I N T E R N A T I O N A L www.V i deoAge.org THE BUSINESS JOURNAL OF FILM, BROADCASTING, BROADBAND, PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION June/July 2015 - VOL. 35 NO. 5 - $9.75 In Miami, Florida, there are 18 studios comprising over 60 soundstages. And last February alone, there were some 17 television productions being shot there, including BBC’s Pop Slam. In the same month, the MiamiDade county office (the county that comprises Miami, Miami Beach and other surrounding municipalities) processed a record 91 film permits (the monthly average is 30) and estimated production spend at more than $29 million. In terms of talent pools — both above and below the line — Miami has been a magnet for Argentineans (concentrated in an area of Miami called “Little Buenos Aires”), Spaniards (in Key Biscayne, now pronounced Key Bis-Spain), Russians (in the Russian Riviera), Ecuadorians (in Guayami) and Venezuelans (in Doralzuela and Westonzuela), in addition to Little Haiti and Little Havana. On the planning stage there are two additional large studios: Miami Ocean and Screen Gems. Entering this crowded scene is another juggernaut of soundstages: Cisneros Miami’sProductionFacilities GiveEuropeans Savings,Quality (Continued on Page 26) The Holenders: Two generations comparing their TV sales skills Prix Italia’s 67 years: A showcase of quality world productions Hall of Fame: Italy’s Max Gusberti brought RAI’s shows to the world L.A. Screenings: Studios cutting buyers’ quality time with the indies Page 20 Page 18 Page 14 Page 10 “If you have to work and go to a market, I can’t think of a more beautiful place to be than Prague during the longest days of the year. It’s a wonderful setting for this kind of event and we’re proud to be the people behind it,” said Rod Perth (pictured above), president and CEO of NATPE, who NATPEEurope: AnotherCEE Prologue inPrague (Continued on Page 22) (Continued on Page 24) The format business had a great year in 2014. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Got Talent as “the most successful reality format” — there are currently 67 local versions around the world, and in the U.K. ITV is planning a “born again” Got Talent with Planet’s Got Talent. Plus, both Master Chef and Dancing With The Stars hit their 50th territories. So, all in all a great year — or was it? “Never rewrite a hit” is one of the oldest adages in showbiz — but is this going too far? Don’t we need some new formats? “This is our raison d’etre,” said Avi NeverRewriteaHit, Unless It’saSuper Format Sequel
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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 SHERIF AWAD (MIDDLE EAST) ISME BENNIE (CANADA) ENZO CHIARULLO (ITALY) LUCY COHEN BLATTER CARLOS GUROVICH LEAH HOCHBAUM ROSNER SUSAN HORNIK (L.A.) 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. 2015. THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF VIDEO AGE INTERNATIONAL ARE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT IN THE U.S., U.K., AND ALL COUNTRIES SIGNATORY TO THE BERNE CONVENTIO AND THE PAN-AMERICAN CONVENTION. SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO VIDEO AGE INTERNATIONAL, 216 EAST 75TH STREET, SUITE PW, NEW YORK, NY 10021, U.S.A. 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 The digital possibilities are endless. It could replace print. It could replace TV trade shows. It could replace traditional program distribution. But until that time comes, all of the above are the most effective tools. Page 30 Features 4. World: Switzerland, Italy, U.S., France 8. Book Review: Three women reporting news on U.S. TV, viewed from top to bottom 14. Int’l TV Distribution Hall of Fame: In 1964, Max Gusberti faced residuals, pricing RAI program issues 20. The Holenders’ Multicom: The tale of two generations running the same company 29. Calendar of world events and travel news Miami’s production facilities offer savings and quality with a pinch of co-production opportunities NATPE Europe: Another prologue in Prague with Central and Eastern European TV buyers Experts’ free tip: Never rewrite a hit, unless it’s a super format sequel News 12. L.A. Screenings Review: Studios cutting buyers’ quality time with the indies 18. Prix Italia: A 67-year showcase of quality worldwide productions
4 A children's property that'll make you take another look at your toys For more information, contact Cathy Malatesta, President of Lawless Entertainment at +1 (323) 201-2678 or visit www.lawlessent.com (Continued on Page 6) TheWorld’s Priciest Cities for Travel According to the “2015 Corporate Travel Index” published by Business Travel News, per-diem costs in the U.S. are highest in San Francisco ($509.50), followed by New York City ($494.95), Boston ($465.52), Honolulu ($398.83) and Seattle ($389.11). The cheapest cities are Shreveport, Louisiana ($241.16), Tucson, Arizona ($244.98) and Norfolk, Virginia ($249.95). Driving up the costs are hotel rates, topped at $338.20 in San Francisco, $305.10 in New York City, $300.89 in Boston and $232.04 in Washington, D.C. However, food costs are highest in Honolulu ($129.25), New York City ($117.94) and Seattle ($116.44). In cities such as Miami, Florida and Los Angeles, the latter ranks 18th with a perdiem cost of $344.17 and the former ranks ninth at $368.57. As for hotel costs, Miami is still 18th with $190.17 and Los Angeles is eighth at $212.22. Outside the U.S., the most expensivecity isCaracas at $1,325, followed by London ($529), Hong Kong ($529), Muscat ($523) and Geneva ($516). In terms of favorite non-U.S. cities, Tokyo ranks eighth ($484), Paris is ninth ($483), Rome is 17th, Singapore is 25th, Sydney is 27th, Nice is 41st, Rio de Janeiro is 58th, and Mexico City is 91st with a per-diem cost of $240. From 2009 to 2013, the audiovisual turnout of European groups fell from U.S.$74.7 billion to $65.3 billion. This is according to “The Development of the European Market for On-demand Audiovisual Services,” a report that is available for free from the Strasbourg, France-based European Audiovisual Observatory. In the same period the audiovisual turnover from audiovisual activities of the 50 major worldwide groups rose from U.S.