Video Age International June-July 2013

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 JUNE/JULY 2013 - VOL. 33 NO. 5 - $9.75 (Continued on Page 24) (Continued on Page 22) Nothing has changed in the Greek TV market over the past three years. Therefore, due to the persisting market situation, the dictum of station management has been: continue cutting costs; acquire programs only when absolutely necessary (and stick to content that has low license fees); make shows that are cheap to produce and utilize what is available on the shelves. When and if new TV series are introduced, their life span will depend on their performance. If not up to par, or if they do not gather Pain, Tribulation, Hopes of GreekTV Every company, if they could, would like to exhibit at or at least participate in as many TVtradeshowsaspossible. Yet, those same companies will never miss an opportunity to criticize the very same trade shows they so eagerly attend. This is for many reasons: escalating costs, reduced sales, The State of the Business of the Trade Show Biz Page 20 Page 18 Made in Italy Prix Italia, Venice Film Fest, Studio Universal Page 14 NATPE Budapest moving from developing to mature markets TheJornadasinBuenos Aires highlightsArgentina’s new rennaissance Page 10 L.A. Screenings blanketed by new shows and actual blankets, too Sponsored Content Programs All the Ragewith Young People promoted John Deere tractors. Sponsored, or branded, content evolved in the early days of radio and televisionwith detergent companies financing the production of soap operas. However, in those days the sponsor paid for the content and the At first glance, it looks as though advertisers are now doing away with media, having themselves become media. Plus, some advertisers are now all the rage among young people totally taken by their sponsored content masquerading as “cool stuff.” Finally, not only are some companies avoiding paying to have their commercials broadcast, they are actually making money from TV outlets by selling branded content. Sponsored content is not a new concept. In fact, the first record of advertisers creating content that looks like editorial content dates back to 1895 withFurrowmagazine, which was devoted to farming and (Continued on Page 24) “The following program America-America is being brought to you by a grant from Nissan.” The author of this documentary has travelled along the Rhone river, from its source to its mouth, on… a three-wheeled Ape pick-up (Ape − pronounced ah-peh − is the Italian word for bee). On his 1,000 km long journey in Switzerland and France, he has come across people of different cultures and gained some insight into centuries of history. Italian, English subtitled – 53’ – 2012 Ernestino and Renza have chosen to do without the comforts of a home in order to live 365 days a year amongst their herd, perpetuating a tradition which goes back several thousand years and is today threatened by encroaching concrete, pollution and declining valuation of wool and meat. Italian, English subtitled - 65’ - 2013

FEATURING: MATTHEW MODINE STEVEN WEBER JULIA ORMOND MICHAEL VARTAN SETH GREEN TERRY O’QUINN TREAT WILLIAMS DAVID JAMES ELLIOTT WWW.POWCORP.COM 2x2 HOURS

MAIN OFFICES 216 EAST 75TH STREET NEW YORK, NY 10021 TEL: (212) 288-3933 FAX: (212) 288-3424 WWW.VIDEOAGE.ORG WWW.VIDEOAGELATINO.COM WWW.VIDEOAGE.IT P.O. BOX 25282 LOS ANGELES, CA 90025 VIALE ABRUZZI 30 20123 MILAN, ITALY YUKARI MEDIA YMI BLDG. 3-3-4, UCHIHIRANOMACHI CHUO-KU, OSAKA JAPAN TEL: (816) 4790-2222 EDITOR DOM SERAFINI ASSISTANT EDITOR SARA ALESSI EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS ISME BENNIE (CANADA) ENZO CHIARULLO (ITALY) LUCY COHEN BLATTER CARLOS GUROVICH LEAH HOCHBAUM ROSNER BOB JENKINS (U.K.) AKIKO KOBAYACHI (JAPAN) DAVID SHORT (AFRICA) MARIA ZUPPELLO (BRAZIL) PUBLISHER MONICA GORGHETTO BUSINESS OFFICE LEN FINKEL LEGAL OFFICE ROBERT ACKERMANN, STEVE SCHIFFMAN WEB MANAGER MIKE FAIVRE DESIGN/LAYOUT CARMINE RASPAOLO ILLUSTRATIONS BOB SHOCHET VIDEO AGE INTERNATIONAL (ISSN 0278-5013 USPS 601-230) IS PUBLISHED SEVEN TIMES A YEAR: JANUARY, MARCH/APRIL, MAY, JUNE, JULY, OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER/DECEMBER. PLUS DAILIES BY TV TRADE MEDIA, INC. © TV TRADE MEDIA INC. 2013. 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PURSUANT TO THE U.S. COPYRIGHTS ACT OF 1976, THE RIGHTS OF ALL CONTENT DONE ON ASSIGNMENT FOR ALL VIDEOAGE PUBLICATIONS ARE HELD BY THE PUBLISHER OF VIDEOAGE, WHICH COMMISSIONED THEM Cover Stories I N T E R N A T I O N A L www.VideoAge.org BUSINESS JOURNALOF FILM,BROADCASTING,BROADBAND,PRODUCTION,DISTRIBUTION JUNE/JULY 2013 -VOL.33NO.5 - $9.75 (Continued onPage 24) (Continued onPage 22) Nothing has changed in the Greek TVmarket over the past threeyears.Therefore, due to the persisting market situation, the dictum of station management has been: continue cuttingcosts;acquireprogramsonly when absolutely necessary (and stick to content thathas low license fees);make shows that are cheap to produceandutilizewhat isavailable on the shelves. When and if new TV series are introduced, their life span will dependon theirperformance. Ifnot up to par, or if they do not gather Pain,Tribulation, HopesofGreekTV Every company, if they could, would like to exhibit at or at least participate in as many TVtradeshowsaspossible.Yet,those same companies will never miss an opportunity to criticize the very same trade shows they so eagerly attend. This is for many reasons: escalating costs, reduced sales, TheStateof the Businessof the TradeShowBiz Page20 Page18 Made in Italy Prix Italia,Venice Film Fest,StudioUniversal Page14 NATPEBudapest moving fromdeveloping tomaturemarkets TheJornadasinBuenos Aires highlightsArgentina’s newrennaissance Page10 L.A.Screenings blanketedbynewshows andactualblankets, too SponsoredContentPrograms AlltheRagewithYoungPeople promoted JohnDeere tractors. Sponsored, or branded, content evolvedintheearlydaysofradioand televisionwithdetergentcompanies financing the production of soap operas.However, in those days the sponsorpaid for thecontentand the At first glance, it looks as though advertisers are now doing away with media, having themselves become media. Plus, some advertisers are now all the rage among young people totally taken by their sponsored content masquerading as “cool stuff.” Finally, not only are some companies avoiding paying to have their commercials broadcast, they areactuallymakingmoney fromTV outletsby sellingbrandedcontent. Sponsored content is not a new concept. In fact, the first record of advertisers creating content that looks like editorial content dates back to 1895withFurrowmagazine, whichwas devoted to farming and (Continued onPage 24) “The followingprogram America-America isbeingbrought toyoubyagrant fromNissan.” Theauthorof thisdocumentaryhas travelled along theRhone river, from its source to itsmouth, on…a three-wheeledApepick-up (Ape−pronouncedah-peh− is the Italianword forbee).Onhis 1,000km long journey inSwitzerlandandFrance,hehascomeacrosspeopleofdifferentcultures andgained some insight intocenturiesofhistory. Italian,English subtitled–53’–2012 Ernestino and Renza have chosen to dowithout the comforts of a home inorder to live365daysayearamongst theirherd,perpetuatingatraditionwhichgoesbackseveralthousandyearsand istoday threatened by encroaching concrete, pollution and declining valuationofwoolandmeat. Italian,Englishsubtitled -65’ -2013 Print media is alive and well. Honestly, would anyone choose a feature on the popular website The Daily Beast over one in “dying dinosaur” The Los Angeles Times? I don’t think so… Page 30 20 The Jornadas of Argentina: Television in South America is moving its center of gravity south 18 Made in Italy: Venice Film Fest, Prix Italia, Studio Universal’s 15th anniversary 10 L.A. Screenings: A plethora of new shows makes for chilly screening rooms. Blankets needed to warm up News 14 Mart Preview: NATPE Budapest’s participants are warming up to CEE mart and happy about separate studio screenings 28 Calendar: 10 events not to miss. Plus some travel news 8 Book Review: Stage moms, beware. One demanding, unpredictable, fiscally irresponsible mother searches for fame the wrong way 4 World. Venezuela, Hollywood, Australia, Toronto, Italy Sponsored content TV programs all the rage with young (and gullible) people The state of the business of the trade show business Pain, tribulation and hopes of Greek TV Features

June/July 2013 4 World Ovation Network in the U.S. has ordered 12 episodes of The Kuhnert Chronicles, a one-hour magazine format travel show from producerhost Flynn Kuhnert. The weekly series, shot in the art and antique-filled Los Angeles estate that Flynn shares with Lionsgate TV’s head of International, Peter Iacono, will be co-host by Flynn’s sister, Tara (pictured at right with Flynn) who will represent the average viewer’s curiosity to the erudite Flynn (a former Harvard and Duke University professor). Many episodes will focus on one aspect of Flynn’s expertise in Italy and especially Venice. Flynn sits on the Board of Directors of the Save Venice organization. Episodes will feature adventures such as reconstructing Dior’s 1950s Paris and Fillini’s 1960s Rome. TVChroniclesFrom Kuhnert Down Under Gets On Top By the end of this year, analog TV transmission willendinAustralia,with all FTA services being delivered digitally across 15 channels. This means that Australia will have total penetration of the 15 FTA channels. The digital conversion will facilitate the simultaneous OTT broadcast to tablets and mobile phones, making content accessible fromany sized screen and from multiple venues. 4k Has 1 Over 3D, 4 Over HD The high-definition (HD) TV screen is making way for Ultra HD, commonly called4k, evenfor transmission, with Eutelsat launching a 4k channel on its 10a satellite. The new 4k imagery offers four times the HD resolution of 1080p. It is speculated that it will precede the acceptance of 3DTV, which is now struggling, or as one headline stated, “3D has run its course,” and will replace HD in the production sector. Doc Mart Heats Up Canada HotDocs,NorthAmerica’s largest documentary festival, wrapped its 20thanniversaryeditionlastMay with a record-breaking audience of 180,000 attending 418 public screenings of 204 films on 16 screens across Toronto, Canada. The festival welcomed 180 guest filmmakers and 55 guest subjects from across Canada and around the world to present their films and take part in special post-screening Q&A sessions with audiences. Official film selections were chosen from a total of 2,386 films submitted to the festival. New this year, Hot Docs presented the Scotiabank Big Ideasseries,featuringliveonstage discussions with documentary subjects including Anita Hill, RoméoDallaire,RichardDawkins and Lawrence Krauss. (Continued on Page 6)

ITALY a t June 24-27, 2013 Budapest, Hotel Sofitel 122—123 124—125 Sui tes 1st Level

June/July 2013 6 World (Continued from Page 4) Chavista President Silences Critical TV Venezuela’s Globovision has been sold to a group of investors with close ties to the new government of Chavista President Nicolas Maduro. The 12-year-old station was the country’s last major TV outlet critical of the government. Reportedly, the former owner, Guillermo Zuloaga, was forced to sell out after “mounting government fines and political harassment.” Zuloaga, who is now self-exiled in Miami, Florida, reported to The Los Angeles Times that “the station’s fate was sealed [last] February when the government issued compulsory digital transmission standards that meant Globovision’s analog equipment would become obsolete.” In 2007, another TV network critical of then-president Hugo Chavez, RCTV, was denied renewal of its broadcast license and subsequently it was closed. Since 1999, Venezuela’s government has started six new TV stations. Globovision’s license is due for renewal in 2015, therefore it is expected that the station, which reaches only the cities of Caracas and Valencia, will change its anti-government stance. Renowned for its key international co-financingmarket for documentary professionals, the festival included The Hot Docs Forum, where 20 projects representing 12 countries were presented to a panel of over 180 key international commissioning editors and other funders, and Hot Docs Deal Maker, where 55 projects were pitched to 50 buyers at approximately 400meetings. “Toronto has become a world capital for cinema lovers, and feeding their appetite for 20years has been great fun,” said Chris McDonald, Hot Docs executive director. “We are very proud of our smart and savvy