen’s Nordisk Film TV World, which is heading to Budapest with a line-up that includes both formats and finished product, echoed Muller’s sentiment. “Buyers will take fewer risks,” she said. “Acquisitions of finished programming will fill more time slots, as it is cheaper. However, broadcasters will still need to make strong local programming, as this is the only way to brand its channel and maintain and win market share. In that respect, proven formats will offer an advantage, as when you buy them, you are also buying security and expertise.” Before the market opened, nearly 1,200 participants had already confirmed their attendance at the Budapest event. More than 350 international vendors and 1,000 buyers are also expected. The three-day market will be preceded by a one-day DISCOPRO conference that will focus on co-production opportunities within Central and Eastern Europe. DISCOPRO 2009 will include a workshop on the production of archive-based news segments and documentaries and a pitching session promoting a selection of 10 projects. Once the actual market begins, attendees can attend sessions such as “How to Turn Blocks of Airtime Into Gold,” targeted at CEE TV stations looking to do business with direct response marketers. Parties will include the Telenovela Gala Evening hosted by Israel’s Dori Media and a Danube Boat Party hosted by HBO Central Europe. LHR V I D E O • A G E JU N E 2 0 0 9 (Continued from Cover) DISCOP 24 Comcast’s Jene Elzie Jonathan South of AETN ITV Global’s Tobi de Graaff DISCOP’s Patrick Jucaud Doing business at DISCOP 2008
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