$361.5 billion to $425 billion. In 2013 alone this growth was 3.4 percent. Meanwhile, in the period 2009-2013, the European zone experienced a loss of 12.4 percent, the U.S. registered a growth of 27 percent (from $213.3 billion in 2009 to $292.2 billion in 2013). The 495-page report stated that this decline of the European companies’ position is due to six factors, including the strong U.S. dollar, the emergence of U.S. online groups, the growth of the European pay-TVmarket, which benefited U.S. groups and the stagnation of public broadcasters’ revenues. Europe’s AV Revenue Decline Attributed to The U.S. According to the study, the decline in Europe of “brick and mortar” activities (due to reduced sales of physical videos, recorded music and books), helped U.S. online retailers such as Amazon. Netflix, which in 2014 expanded into six new European countries (France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg), is said to have generated revenues of 294.8 million euro in Europe in 2013, representing 53 percent of the company’s international revenues and capturing 66 percent of the world SVoD market in 2013. June/July 2015 World
6 TV Ratings In Italy Now Robust On the occasion of its 30th anniversary, Auditel, the Italian TV audience measuring system, has evolved with the creation of a 30-member board of directors (from the original 22) representing every aspect of the Italian media landscape. The board is equally divided between broadcasters (with 15 seats)andmarketrepresentatives, with UPA, the Italian Advertising Association, having the largest number of members (six). Public broadcaster RAI has six directors, while private TV network Mediaset has four. Satellite TV operator Sky has two representatives on the Auditel board. Both broadcaster La7 and cable/satellite channel Discovery Italia have one director each. In case of a stalemate, the chairman now has two votes, instead of the usual one. Auditel ownership is divided among RAI (33 percent), Mediaset (26.7 percent), UPA (20 percent) and the rest split among five other media representatives and La7 (3.3 percent). Currently, Auditel monitors viewership among 196 national TV networks and 160 local TV stations. But of these, only 44 channels reach over an average audience of 20,000 viewers. However, TV viewership has increased from 233 minutes per day in 2004 to 258 minutes in 2014. By July of next year, Auditel will have increased its sampling from the current 5,600 TVHH to 15,600 inorder tobettermeasure both live transmission and timeshifted viewing up to seven days from the original transmission. The technical aspect of TV viewership monitoring has been outsourced to the American AGB Nielsen. Broadcasters are bracing for the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC), to be held November 2-27, 2015 in Geneva, Switzerland. At stake is the future of FTA after the year 2030 — or even before. The issues to be addressed at WRC-15 pertain to UHF TV broadcast frequencies being entranced by mobile telecommunications systems (MTs). The WRC agenda calls for allocating additional frequencies to MTs with broadcasters opposed to MT allocation in the 470MHz-694MHz band, not wanting to disrupt TV broadcasting. Both FTA broadcasters and MTs want spectrum below the 1GHz band, but it is clear that only spectrum below the 1GHz is suitable for terrestrial TV. Another alarming development for FTA is the recent comment fromtheU.K. communications regulatory agency, which stated that FTA broadcast would continue to be viable only until 2030. Similarly, in Germany, FTA will not migrate to improved digital TV standard DVB-T2, since it is believed that the current digital terrestrial television standard will be FTA Evolving From “Must-Carry” to “Must-Have” Status sufficient until the FTA platform is replaced by broadband. Under these ominous omens, FTA stations fear the loss of their primary distribution platform and are afraid that they have to negotiate access to broadband networks. Fortunately, Telcos and other broadband providers are not too apt at producing quality content,whileFTAoperatorsexcel at it; therefore, the FTA plan is to grow from an immaterial “mustcarry” status to an advantageous “must-have” rank. June/July 2015 WORKS DESCRIPTIVE VIDEO WORKS www.descriptivevideoworks.com 1 866 818 3897 AN INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL MEDIA COMPANY We are proud to have described over 11,000 shows and 800 films Opening the entertainment experience to the blind and partially sighted through Audio Description (Continued from Page 4) World
NATPE EUROPE SUITE 1017/1019 JUNE 22-25, 2015 HILTON PRAGUE HOTEL #TELEMUNDOSUPERSERIES telemundointernacional.tv
8 Book Review “Diane Sawyer, Christiane Amanpour and Katie Couric have succeeded as [U.S.] television news broadcasters as no other women have,” writes Sheila Weller in The News Sorority: Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, Christiane Amanpour — and the (Ongoing, Imperfect, Complicated) Triumph of Women in TV News (Penguin Press, $29.95), explaining why she chose to devote nearly 500 pages to telling the personal and professional stories of these three women. The book can be dishy at times (we’ll get to that later), but throughout, Weller communicates her respect for what each of these women has accomplished in the male dominated world of U.S. TV news. Sure, they were demanding and difficult at times, but who isn’t (male anchors included)? And anyway, when you’re a woman trying to break through the glass ceiling, you do what you have to do. Sawyer, the oldest of the three, is for the most part portrayed as a charming and elegant Southern woman who takes her job so seriously that she’s been known to call colleagues at one in the morning to discuss stories. Weller credits Sawyer’s workaholic tendencies and drive to her father, whom she lost to a car accident when she was in