audience, as well as those razor sharp filmmakers who join us each year. We are looking forward to an even bigger and better 2014.” The 2014 event will be held April 24-May 4. Italian TV: Primetime to Anytime A new report from Politecnico di Milano— Italy’s largest technical university — and Milanbased media and social media analysts Studio Frasi looked at the evolution of the Italian TV market from primetime to nonlinear viewing. Among the key findings are that 31 percent of the Italian population used time-shifted viewing in 2012. And 59 percent of Sky Italia’s subscribers used non-linear viewing. Also, non-linear viewing creates 1.7milliondaily contacts on average with an average audience of 68,000 people that uses it for 57 minutes a day. The week in 2012 when non-linear viewing was used most was in June, when state broadcaster RAI transmitted a live Italy-Russia football match, part of UEFA EURO 2012. Sky’sXFactorhadanon-linear coverage record of 646,591 and MasterChef Italia followed with 297,403. The users of My Sky increased from 1.8 million in June 2010 to 6.9 million in May 2013. Interestingly,IPTVsubscribers dropped to 240,000 from 273,000 in March.

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June/July 2013 8 Book Review Given the popularity of reality TV shows such as Dance Moms and Toddlers and Tiaras, stage moms have (no doubt happily) gone from controlling their kids backstage to taking center stage on television sets in living rooms across the U.S. and abroad. If Hansel and Gretel didn’t teach you a lesson about excess and gluttony, Melissa Francis’s memoir, Diary of a Stage Mother’s Daughter (Weinstein Books, 294 pages, $26.00), surely will. The former child actress (she’s Cassandra from Little House on the Prairie in the 1981-1982 seasons) and current Fox Business Network host takes the reader inside her working childhood and reveals the pressures of living with an ambitious stage mother obsessed with show business and controlling money. Francis, who went by Missy as a child, chronicles her life as a child star, and how she ultimately broke f ree of her overbearing (some might say crazy) mother to forge a life of her own. The memoir is a cautionary tale for families who havecaught theshowbizbugandwhoseaspirations have fallen on their children. Stage moms — and their children —should heed this warning. Francis’s mother first decided to get her two young daughters into show business when her oldest, Tiffany, was discovered at a carnival in West Hollywood, California. Missy got her start in 1973 when she was less than a year old, while Tiffany was shooting a Johnson & Johnson’s No More Tears baby shampoo commercial. When the director spotted Missy, he was eager to put her in the bathtub with her sister. So was Missy’s mother. And that’s how it all began. It was a fruitful beginning. Francis says of her mother: “She had established for both Tiffany and me thriving careers as child actors, and in that context her ambition for us — her unrelenting desire to see us succeed, and release our family from the banality of middle-class life — felt more like a warm rush of motherly support,” but that wouldn’t always be the case. While filming Little House On the Prairie, life on-set was full of love and valuable lessons, but at home, when the cameras weren’t rolling, Francis faced a mother who put constant pressure on her and her older sister to look perfect and work hard — and who mismanaged and squandered the money they earned. Her father put it best: “your mom’s addicted to showbiz,” and that addiction acted like poison, destroying their family and sending Tiffany into a fatal downward spiral. Francis throws the reader into the action from page one, when she recalls how her mother threw her out of the car when she was just eight years old and told her to find her own way home, “And another place to live while you’re at it.” The reader feels like part of the action again when Francis explains how, when she was a teen, she and her sister were arguing over a favorite shirt when their mother burst into the room, cut the shirt to shreds, and proceeded to drag Tiffany — clad in just pants and a bra—down the stairs and out of the house, locking the front door. When Missy tried to let Tiffany back inside, her mother pushed her down the stairs, head first. But her mother’s foul temper wasn’t just reserved for her and Tiffany. Francis recounts the fear she felt when she realized that her mother — seeking revenge on their neighbors — stole the neighbors’ elderly dog, Coco, from their yard, removed her collar, and brought her to a pound several miles away — somewhere the neighbors would never think to look. Terrified, the young Francis reflected, “Momhad effectivelymurdered our neighbors’ dog…[but] I was too frightened for myself to stop the consequences. I wanted to help Coco…But if I saved that poor helpless dog, and Mom found out I’d betrayed her, as she inevitably would, who would save me?” And yet, Francis recognizes that although her mother was demanding (and her moods unpredictable), she and her sister were not completely immersed in Hollywood life. “Tiffany and I didn’t support our family financially. The vast majority of kids in the business had parents who had also tried…to make a living as actors… But those families lived on the paycheck of whoever was working…It was an unusual life and one that I had only one foot in, I realized, by comparison.” In fact, after her first episode of Little House on the Prairie aired, Missy’s father explained to her in private, where her mother couldn’t hear, that she didn’t have to work if she didn’t want to, but Missy “loved it when [her] mom was proud” of her, and she got that feeling often enough while acting. Not only was it Francis’s understanding that she wasn’t supporting her family with her paychecks, but her parents also assured her that the money she earned was stored away safely in a bank account to pay for college. However, she was never allowed to know just howmuch money she was earning — until one day when her mom allowed her to see the balance. It was then, at age 14, that Francis began to suspect that not all of the money she earned was going into her account — or at least that it wasn’t all staying there. She writes, “Mom was controlling every dime that