In This Issue: MIP Realities Spain Revisited Courbit’s Banijay New TV Language THE BUSINESS JOURNAL OF FILM, BROADCASTING, BROADBAND, PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION MARCH/APRIL 2010 VOL. 30 NO. 2 $9.75 ® www.videoage.org BY LEAH HOCHBAUM ROSNER Last year, one of the talks of the U.S. upfront TV season was how NBC’s decision to grant Jay Leno a precious primetime slot was going to change the future of television. As the upfronts approach this year, most of the chatter has been reserved for the newest trends of the fall 2010 season — the unsurprising resurgence of sitcoms in a post-Modern Family world, the numerous reboots, the usual glut of cop and law shows — and the rather telling exclusion of sci-fi/ fantasy series given that none of the loads of Lost copycats that have graced the airwaves in recent years have made much of an impact. As of MIP time, 81 pilots had been commissioned by the Big Four networks Comedies, Cops and Copycats: U.S. Fall TV Pilot Trends (Continued on Page 50) (Continued on Page 44) BY DANA TILAK As late as 1990, the majority of television viewers in India received just one channel. If they lived in a large city, they may have been lucky enough to get two channels. India is a very diverse country. There’s an old saying: India changes language, culture and lifestyle every 100 kilometers. Two channels for a population as large and diverse as India’s kept the country, simply put — content starved. But when the change finally came, it happened nearly overnight. In 1991, the Gulf War resulted in CNN’s satellite coverage being brought to India. Shortly thereafter, Hong Kong-based Satellite Television Asian Region (Star), which is nowpartofNewsCorporation,introduced five new channels. According to the Museum of Broadcast Communications of Chicago, “by early 1992, nearly half a million Indian households were receiving StarTV telecasts.” This proliferation continued at an exponential rate, and India is now home to more than 500 Indian TV Has Grown Too Fast By the Billion Shaw: “Dumb Pipes” Not Content Without Content Canada’s deal that no one wanted turns hot BY DOM SERAFINI In industry lingo, “dumb pipes” are distribution channels (cable, satellite, broadcast, broadband) that need to license programming in order to be properly monetized. To make such “pipes” content, Calgary, Canada-based Shaw Communications is following (Continued on Page 48) (Continued on Page 46) NBC, the oldest TV network in the U.S., has been rather restless in the past few years. First, in 2008, it attempted to do away with the pilots process. Then it tried to re-invent the upfronts with year-round presentations to clients. Finally, it decided to save money by replacing one hour of primetime drama with what used to be called “AM-radio” (talk show) programming. All those “innovations” lasted no more than a couple of sweeps periods, but the last one was the straw that broke the camel…sorry, the peacock’s, back (the peacock is NBC logo). NBC is the General Electricowned entertainment group that includes Universal Studios. This year started out particularly rocky for NBC Universal when Jay Leno’s 10 PM nightly experiment was Comcasting NBC Opens Regulatory Floodgate www.romafictionfest.it
V I D E O A G E • N o . 2 • M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 0 Cover stories: Comcasting NBC opens regulatory floodgate in the U.S. A perfect storm for the FCC L.A. Screenings preview: Comedies, cops and copycats are fall pilot trends in the U.S. As soon as money was shown to Canada’s CanWest, a deal that no one wanted turned hot, proving that “dumb pipes” are not content without content Indian TV has grown too fast by the billion. Growing pains are inevitable 4. World: U.S., U.K., Europe, Venezuela, India. Famous quotes, plus letters 14. Book Review: Canada’s TV is not complex. The way it is portrayed is 16. MIP-TV Preview: In exchange for some needed extra cash, market sold its sparkle 20. NATPE Review: With the Miami move, the market has nowhere to go but up — despite itself 24. FIFA Cup: South Africa to help make football popular in the U.S. 26. DTT transition: When the E.U. gets its “digital dividend,” what will it do with it? 28. Banijay: The house that Courbit built. France’s new TV powerhouse has powerful friends 32. Membership Rewards: The big business of film and TV biz associations 34. An analysis: To buy a company in Italy, please don’t bring cash! Plus, Spain and Italy team up for television of the future 36. Spain part dos: The land of opportunities 38. The new television language. Learning how to talk in the digital age 40. The big, bad picture: A tough 2009 reviewed in the pages of VideoAge 42. Company profile: Creating GK-TV from scratch with cash 52. Travel news, conference updates, market dates and more 54. My 2¢. The porno industry is fun no more. It’s going down alright, but the way of the record industry. Is there a lesson for television?