her 20s. “Diane used her intense work ethic, her charm and mystery, her witty selfdeprecation, and her staged humility to win over workplace skeptics, to neutralize colleagues’ resentment, and to endear herself to viewers,” she writes. Couric, on the other hand, is described as a tougher-than-she-looks “girl next door” type (who also happens to be chronically late and reportedly verymessy), who has suffered through several life-changing tragedies herself, including the death of both her husband and sister to cancer. “She used her innate toughness and the reliability born of her embrace of her American Girl identity to crash through impediments and to wedge herself into opportunities,” writes Weller, most significantly, perhaps, becoming anchor of CBS Evening News after a long career as a morning talk show host. Amanpour — who doesn’t seem to draw as many catty comments from former colleagues — is described as having “nervy grit,” combined with something of a moral superiority and air of entitlement from her upper class Iranian upbringing (she was once roommates with John F. Kennedy, Jr.). But overall, she comes across as a savvy, fearless on-the-ground reporter — someone with a real dedication to showing international atrocities to American audiences. Amanpour’s tragedies turned into opportunity? A forced exile from her home in Iran after the revolution as well as near-death experiences she’s had while reporting on the front. “Her resilience and savvy were honed by being an exile — an emissary from a rich, complicated, international culture …. she relished defying the rules — she was foreign, seemingly uncaring about her looks, confrontational,” Weller writes. Weller doesn’t interview the women themselves (Couric and Sawyer wouldn’t allow access, she says, and she didn’t think it would be fair to speak with Amanpour and not the others), but her sources include hundreds of others who worked closely with the women — some wellknown in their own right, like Connie Chung and Jeff Zucker — and many of whom are close to the subjects, including Amanpour’s sisters. Of about 200 interviews, only 32 insisted on anonymity, and unsurprisingly it’s the “off-the-record” quotes that are dishiest. There are somewhat salacious mentions of the women’s romantic pasts. (All three eventually married, but there were dalliances before.) And there are the less-than-stellar reports from those who’ve worked for them, like: “When Katie went to CBS staffers coined a term for a tactic that, one [co-worker] says, ‘was Katie’s forte. We called in the compli-insult. … She was mean. And nobody was safe from her zinging.’” And there’s even some drama between the women too. Weller quotes one (of course anonymous) sourcewho says Sawyer’s reaction to Couric’s CBS News gig was less than supportive. “She was completely bat-shit that Katie was the first female anchor. It will always eat away at Diane that Katie was the first.” But Weller is careful to point out how well these women fared in the face of sexism and a “deep-seated double-standard.” In one glaring example, Weller tells the story of one CBS News EVP who, just after Couric started at CBS, accidentally said over an internal audio line (that all could hear), that “the only person I’ve seen who looks worse without her makeup on is Diane Sawyer.” Weller often makes mention of how these women’s male counterparts (Dan Rather and Matt Lauer among them) could be just as difficult, but are often given an easier time while climbing the ladder. Weller uses (now somewhat disgraced) NBC anchor Brian Williams as an example of someone who may have had a less complicated climb due to his gender. “Like Katie, Brian Williams was ‘real’,” Weller writes, which is funny to read in light of Williams’ recent scandal, which involved fabricating his experiences while on assignment. Timing, in general, does not quite seem to be on Weller’s side. Though she makes a strong case for these women’s influence on news, the book came out at a strange time for all three. Sawyer had recently stepped down as anchor of ABC’s World News Tonight (replaced by David Muir); Amanpour lost her anchor position at This Week on ABC years ago and is now CNN’s chief international correspondent, with her own show on the much less prominent CNN International. Couric is off TV altogether after the cancellation of her daytime talk show, and now serves as global anchor for Yahoo. But if Weller’s depiction of these women is any indication, they’re far from done climbing the ladder and scoring the important interviews. In fact, Sawyer just recently scored a major coup with her interview with Caitlyn Jenner, formerly Bruce Jenner, on her transition into a woman. “Katie Couric is the ultimate trooper,” writes Weller, describing her “everywoman’s touch, a sly wit, an appealing relish for besting those who would dismiss her.” Sawyer she credits with “circumspection, elegance and personal restraint.” AndAmanpour she describes as having “an outsider’s muckraking zeal, a fearlessness, and a passionate commitment to help America understand international pain.” “Whatever their idiosyncrasies, whatever their egos, whatever their aggressiveness and ambition, they retained an experienced kernel of humbling reality, and it controlled their choices and their consciences,” she writes. She closes her book saying, “We got from them what is underneath the news, what is underneath all news: We got humanity.” One could say the same about Weller’s book. LCB Three Women Reporting News On U.S. TV Viewed From Top To Bottom June/July 2015