came in. She collected everything my father, Tiffany, or I made and doled it out as if it were hers. I’d seen her write checks out of the account that was supposed to be my trust fund…I began to worry that Mom saw herself as the family banker, and she didn’t seem like much of a longterm investor, or even fiscally responsible.” After being accepted into Harvard as an undergrad, Francis’s parents explained that the money she’d earned over the years was nearly gone — spent on private schools, horseback riding lessons, a sleek sports car and designer clothes for Missy, as well as purchases her mother made, including, later, a house they couldn’t afford — but knowing that her future depended on a good education, and understanding that Harvard “wasn’t frivolous; it wasn’t a pony,” Francis decided to attend the school anyway. In doing so, she distanced herself from her family — not just geographically — as she realized that acting wasn’t her only option, and she could be independent of her mother’s hopes and dreams. But in a final act of betrayal and greed, when the family was nearly broke and Tiffany was suffering from grave health problems, Francis’s mother disappeared with nearly every cent to their name, and that’s when “the magnitude of Mom’s pure, unfiltered greed” fully set in. After giving her mother the opportunity to return the money and give Tiffany the support she needed—a chance her mother ignored — Francis cut ties with her, and to this day does not knowwhat became of her. Yet, Francis balances the account by including her mother’s words, and the reader trusts that Francis represents her accurately. In her own defense, her mother proclaims: “I’ve devoted my entire life, selflessly, to taking you to interviewafter interview, callbacks…I’ve sat on set for hours, bored. To tears! Taught you a million lines. Driven hours in traffic, packed clothes, sacrificed all my time! The things I could have been doing for myself all that time! I could have gone back to college, improved myself like somanymoms. Selfishmoms. But insteadwhat have I done? I’vemadeyoua star. I’vemadeyourich. And that’s the thanks I get?” No doubt, being labeled a “stagemom” is a tough cross to bear, as Francis’s mother said, “You get all the fame and fortune and I’m just the hated stage mom. What do I get? Nothing,” but carrying that cross is something any parent should consider before exposing his or her child to Hollywood. Francis’s memoir serves many purposes. No doubt it was therapeutic (if not more than a bit upsetting) to lay out her family’s terrible truth on paper, where strangers could hopefully learn from the heartache. Yet, it’s also an inspirational story, because Francis was able to rise above a toxic situation and create a new and thriving life for herself. Not only is the book an intriguing, engaging and worthwhile read that you won’t want to put down, but the memoir also serves as a cautionary tale about stagemomswhomistreat their children and mismanage money and fame. SA One demanding, unpredictable, fiscally irresponsible mother searches for fame the wrong way Stage Moms, Beware

10 “Networks try to shake off a chilly fall,” was the headline of a story in USA Today on May 23, the day that marked the end of the 2012-13 TV season. The daily newspaper proceeded to explain that CBS averaged 11.9millionprimetime viewers a day and ABC 7.8 million. It also wrote that CBS reached 3.7 million viewers among ages 18 to 49. To those should be added 7.1 million average primetime daily viewers for FOX and seven million for NBC. Certainly, no one could call this a “fall,” because no matter what, broadcast television still delivers a critical mass to advertisers and it’s still the most effective, efficient and economical form of advertising. This is why CPM (cost-per-thousand viewers) increases yearly, now reaching $50.20. It is estimated that, for the 2013-14 season, unit prices will rise five percent for CBS, four percent for FOX and three percent for both ABC and NBC. Even if ratings drop drastically, as long as the networks are able to deliver a relative critical mass to advertisers, the business model continues to be a winner. Indeed, during the Upfronts CBS’s Leslie Moonves pointed out that broadcast TV “reaches people like no other medium on Earth.” Yes, the industry is changing, but what’s not generally understood is the fact that broadcast television has another moneymaking function: It is a conduit for producing high quality content that makes lots of money internationally. Let’s do the numbers: A studio produces for its own or other networks a one-hour primetime drama carrying a $1.5 million deficit. From that show, the network grosses an average of $7 million and nets $5 million (often with internal accounting). The studio then recoups the deficit internationally (including the 10 percent cost of doing business) and generates $1 million in re-runs with domestic syndication. In effect, an hour-long drama costs the studio/network $3 million, while generating revenues of $9.5 million ($7 million from the network, $1.5 million internationally and $1 million in syndication) bringing profits of $6 million after deducting distribution, development and interest costs. And all this is within a two-year period, with a library value that continues to appreciate over the years. For a studio without a U.S. TV network, such as Sony Pictures, revenues per show produced are lower than those with a network (CBS, Disney, Fox, NBCUniversal, WB). Perhaps this is one of the reasons shareholder and activist investor Daniel Loeb (his firm holds 6.5 percent of Sony) is suggesting spinning off Sony Pictures from conglomerate parent Sony of Japan, which as a foreign entity cannot own terrestrial TV stations in the U.S. So far, 53 new shows have been announced for the 2013-14 broadcast season and an additional 17 will premiere this summer. Last year 42 TV shows premiered on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and CW. Of those only 11 are returning this fall. The new season counts 23 new comedies—comparedwith 16 last season; 29 new dramas — compared with 22 last season. Nets want producers to provide 13, 15 and 17 episodes, rather than the standard full season of 22 episodes. Indeed, emphasis is placed on limited series (to maximize exploitation without risking a dud) and avoiding stretching 22-episode orders over a 35-week span. It has been said that there is no longer a fall season (according to FOX’s Kevin Reilly, FOX launches programs virtually year-round). Nevertheless, this year, Upfront presentations multiplied to include cable networks, Hispanic TV channels and digital TV outlets. And announcements about pick-ups came from New York City earlier than usual. By the Friday prior to the kick-off of the major broadcast Upfronts, 20 new shows had already been announced by the studios. The first Upfront of the year — for U.S. cable network Oxygen — took place on February 5. Between then and May, a plethora of other adsupported cable networks — including Bravo, Syfy, BET, and even The Weather Channel, have held presentations. This year a good share of the attention was paid to the second annual “Digital NewFronts,” a five-day event held in New York City at the end of April/beginning ofMay. At theNewFronts, digital media sellers tried their hands at imitating the traditional TV business model in an attempt to attract money from marketers and ad agencies. Nearly 20 companies — including Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Hulu and AOL — held NewFronts under the aegis of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, and about 100 new programs were unveiled. In fact, the number of attendees at the AOL Upfront outnumbered the spaces available at the Farley Post Office, requiring the company to add an overflow room at a bar across the street. Guests were turned away from the Yahoo presentation at the Best Buy Theater in Times Square (capacity: 2,100) and at Google’s Brandcast at Pier 39 (1,500 guests attended). The question still looming is whether that digital ad spending will come from budgets diverted from television or whether it will represent additional money. Digital arms of the large studios — including A Plethora of New Shows Makes for Chilly Screenings. Blankets Needed to Warm Up June/July 2013 L.A. Screenings CBS’s Doug Smith, Armando Nuñez, Barry Chamberlain, Joe Lucas on the Paramount lot during a lunch break at the Screenings Record TV’s Delmar Andrade At the Fox party on the studio lot: Veteran TV exec Norman Horowitz, NATPE’s Rod Perth, UNE’s John Laing, Shelley Lazarus, VideoAge’s Dom Serafini, Carsey-Werner’s Herb Lazarus, Ledafilms’ Pedro Leda (Continued on Page 12)

(Continued from Page 10) 12 June/July 2013 L.A. Screenings ( Co n t i n u e d ) CBS Interactive — also held separate NewFront events. CBS Interactive announced the upcoming launch of several online series based on network shows. However, as it stands for a TV network it’s better to collect retrans fees from cable than to go the live stream route via the Internet. Perhaps the business model will change toward streaming if cable and satellite operators drop the networks in favor of original programming a la carte. Finally, when the U.S. broadcast networks and the Spanish-language broadcast networks like Univision, Telemundo and FoxHispanic held their Upfronts, they marked the end of a multi-monthlong run of presentations geared at advertisers (clients and agencies). During last year’s various Upfronts, advertisers committed to pre-buy an estimated $20 billion worth of commercial time. Then the focus switched to the L.A. Screenings. The unusually large — but welcome — number of new TV series for the 2013-14 season meant longer screening hours for international buyers in those extra cold Hollywood studio theaters. Fortunately,afterthe2011VideoAgeDailyatNATPE story on “How To Dress For the L.A. Screenings,” an increasing number of studios offered blankets to keep warm. Considering that as the number of new shows goes up the temperature in the screening rooms and theaters seems to go down, those blankets came in handy. Also keeping buyers warm was a large slate of newbroadcast and cable shows, including 13 from Sony Pictures TV (SPT), 13 from Disney, eight from CBS, 10 from NBCUniversal and 12 from WB. These in addition to many new cable shows and even original programs for digital outlets such as Netflix. Executives at SPT have repeatedly told buyers that this year the studio had more new shows than in the past 14 years, making for a total of 33 shows, including those currently on air and those set to air. Another observation was that, with the improving economic situation, more budgetfriendly comedy slots are being replaced with big, high-budget dramas. Last year, some buyers were able to split some screenings days between two studios. This year, due to the large number of shows, they had to devote a full day to each studio. Most Latin buyers arrived two days after the indie suites were set up at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. But the few who came early were nevertheless sequestered by the studios, which showed them the New York City Upfront presentations via satellite. This meant that the indies arrived one day too early. Some indie exhibitors at the Century Plaza Hotel commented that, instead of May 14, their Screenings should have started the next day. By Saturday, May 18, the indies were winding down while the studios picked up steam. With Latin buyers first invading the studio lots (Canadians had already made their selections), followed by Europeans and Pan-Pacific buyers, more unusual comments were heard. For example: Overall, colors on the screen affect buyers’ moods; screenings that showed red colors overall tended to warm up buyers. Conversely, blue tended to cool them off. Plus, some buyers found the pre- and post-screening producers presentations to be useless and time-consuming. In addition, while many buyers enjoyed the large screen presentations that make TV shows look and feel like theatrical movies, others preferred watchingona smaller screen. Finally, somebuyers wished to return to the individual screenings of the past. On the indie side, it was observed that, out of the 78 exhibitors, 45 were on the 17th floor of the Century Plaza Hotel, while 14 opted for the larger rooms of 19th penthouse floor. As far as the party scene was concerned, Venevision opened the indie portion with a reception on May 15, while the Disney party opened the studio screenings the following Sunday. For its part, the Fox party closed the event