10 It is well known that the L.A. Screenings are large revenue sources for all of the major U.S. studios, mini-majors and big Latin TV groups, while for some of the indies the Screenings are valuable mainly for cultivating relationships with buyers. In terms of financial burden, for the major indie sales companies, the cost of attending the L.A. Screenings for four days is escalating, averaging $65,000 each for larger ones such as Televisa, Telemundo, Caracol, Cisneros (for the latter two, this includes their screenings plus reception and/ or party), and somewhat less for Telefilms and Azteca/Comarex. It is estimated that, for the 69 indie exhibitors alone, the L.A. Screenings represent a total expenditure of $600,000 at the Century Plaza Hotel. If we add lodging and food for the 250 LATAM program buyers to these expenditures, the portion of the indie market that caters to Latin America is a $900,000 expenditure. This is considering that some buyers take advantage of the studios’ reduced hotel rates (buyers benefit from the lower rates and the studios accumulate hotel nights to get lower rates for their own outof-town staff and guests). For the studio screenings portion of the market, buyer expenditures for lodging and food are estimated at $1.8 million and involve over 1,700 acquisition executives. To the five major studios, the L.A. Screenings represent a cost of $5 million (without a general party). The industry’s average cost is $125,000 per day (including internal accounting). Parties, like the ones held at Disney and at Fox, add another $1 million each to the tally. Then, for mini-majors such as Lionsgate, costs could reach as much as $250,000, including its party at the House of Blues in West Hollywood. But it was much less expensive for Fox International Channels (FIC), which held a party in the penthouse of the London Hotel, also in West Hollywood. Hovering around the L.A. Screenings there is also a “gray” market that’s not as obvious but nevertheless takes place in companies’ offices, hotel lobbies and private homes, which could add an additional $50,000 to the expenditures, bringing the grand total expenditure for the 10-day event to more than $10 million. And it generates an indirect and induced impact of some $30 million. Not bad for an organic event that doesn’t even claim an organizer or a founder. As usual, for the indies the L.A. Screenings started with an opening party hosted by Cisneros Media Distribution on May 13, a day after the market actually started for the indies. After the Cisneros general party, Telefilms hosted its traditional screenings/cocktail for LATAM buyers. And on May 14, Azteca organized a press conference in its Century Plaza suite to announce a co-production with Endemol Shine Latino for Master Chef. The traditional Century Plaza Hotel housed 76 distribution companies, including the LATAM divisions of the major U.S. studios (Fox’s LATAM sales division used the nearby InterContinental Hotel instead, where VideoAge kept its information desk). However, some of the indies reported that on Tuesday, May 12 very few buyers were in Organic Market in Dollars and Cents. Event Only Makes Sense For a Few Studios cutting into buyers’ quality time with indies June/July 2015 L.A. Screenings Review (Continued on Page 12) Disney Media Networks LATAM promoted the Avengers. CBSSI honored the retiring Joe Lucas for his 43-year career. Caracol hosted a big party closing the indie screenings at the Century Plaza Hotel. Telefilms’ Tomas Darcyl, Televisa’s Ana Lydia Montoya, Telefilms’ Alfredo Andreotti
12 attendance; a fact anticipated by VideoAge on its L.A. Screenings website one month earlier, which indicated Tuesday as the set-up day. The market’s indie portion ended with another bash, this time hosted by Caracol on May 14, the day before Fox started the studio portion of the market with its LATAM screenings for 172 Latin buyers. Some studios, including Disney, screen for the Latin pan-regionals separately from the general LATAM screenings. By Saturday, May 16, only 10 indie exhibitors’ suites at the Century Plaza were still open, while the studios’ suites began to fill up with people. The relatively large number of indies still holding meetings was attributed to the fact that HBO had canceled its screenings. In terms of new product, at these Screenings, cable saved the day for the studios since broadcasters ordered fewer new series compared to last year: 48 this year versus 58 last year. However, cable and digital orders added 28 shows to the studios’ international distribution pipes with a good portion of them part of the supernatural-superhero genre now prevalent in movie theaters. There were also four South Korean companies that appeared for one day on the 18th floor of the Century Plaza, organized a luncheon screening (apparently without telling anyone, except for a poster by the escalator leading to the dining room) and disappeared. The official studio screenings were kicked off with the traditional Disney party (called the International Upfront) on the studio lot on Sunday, May 17, even though Fox started screening on Friday, May 15, followed by the other studios. Similarly, the Screenings came to a close with the Fox party on Thursday, May 21, even though a few studios were still screening the following day. On Wednesday, CBSSI toasted — with some 100 invited guests — Joe Lucas’s retirement after a 43-year career with Paramount first and, later, CBS. For next year, Fox has already announced that its screenings will start a day earlier — instead of its traditional Friday — on a Thursday, further eroding the indies’ exhibition time and possibly forcing them to open their suites at the Century Plaza Hotel a day earlier, thus increasing the length of the L.A. Screenings for some Latin and other buyers. June/July 2015 L.A. Screenings Review (Continued from Page 10) Lunch on the lot at NBCUniversal Italy’s RAI contingent on the lot at Warner Bros. International TV The afternoon action in the lobby-bar at the Century Plaza Hotel The stars of Empire performed at the Fox party on the studio lot Cisneros’ executives and star at the company’s opening indie party The Azteca-Endemol Shine press conference announcing the production of Master Chef Former MCA (Universal) International TV Distribution president Colin Davis attended the 10th annual L.A. Screenings Veterans Luncheon It is estimated that, for the 69 indie exhibitors alone, the L.A. Screenings represent a total expenditure of $600,000 at the Century Plaza Hotel.