on May 23. The Eighth Annual L.A. Screenings Veteran Luncheon, now honoring the memory of veteran international TV distributor Jim Marrinan was also held on the 23rd at the InterContinental Hotel. Indie general screenings-cum-cocktail parties included those of Colombia’s Caracol and Argentina’s Telefilms. Many indies also reported brisk sales, withFremantleMedia’s SheilaAguirre commenting that it was “better than expected.” Aguirre also invited some buyers to attend the live broadcast of its American Idol at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. Participants at the Eighth Annual L.A. Screenings Veteran Luncheon, now honoring the memory of international TV executive, JimMarrinan Portion of the 17th floor corridor at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel Caracol’s Lisette Osorio, Gonzalo Cordoba at Caracol’s screening and cocktail party in L.A. L.A. Screenings tools: Light-up pens, one-sheets, VIP passes, VideoAge’s Screenings Guide, party invitation, L.A. Screenings Veteran’s Luncheon menu. New this year, a yearbook from Disney (photos of buyers in their youth). Not shown: The requisite blanket It has been said that there is no longer a fall season. Nevertheless, Upfront presentations multiplied to include cable networks, Hispanic TV channels and digital TV outlets.

14 NATPE Budapest (formerly DISCOP East) — the internationalcontentmarket focusing on Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) — will once again take place in the storied city of Budapest, Hungary, June 24-27. Ahead of the market, many independent exhibitors were looking forward to the return to Budapest, and eager to see how this edition would measure up to last year. Meggan Kimberley, Sales executive for Starz Worldwide Distribution, was enthusiastic. “It’s a great market to connect on a deeper level with buyers in Eastern Europe, Russia and CIS [because] you can take a little more time with the buyers and focus on these countries more than you can at MIP-TV or MIPCOM. This helps for a better understanding not only of the individual territories, but the whole region.” According to Gilda Demirtas, director of International Sales for Echo Bridge Entertainment, “we look at NATPE Budapest as an opportunity to generate new sales and clients. We always want to strengthen our relationships, learn about our clients’ programming needs and be ‘top of mind’ when they need to fill a block.” “Overall, it’s been a very vital market, which has to do with the fact that it’s specific to Central and Eastern Europe,” said Max Bolenius, VP of Sales, German Speaking Europe and Central/Eastern Europe for FremantleMedia International. “It’s good for closing pending deals from MIP, or to see people you don’t usually get to see at MIP,” he said. Bolenius added that last year he found “the market was emptier, but it’s still important for us, despite the fact that it was not as crowded as it was in 2011 and before. My hope is that attendance doesn’t go down anymore and that the key people and the key markets are still represented.” Rod Perth, president and CEO of NATPE, which organizes the market, made it clear that the organization is “committed to creating a cost-effective market,” and is encouraging exhibitors and buyers to attend by appealing to their money-saving sensibilities. “We’re a very reasonable market and there’s been no increase for distributors,” he said, adding, “we offer all different pricing points — including suites, meeting tables [and] viewing boxes.” A single meeting table, which comes with a market badge, costs $2,100, while a single screening suite, which comes with three badges, is $9,000. Two side-byside suites go for $11,000. As far as buyers, Perth said, “We’re offering a Tuesday-only day pass for U.S.$45, and have lots of VIP buyer incentives. We’ve identified the buyers our exhibitors want to be there and have made it cost-effective for them.” However, he also said he “wouldn’t expect huge increases in numbers over last year, as we’re going into the headwinds of a difficult economic time in that area. That said, several new exhibitors from regions including North America, Asia, Europe and Latin America have signed up this year.” Meanwhile, several exhibitors said they hoped to see increased attendance from buyers from Russia and Poland, key territories that are slightly underrepresented. For example, FremantleMedia’s Bolenius has found that “Russia, Poland and Ukraine aren’t regularly represented enough, [and his] hope is that they’ll be there,” even though his expectations weren’t high due to the fact that another event for the Russian-speaking world, Digital TV CEE, will take place at the same time in Poland. However, Bolenius was quick to point out that “all other territories are represented fairly well.” Marielle Zuccarelli, managing director of International Content Distribution for A+E Networks, said: “We already have many broadcaster partners in Hungary, Romania, and the Balkans. This year, we will continue to increase our foothold in these territories and expand our reach in Russia, Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic.” “Our key target territories…include Russia/ CIS and Turkey,” said Mark Benmore, VP of Sales for Content Television and Digital. “The territories throughout these regions offer increasingly diverse opportunities as new channels and platforms continue to flourish and this market is key to expanding our reach.” Similarly, Zuccarelli of A+E said that the recent growth of DTT in CEE gives them reason to expect more sales in the region. NATPE’s Perth acknowledged that in the past “there was a little bit of tension at times because the studio screenings tended to take buyers off the floor — something that independent companies didn’t appreciate.” Therefore, he explained that NATPE “worked with the studios — and they were full partners with us on this — to separate the screenings so that they don’t compete with the rest of the market,” he said. “We’ve reserved Monday and most of the day Tuesday for studio screenings. Then the market will start midday on Tuesday. That was a big response to what we heard from attendees.” No doubt, the indies are happy about the separate screenings. According to Melissa Pillow, Telemundo Internacional’s Sales director for Europe, since the screenings “have been scheduled before the television market, I expect that this year the lack of conflicting agendas will lead not only to more meetings but also to more effective ones.” Pillow commented that she hopes the “market in Budapest will continue to be one of the primary content markets of the year. The experience this year at NATPE Budapest will be crucial for our company to better understand the future of this market, and to observe our clients’ response to participating in a screening plus a By Sara Alessi Participants Warming Up to CEE Mart and Pleased About Separate Studio Screenings June/July 2013 NATPE Budapest Preview (Continued on Page 16) ITV’s Ahmet Ziyalar and Can Okan at last year’s event The entrance to the exhibition floor in 2012