14 In the early 1960s, when Massimiliano (Max) Gusbertiwas hiredby Italy’s statebroadcaster, RAI, to run its nascent international program sales division, then called SACIS (which became RaiTrade and now Rai Com), he faced several unprecedented issues. Before his mandate, programs were mostly exchanged among European state broadcasters, not sold. In addition, there wasn’t a sales price structure to use as a base, the residual arrangements with talent weren’t yet set up and trade union agreements did not contemplate program sales. Plus, Gusberti recalled, “I watched little television and I did not have any work experience.” Gusberti was hired by RAI in 1964 at the age of 23, 10 years after the broadcaster started regular TV transmissions. The way he described it was “because I had a law degree and I was a Fulbright Scholar at Brandeis University in the U.S. My knowledge of English and French also helped.” At the time, SACIS was first set up to make sure that the content of the ads to be broadcast (sold by another RAI division called SIPRA) were “ethical,” — basically SACIS was a censor. Later SACIS was also assigned to program sales under Gusberti, who was to model it after the one developed by BBC Enterprises. But before he could start licensing RAI’s TV productions, SACIS had to first change RAI’s contracts with the talent and creative community and develop the “fair compensation (residuals) with which to base license fees, and finally create a sales structure.” For the easy part, Gusberti hired two junior sales executives: Leonardo Breccia (who later becameSACIS’smanagingdirector) andGiuseppe Proietti (who subsequently ran Mediaset’s program sales division and then the Italian office of Germany’s Bavaria Studio). To tackle the more difficult aspects, Gusberti and a RAI lawyer went first to the BBC in London and later to Paris, to what was then called ORTF, to study how they “cleared their programs for international sales.” Once back in Rome, what he had learned was quickly rejected by the RAI TV director because it would have added extra costs to the productions. In order to overcome this hurdle, Gusberti negotiated successfully with the unions for just a percentage of the sales going to the performers and the creative talents, thus freeing RAI channel from any additional costs and/or liability. The first test case came in 1965 when two executives fromHolland’s KRO-TV, Jan Delfgaauw and Jos van der Valk, went to Rome to buy eight episodes of RAI’s variety show, Studio One. Before giving them a price, Gusberti had to figure out how much the residuals would amount to for the show’s top stars, the German dancers known as the Kessler Sisters. After consulting with the RAI TV channel director, it was determined that at most, the total residuals would cost U.S.$3,000, therefore the license fee was set at that amount per episode. Although the KRO buyers complained that they did not pay that much even for top American shows, ultimately they acquired the eight episodes for $24,000 and broadcasted them with subtitles. The episodes were SACIS’s first sale ever. The show was such a success in the Netherlands that they were rebroadcast the following year with KRO paying an additional 50 percent of the original price. Subsequently, at the SACIS offices arrived Leon Darcyl, a cigar-smoking Argentinean who bought most of RAI’s variety shows, which he successfully distributed throughout Latin America (Darcyl’s company, Telefilms, is now run by his son, Tomás). The third and fourth SACIS sales were made to Swedish and German TV networks that acquired segments of RAI’s Candid Camera programs in order to compare the reaction to the pranks in Italy with those segments produced in StockholmandMunich. “We were now ready to enter the international market,” recalled Gusberti. “My first MIP-TV was in 1966 in the old Palais in Cannes and I still remember the shock when confronted with the U.S. productions and their marketing abilities. Assisted by Giuseppe Proietti, we started to read the trades, but we understood very little of the specialized language, the rules of the distribution business and their pricing system.” Plus, he continued, “we were penalized because our programs were not in English, we did not have in our catalog drama series with international sound tracks and our shows were in black and white registered on two-inch Ampex.” Recalled Proietti: “In order to find buyers, we first studied their photos in the guide and, later, we tried matching the photo on their badges, by going up and down the stairs of the old Palais, carrying a stack of brochures. At times it was more economical to invite buyers to Rome for the screenings than to ship material. All the buyers were from state-owned organizations and most TV networks were in black and white.” In 1969 SACIS was restructured under Ernst Braun, who returned to Rome from Mainz, where he was director of ZDF’s Foreign Relations. Braun spearheaded the establishment of RAI’s offices in New York City (under Renato Pachetti) covering Canada and the U.S., and inMontevideo, Uruguay, for Latin America (offices that were closed in recent years), while for the Middle East and the Far East a network of sales agents was developed. Even before color TV arrived in Italy in 1977, RAI began engaging renowned Italian film directors to make TV series and documentaries that were sold and pre-sold around the world, from the U.S. (CBS) to Japan (NHK). Indeed, in 1976, Sandokan alone was sold internationally for $1.5 million. Then came RAI TV series coproduced with Lord Lew Grade, such as Moses, Franco Zeffirelli’s Jesus of Nazareth (which was purchased in perpetuity by CBS), and Marco Polo, shot in China. Gusberti explained, “Sandokan was the last of my achievements as head of Sales at SACIS. Afterwards, I was appointed head of RAI Acquisitions and Co-productions and later moved to Production and Co-productions, ending my career at RAI as assistant general manager of Drama Production in September 2009.” Among the 230 programs Gusberti was responsible for are the miniseries Christopher Columbus with Gabriel Byrne and Faye Dunaway, which RAI co-produced with Lorimar for CBS; the film Julia and Julia with Cathleen Turner and Sting; Best Intentions, written by Ingmar Bergman; the miniseries Napoleon with Gerard Depardieu, and a co-production with Ellipse and Canal Plus for the animated series Corto Maltese, from the stories and drawings by Hugo Pratt. Currently, the RAI retiree is working on two TV movies for Sky Italia, the satellite TV service that is part of Sky Europe, a series for Rai One, a theatrical animated film, two new episodes of Montalbano and a third installment of Red Bracelets. In 1964, Max Gusberti’s Issues Were Residuals, Pricing RAI TV Programs June/July 2015 TV Distribution Hal l of Fame At MIP-TV 1973, Max Gusberti with his wife, Giovanna, taking a break in the sun. Max Gusberti in 1999 when he was commissioning editor for the RAI TV series Inspector Montalbano, flanked by series author Andrea Camilleri and the series star, Luca Zingaretti.
18 In anticipation of the upcoming annual Prix Italia, the RAI-organized radio, TV and Web program competition, VideoAge spoke with Paolo Morawski, the Prix’s Secretary General, before he left his Rome-based office and headed to Turin, where the six-day event will be held for the seventh consecutive year, starting September 19. Before settling in Turin, the Fest was an itinerant guest of Italy’s most beautiful cities. Right off the bat, Morawski stated that this year the traditional conferences won’t take place. Instead there will be a dozen Prix Italia Labs (two a day), three Prix Italia Lectures and a BBC lecture, a brainstorming session and two celebrations (one for radio and the other for TV). “As for the topics we will discuss — because this year is the year of the ‘Power of Storytelling’ — the focus will be on plot, themes, formats and languages o f the narrative,” Morawski said. “One of the Prix Italia Labs will focus on ‘Telling Difficult Stories: Trafficking in Human Beings and New Forms of Slavery,’” he said. In partnership with the View Conference of Turin (an annual international event focusing on computer graphics, interactive techniques, digital cinema, 2D/3D animation, video games, and visual effects), Morawski is arranging a joint meeting at Prix I talia on the new frontiers of communication. He also explained that the 2015 theme is “‘The Laboratory of Creativity. The Power of Storytelling.’ Why? Because we dream of outlets capable of producing and transmitting highquality cultural programs. To us, innovation and creativity are twins. That’s why the first key word is ‘Laboratory’ and the second is ‘Creativity.’ “What struck me personally is that the center of the enormous halo of technical possibilities is always the archaic ability to create and tell stories, stories that leave their mark. That’s why ‘Power of Storytelling’ is the theme of this year’s Prix Italia,” he said. The new elements this year are part of the Prix’s three-year plan (2014-2016). Morawski added: “Prix Italia is now 67 years old and the majority of its members are the most important public radio and television companies in the world, which are turning into media companies capable of producing high-quality content for all platforms. Prix Italia wants to be a part of this transformation for radio, TV and Web.” Last year, the Web Prize was expanded with two categories: Best Storytelling and Best Trans-media Experience. For the 2015 edition, Morawski has launched the “Prix Italia Golden Award for New Radio Formats,” open to all digital platforms. The prize is 7,000 euro, for the radio program that stands for “innovation, courage and language.” Another new element this year is the establishment of a small and informal Prix Italian International Advisory Board for Web and Trans-media Strategies consisting of experts and scholars such as Simone Arcagni (University of Palermo), Juan Carlos De Martin (Nexa Center for Internet & Society at the Politecnic of Turin); Nathan Jurgenson (social media theorist); Catherine Lottier (France Télévisions); Carlos Scolari (University Pompeu Fabra). This group will meet during Prix Italia for a brainstorming session about “The Video Generation and the Web in 2025.” Indeed, said Morawski, “The mantra of the Prix Italia and my personal view is that everyone can go home with at least three good ideas to develop.” But there are also some pragmatic aspects. “We established the Prix Italia Golden Award for International Television Co-productions that rewards, with 7,000 euro, a program coproduced by a member organization of Prix Italia, with at least one other member from a different country,” he explained. A final new element is Prix Italia’s website, which is nowcompletewithhistorical references. The site even carries a compilation of VideoAge’s coverage of the Prix starting in 1981. “The past is never dead. Neither has it passed,” said Morawski, and “if you don’t know where you come from it is difficult to know where you’re going. Prix Italia has 67 years of great history. RAI has organized Prix Italia since 1948 and strongly believes in the viability of this international competition by continuing to invest in it. Obviously, we would not have reached the 67th edition of the Prix Italia if the event was not always able to attract the new, to capture successive bursts of curiosity and if it didn’t have foresight.” Morawski continued: “The establishment of the Competition Web in 1998 is surely an example of foresight. At the time the Internet was a 56K modem, and to bet that it would be the seed of the future of broadcasting was not a trivial intuition.” At Prix Italia, “It is impressive to revisit the extraordinary gallery of artists who fill our roster of guests and winners,” Morawski said. “The latest example is the Polish movie director Pawel Pawlikowski, Oscar winner in 2015, who won the Prix Italia in 1991 in the Arts category,” he said. “It is equally exciting to re-read the many papers that the Prix Italia has published over the years: from the portrayal of violence in the early ’70s to new experimental programs for TV satellite in the early ’80s. “The glorious history of the Prix Italia pushes us — here is its lesson: To always be alert and open. But there’s more. For some time I have observed the warning of Vint Cerf, VP and chief Internet evangelist for Google, who worried that ‘we could see our most precious memories consigned to dust.’ And Cerf, perhaps, would take comfort in knowing that many of Prix Italia’s members share his concern. Just browse the projects submitted to our competition in recent years, to find dozens of conservation initiatives, sharing, re-evaluation of archives, documents and collective memories.” This explains why Prix Italia is rebuilding “its own memory by digitizing the archives and putting it at the members’ disposal. The new project is to reconstruct the history of the Prix Prize Web Italia from the 1998 edition.” Creativity, Innovation, Foresight Mark The Fest’s 67-Year Run June/July 2015 RAI ’s Prix I tal ia Preview Paolo Morawski, the Prix’s Secretary General, presiding over a session last year.