(Continued from Page 14) 16 June/July 2013 NATPE Budapest ( Co n t i n u e d ) three-day market, and its efficiency. After this edition, the panorama will be clearer.” In fact, many exhibitors indicated that their experiences this time around would likely impact their future plans. Caracol Television’s Sales executive for Eastern Europe and Asia, Roberto Corrente, said, “It is important to see how the clients react to the changes the major studios and the NATPE organization agreed to. Last year, we saw less client flux, mainly because of the event that the major studios did in parallel with NATPE Budapest. We really hope that during this new edition this matter is resolved, mainly for market relevance.” FremantleMedia’s Bolenius concurred that “in general [studio] screenings shouldn’t take place during the market because it’s not fair for distributors or buyers,” but he emphasized that “it’s not something that has had a negative impact on us; I see all my key clients regardless.” Thesamewas trueforA+ENetworks’ Zuccarelli, who noted, “Typically, studio screenings don’t usually impact us. We’ve always seen significant attendance fromour key buyers in the region, and have a full slate of meetings booked going into the market. In fact, the great part about NATPE Budapest is that we are able to meet face-to-face with clients who don’t always attend MIP-TV and MIPCOM.” Exhibitors are prepared for busy meeting schedules: “When I first began to plan, I was only going to stay two full days,” said Telemundo’s Pillow. “However, I decided to extend my stay to the entire three days of the market. It was the best decision I could make because my agenda is filling up very quickly and every half hour will be complete before I leave.” “Since this is a fairly short market, we do expect our schedules to be completely booked before the market begins,” said Starz’s Kimberley. In the weeks leading up to NATPE Budapest, Tess Charman, Sales director for CEE, Middle East, Africa for Entertainment One, told us her schedule is “filling up fast.” She also noted that she hoped “attendance continues to grow” this year and in the future. New this year, the NATPE organization also made a key “financial investmentinnavigational tools, creating a state-ofthe-art meeting concierge service called ‘Navigator,’” said Perth. The service is intended to “help buyers and sellers attending the market by providing assistancewithscheduling meetings and attending screenings,” he added. Something else that’s new this year is NATPE Budapest’s partnership with FRAPA, the international format industry association dedicated to the protection of formats. FRAPA representatives will attend the market and can be reached via NATPE Navigator to answer legal questions regarding format production, acquisitions or sales. One special event on the radar is a newbreakfast briefing session titled, “Extending the Value of Content – Beyond Borders and Across Platforms,” in collaboration with Broadband TV News at Café Gerbeaud. The session will be moderated by Broadband TV News editor Julian Clover, and speakerswill include Antony Root, EVP of Original Programming and Production for HBO Europe and Patty Geneste, chair of FRAPA. As far as the location and venue go, the organization doesn’t expect any changes in the near future: “We don’t have any plans to change the venue now, but we’re always trying to be responsive to our customers and trying to find the best, most efficient way to come together. Hopefully we’ll be [at the Sofitel Hotel in Budapest] for a long time, but we’re also pragmatic. We’re dedicated to serving the Eastern European region,” said Perth. And exhibitors are happy about that. Telemundo’s Pillowsaid, “Budapest is awonderful location. It is beautiful, safe, easy to travel to, has a wonderful climate, and most importantly, this market began in Budapest and for many of us it is now a tradition.” EchoBridge’sDemirtas concurred: “The current venue provides all necessary facilities and a good overview, so the only change I would love to see is an even bigger size and importance of NATPE Budapest.” Caracol’s Corrente also agreed that “for the moment…the place and the venue are the right ones for this important market.” Starz’s Kimberley likes “the Sofitel Hotel and feel[s] overall the market is run quite efficiently there. The location is central to many countries, as is the hotel a good meeting place in Budapest.” That said, she noted, “The markets are still continually changing and growing, so there might be merit in the coming years for a location change.” Meanwhile, FremantleMedia’s Bolenius noted that while he’s “very fond of having the market in Budapest, there could be room for improvement in terms of the venue.” Content’s Benmore said “In 2012 the venue and locationworked really well for us and I’d be happy to see the event remain there, however, Moscow would also be excellent in terms of reaching broadcasters in the Russian and CIS regions.” A+E’s Zuccarelli also expressed her satisfaction with the city and hotel, but said, “If it changes, we would be open to following the market.” Now it’s up to NATPE Budapest to lead the way. Starz’s Kristen Stanisz and Alisha Serold at the NATPE Budapest boat party last year Tetsuo Ito, Japan’s Ambassador to Hungary, chats with NATPE CEO Rod Perth in 2012 The experience this year at NATPE Budapest will be crucial for our company to better understand the future of this market, and to observe our clients’ response to participating in a screening plus a three-day market.