www.prixitalia.rai.it Torino, September 19-24, 2015
20 Irv Holender, a veteran international television distribution executive and current chairman of the Los Angeles-based Multicom Entertainment Group, used to bring his sonDarrin along to business meetings around Hollywood during the early days of home video and cable. “We were probably one of the few homes in the neighborhood in the early ’80s with a Betamax machine, a VHS machine, and a Z Box,” noted Darrin Holender, president of Multicom, and the kid who sat in on those meetings. Today, the 39-year-old Holender, like the home entertainment business itself, is all grown up, and he works alongside his father, as the two continue to hold meetings together. During the past 10 years, the younger Holender has advised his father on numerous transactions. “We’re a great combination because between us we cover three generations of entertainment audiences, since we both hang out with my kids and share their perspective as well,” he said. As president of Multicom, one of Darrin’s objectives is to spearhead the company’s drive into the growing digital arena, developing opportunities for Multicom’s vast libraries for the Internet, mobile and over-the-top markets. Irv Holender stated Multicom’s plans clearly: “We have been acquiring content for a few years and now have over 2,500 hours of long-form broadcast-quality programming. We’re looking for more all the time, and Darrin is on top of the exploding digital space, so we are slowly getting it all out there, focusing on newer titles to keep our overall catalog fresh.” “My father always stresses the importance of being patient during shifts in distribution trends, and to own as much of your own content as you can,” said the younger Holender, who entered the entertainment industry as an attorney in 2004 and went on to launch his own production and management company, representing artists and content-owners while producing his own film and music projects. One such project is Sorority Row (Summit Entertainment), which developed from Darrin’s idea to remake an obscure horror classic now owned by Multicom. His second film, RiseUp (RiseUpEntertainment, 2010) is an award-winning documentary about the Jamaican underground music scene, which launched the career of Brushy One String, an artist he co-manages through his own company, RiseUp Entertainment, which he formed in 2009. “There are a number of franchises that can be rebooted from our catalog of golden age television shows or cult movies, and we have some really cool new titles we brought to [various TV markets], like Drake’s Homecoming.” After acquiring the Kushner-Locke, Liberation and Passport libraries, Multicom recently acquired all rights to the Peakviewing film library. The elder Holender, an industry pioneer in worldwide entertainment licensing and distribution, re-established Multicom Entertainment Group in 1997, bringing with him a 40-year career representing some of the industry’s most prominent entertainment providers and high profile programming like Dallas and Gumby. As a team, the Holenders focus on both traditional and new media deals while exploring more remakes and derivative products based on the properties they have acquired. Among the new projects is the development of a network of digital channels to present their wide variety of programming. The career of 69-year-old Irv began with Desilu Studios in Hollywood as vice president of Licensing in 1966, and two years later he was named president of Holcorp, which handled worldwide licensing and merchandising for major studios, including 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. In 1971, he became CEO of Ziv International, where he was the executive producer of over 600 hours of television programming, including animated features such as Sinbad, Les Miserables and The Adventures of King Arthur, and over 20 major music concerts including Tony Bennett and Folies Bergere. Ziv also handled worldwide distribution and licensing for Dallas, Abbott & Costello and Bruce Lee franchises, and over 1,700 feature films. In 1982, Holender sold Ziv International to Lorimar and remained president and COO of Ziv/Lorimar and took over worldwide sales and licensing for series like Knots Landing and Falcon Crest. In 1986 he became the executive producer and distributor of GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling), along with various feature films. In 1991, Holender turned his focus to the acquisition of library content and becoming chairman of Liberty International Entertainment, Inc., a position he held from 1997-2005. After an asset buyout of Liberty’s library by Clarity Partners’ backed by Liberation Entertainment, Holender stayed on as vice chairman. Following his departure from Liberation Entertainment, Holender become a director and principal of the Toronto/New York-based Fremantle Corporation, with a worldwide sales team to exploit a catalog of over 20,000 hours of programming, and to increase Fremantle’s long history since 1952 of format licensing and international co-productions. In 1997 he founded his current company Multicom, and he’s one of the original founding members of AFM (IFTA). Between Irv and Darrin there is a 30-year difference, and theirmanagement styles couldnot be more different. “Mine has always been hands on. His is to delegate to qualified personnel,” stated the elder Holender. Conversely, Darrin is “more interested in the details, while my father is deal-driven.” However, even though Irv learns from Darrin how to be up-to-date with the changes, he tends to disagree with his son’s management style, especially about the importance of “long-term relationships and patience.” Indeed, commented the younger Holender, “management styles and content acquisition generally puts us at odds, but we are a good balance,” and, he added, “I’m teaching my father to have patience and he needs to trust the people of younger generations a bit more.” An interesting aspect of the generation gap between the elder Holender and his former bosses is that, between his superiors and him there were “mutual interests and [they] were looking for acknowledgements and taps on their backs.” But ultimately, the older Holender bases his relationship with his son on “trust,” and, for Darrin’s part, his father’s “50 years of experience beats my 15 years any day. He’s truly a blessing. He never forgets a face and is very helpful to people he works with. He’s a positive force even if a bit stubborn and cranky at times.” A Tale of Two Generations Running The Same Company June/July 2015 The Holenders’ Multicom Irv and Darrin are a dynamic team at markets. As a young boy, Darrin used to accompany his dad to meetings. C
Congratulation Intra communicat ions inc. Salutes the Holenders: two generations of TV executives, Irv and Darrin of Multicom Entertainment Group. The past and the future are twins, but in this case they’re father and son, who together bring to the international TV industry a combined 60 years of experience. As a team Irv and Darrin bring quality content to all new and old platforms worldwide, always with an eye toward the future. Congratulation