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18 Three Italian events, three celebrations to jump-start a stalled Italian entertainment sector. The 70th iteration of the Venice International Film Festival, which is organized by La Biennale di Venezia and directed by Alberto Barbera, will run August 28 through September 7 on the Lido of Venice. For its 2013 edition, theVenice Film Market (VFM) will return with its director, French import Pascal Diot, who last year revamped the market portion of the festival. According to Diot, “Several new initiatives will be implemented this year. The first is that the Venice Film Market will offer to sales agents and producers three to four market screening rooms with 15 to 150 seats [to show their movies]. The second initiative is that, in addition to the 60 distributors that we have invited, we will invite 40 producers from all over the world.” “We want the VFM to be a networking place and thus we will organize happy hours every day and special one-on-one meetings between producers, sales agents, film commissions and independent exhibitors,” he added. “Last year we had 192 distributors and I do hope we should have around 250 this year coming mainly from Europe but also from Asia and the Middle East. We are offering packages including a stand, accreditations and promotion starting at 5,000 euro [U.S.$6,500].” In addition, Diot pointed out that there will be conferences and seminars related to buying and selling movies and “several regarding production.” One consideration about the “70th year celebration” is that the Venice FilmFestival actually began in 1932, making it at 81 the world’s oldest festival. After a hiatus during World War II, it resumed its full pace in 1946, but the organizers are celebrating the return in a reduced form in 1943. This year’s edition of Prix Italia, entitled, “The Tree of Ideas: 65 Years of Culture in Radio, Television and the Web,” will be held September 21-26 in Turin, Italy. The international radiotelevisionandweb competitionevent is sponsored by RAI, the public Italian Radio-Television broadcasting organization. This year’s event will see the inauguration of Prix Italia’s Digital Archive case of the Prix Italia Foundation, which will make Prix Italia’s history available to its more than 100 members, which include broadcast stations and AV web operators. There will be numerous conferences, the majority of which are academic in nature. Yet production and business will also be explored in a September 23 international conference dedicated to drama entitled, “Television Series in Europe and in the World.” The session will feature speakers from Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Sweden, Turkey, the U.K. and the U.S. Other conferences of note include “Feeding the Planet,” a program organized with the cooperation of the United Nations World Food Program Agency, dedicated to Milan’s Expo 2015 (which focuses on policies for water) and the subject of “learning to feed ourselves.” There will also be two conferences on Multimedia Journalists (organized by the EBUUER and coordinated by Mike Mullane, director of New Media at EBU) and one on social media, titled “Social Media Week Conference: Television and Journalism Put to the Test by the Social Media.” Session one will focus on the question: “What will future talk shows be like with the impact of the second screen?” Session two will focus on “the speed of today’s instant news: how web news starts and the speed it spreads.” On September 25, there will be a Public Debate of theRadio, TV,WebandSpecial Prize Juries, and an announcement of the finalists and winners. The Prix Italia Award Ceremony will be held on Thursday, September 26 in Turin University’s Aula Magna, with Nobel Literature Prize laureate and artist Dario Fo. Additionally, a number of international artists will be in attendance, including Japanese artist Riyoi Ikeda,whowill giveanopen-airperformance in one of Turin’s historic piazzas using audio-video installations; the premiere of a documentary about a Robert Wilson stage production with Mikhail Baryshnikov andWillemDafoe, and an artist from French TV, with more to be confirmed. Both the opening and closing ceremonies of Prix Italiawill beheldat theToscaniniAuditoriumwith performances by Rai’s Symphony Orchestra. Rome, Italy-based Studio Universal, the popular channel created by Universal Studios (now NBCUniversal) in 1998 to feature classic American movies, turned 15 on May 21, 2013. The history of Studio Universal echoes that of the cable and satellite TV sectors in Italy. It began as part of Stream TV, the platform started as a cable-TV service that, in 1998, also became satellite. In 2003, Studio Universal moved to Sky Italia when Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. acquired both Stream TV and its competing Tele+ from Vivendi (the pay-TV platform Tele+ was created by Fininvest, which later became Mediaset). With the introduction of digital terrestrial service in Italy, Studio Universal migrated to the terrestrial digital platform of Mediaset Premium. Last month, for its 15th anniversary Studio Universal gave itself a new look and a new logo that follows light beams piercing through a dark room, just as when a movie is projected on a theater screen. For the occasion, followers of the channel will be rewarded with a line-up of movies neverbefore-shown on Studio Universal. Finally, Luca Cadura, the chairman and creative force behind the channel, has also involved the audience in the celebrations by devising a game called “Party with Studio Universal” through the channel’s website. Celebrations: Venice Film Fest Is 70, Prix Italia Turns 65, Studio Universal Hit 15 June/July 2013 Made in Italy A press conference at Prix Italia last year. Pictured on the far right is Secretary General Giovanna Milella Reception at VFM A seminar on Turkish TV at last year’s Prix Italia

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