June/July 2015 22 NATPE Europe Preview last March renewed his employment contract through February 2016. And industry executives are converging in Prague for NATPE Europe, which kicks off on Monday, June 22 at the Hilton Prague Hotel. The four-day market (which could be considered a three-day market because the floor does not actually open until the second day) will once again host screenings by the Hollywood studios on the first day, by invitation only. The times and locations vary by studio. New this year is a screening and cocktail hosted by Telemundo Internacional on Monday at the Hilton Prague Hotel. Other studios hosting screenings include CBS Studios International, DreamWorks, NBCUniversal International Television Distribution and Warner Bros. International Television, among others. Last year, NATPE Europe honored Poland, and this year, attendance from Poland is up. Perth explained, “Poland had always been underrepresented. Having more Polish companies attend last year increased the enthusiasm regarding what can be accomplished here at NATPE Europe.” Another country seeing growth in attendance is the Czech Republic. Perth told VideoAge that buyer attendance was on pace with the 2014 event and attendance from individual countries has not gone down compared to last year. Yet, he did acknowledge that due to the current political climate in the area, “Ukraine and Russia are more difficult, but we’re reaching out to those countries in a very aggressive way and we are confident that there will be results.” Georgina McNeilly, VP of International Sales at Power, is particularly excited about the opportunity the market offers to “spend quality time on home turf with my Czech clients.” She added that the market also “attracts attendees from across Europe,” and is looking forward component, which we brought to Prague last year. Over the years, we will continue to increase this component.” Three conferences will be held on day one: “Global TV Formats – What’s Hot and What’s Not?,” “Formats Futures: Buying or Selling? Creating or Adapting?” and “International CoProductions: Partnerships That Are Taking Center Stage.” On Monday, “Global TV Formats – What’s Hot and What’s Not?” will see Keri Lewis Brown, managing director at international media consultancy firm K7 Media showcase her top 10 list of international shows for 2015. “Formats Futures: Buying or Selling? Creating or Adapting?” will also run on Monday. Confirmed speakers include Luci Burnley of Small World IFT, Pascal Dalton of Endemol Shine Group, Nathan Gibbs of Zodiak Media and Jerome Pichot of French TV, who will discuss the future of the formats business and the push and pull between local broadcasters and producers launching original creations and a tendency to rely on major format brands. Also on Monday, attendees will learn more about co-productions in the session “International Co-Productions: Partnerships That Are Taking Center Stage,” featuring Claude Chelli, producer of Zodiak’s Versailles; Ben Donald of BBC Worldwide; Simon Maxwell of Channel 4 and Anne Mensah of Sky. On Tuesday morning there is a “Breakfast Keynote Session: A Chat With Adrian Hodges,” executive producer/creator of the BBC series The Musketeers. As for parties, there will be a cocktail reception on Tuesday at Cloud 9 Sky Bar and Lounge, hosted by Nova, TV Barrandov and APA, the Czech Producers Association. On Wednesday, NATPE Europe will host its traditional party at the Municipal House in Republic Square, only a short walk from the Hilton. Perth’s enthusiasm for the event was reflected in his stance that, “We’re committed to NATPE Europe. This is still an underserved region, yet they produce programming and they are there to buy.” As for Perth’s own future, he will lead the organization until the conclusion of NATPE Miami next January, at which time he will return to his consultancy business. Meanwhile, he’s helping the NATPE board select his replacement, who, it is hoped, will continue to have a good relationship with — and access to — U.S. studio executives. By Sara Alessi to meeting with those registered from Poland, Slovakia, Russia and Ukraine. For Entertainment One’s part, Nada Cirjanic, Sales director for France, Nordics, CEE and CIS reported, “We are focusing on the major broadcasters and digital platforms across all territories.” Starz Worldwide Distribution’s Sales executive Meggan Kimberley summed it up best: “It really is all about the buyers — so long as the turnout continues to grow, we are quite happy.” Confirmed exhibiting companies include Armoza Formats, Scripps Networks, Gaumont, Sony Pictures Television, Globo TV, Viacom, ITV Inter Medya, Caracol TV Internacional, Televisa Internacional, Breakthrough Entertainment, Telefe Internacional, Studio 100 Media, Content Television, eOne and Starz Worldwide Distribution, to name a few of the approximately 150 companies that will be catering to over 350 content buyers, mostly from CEE territories. This is the second year NATPE Europe will be held in Prague, and organizers are pleased with the new city. “Last year was a transition year, but we were pleased. The facilities are great because we can do screenings onsite, so everyone isn’t spread around,” Perth explained. “Last year, some people expressed a desire to be right in the city, but the heart of Prague is about a four-minute taxi ride away, and the setting is beautiful.” Asked whether he thought the market would remain in Prague, Perth said, “We’ll continue to monitor the situation and listen to our attendees. We want to make sure we’re flexible and responsive. Nothing is forever, but we’re certainly committed to the region.” And organizers have listened to attendees and already made some changes. Last year, there were some complaints about the high cost of the hotel’s in-room Internet connection. “This year, we’ll have stunning WiFi, complimentary for everyone,” Perth said. WiFi access is available to all participants anywhere on the hotel property, including guest rooms. As far as the misunderstandings with the hotel regarding checkout time, “We fixed all that,” Perth assured us. Now for the real bread and butter of the market — the buying and selling of television content. The market floor and suites will be open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Tuesday, from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Wednesday, and from 9 a.m.-noon on Thursday. Exhibition options once again include a screening suite, a viewing box or a meeting table. “We have a reputation for putting together relevant conversations for the industry,” said Perth. “We are committed to doing that, and this year, we are increasing the conference (Continued from Cover) Cloud 9 Sky Bar and Lounge The viewing box area Elevator hall of the first-floor suite area Meeting table area at NATPE Europe
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