AP R I L 2 0 1 0 Century Plaza To Shed Top Floors The Century Plaza which, together with the Intercontinental, makes up the pillar hotels for the L.A. Screenings, is back in the news. New plans call for “sensitive rehabilitation” of the hotel to preserve 400 of the hotel’s 726 rooms, by converting those on the top floors to 45 condos. In addition, meeting space would be reduced, and a slightly smaller ballroom would replace the existing one. The Century Plaza Hotel, a Los Angeles landmark, was recently saved from the wrecking ball by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Los Angeles City Council. With the support of concerned citizens, the two city organizations intervened in the demolition of the hotel by the owner: real estate developer Michael Rosenfeld. Rosenfeld had planned to raze the Century Plaza to make way for two 50-story high-rises that would house condos, offices, a boutique hotel and shops. Los Angeles’ city councilman Paul Koretz, who represents the Century City neighborhood (an area in the heart of Los Angeles), led the negotiations with Rosenfeld, resulting in a compromise that will save over half of the hotel’s rooms. The Century Plaza was designed by Minoru Yamasaki and has been an industry hotspot since its opening in 1966. It plays a central role in May’s L.A. Screenings, playing host to network events and indie screenings alike. In response to the controversy, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has added the hotel to its annual list of America’s 11 most endangered historic sites. Click ‘n Buy, New TV Shows Tool Hyperspots has launched Advertising by Choice, a new technology used to generate newadvertisingopportunities online for TV shows. The approach is geared towards viewers who are willing to learn more about the products featured on TV shows and, possibly, buy the items with three easy clicks. Rather than using ads that interrupt the viewing experience, Hyperspots allows viewers to click on the item they see anytime and anywhere during the show to get more information about it. The system allows content owners to monetize the images and video they distribute online, making every element of a picture or video-frame clickable. Once an item is clicked on, information about its cost and how to buy it appears on the screen. “Viewers are already watching content online by the millions,” Hyperspots Marketing vp Alain Teale said. “However, everyone is still looking for that effective way to integrate the entertainment, the store and the sale all in one place, and Hyperspots has done just that, generating new revenue streams for all content publishers, content owners, content producers, brands and retailers alike.” Hyperspots CEO Scott Mahoney added, “Advertising by Choice changes everything. Now the viewer gets to choose the product he wants unobtrusively and as a result advertisers will be able to put their message in front of the right person at the right time.” TiVo Upgrades Its Set-Top Box TiVo Inc. has unveiled a new set-top box (STB) that will allow viewers to watch streaming videos from a variety of sources on their television. The so-called “Premiere” box debuts this month and will cost around $300. This is the first device that allows people to watch both regular broadcast television as well as Web videos from sites like YouTube and Netflix. In the past, TiVo’s STB only operated as a recording device, allowing users to store, playback, fast forward and rewind their favorite shows. TiVo’s “Premiere” model holds 45 hours of high-definition content, but customers can pay $500 for an increase to 150 hours. Research analysts are speculating that the new device will prompt consumers who already own TiVos to upgrade to the new model, rather than bring in new buyers. TiVo has partnerships with MSO Comcast, cable provider RCN, which services (Continued on Page 6) V I D E O • A G E 4
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AP R I L 2 0 1 0 Viacom and Hulu Split As of early March, Viacom pulled its programming off Hulu, the Web-based streaming video site owned by NBC and Disney. The split cost Hulu such programs as The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report, as well as other Comedy Central shows. The decision came as a result of Viacom’s inability to reach a deal with Hulu on a fair license fee. Though the divide is said to be amicable, it could prove to be a great loss to Hulu, which ranks The Daily Show as its third top program. In lieu of Hulu, Comedy Central will now stream its content on the shows’ official branded sites such as TheDailyShow.com and ColbertNation.com. Though fans of the Comedy Central programs may be angered by their removal from the site, they might be mollified to hear of speculation from analysts that Hulu is unprofitable. Content owners split ad revenue with the site, typically receiving 50 to 70 percent. Though Hulu gets more than 44 million visitors a month, the ad sales staff is reportedly having a hard time monetizing its burgeoning numbers. Venezuela’s Opposition To TV Censorship Aban on six TV stations in Venezuela provoked widespread student protests throughout Caracas in January. Marchers from four universities took to the streets following the announcement that cable companies were dropping the stations in compliance with a government order. Demonstrators asserted that the ban reflected an effort by the country’s president, Hugo Chávez, to silence political opposition, particularly the vocal critics on Radio Caracas Television (RCTV). The increasingly unpopular dictator appears to be concerned that he might be ousted in the upcoming September 2010 election. The Venezuelan government issued statements claiming that the reason behind the ban was that stations had broken telecommunications laws. The regulations purportedly violated by RCTV and other channels mandate that networks classified as “national media outlets” must air Chávez’s speeches and other government announcements. Free press advocates have declared that the measures enable government propaganda, and are especially unfair with worldwide criticism. Particularly divisive is a provision under discussion that would allow Internet service providers (ISPs) to secretly monitor and report users transferring unusually large chunks of data. In turn, entertainment companies would be able to take legal action. The response to ACTA has been particularly negative in Europe and the U.K., where ISPs are concerned that its regulations could lead to criminal sanctions for illegal downloaders, rather than the civil suits of the past. European privacy watchdogs put out an official warning about the agreement, cautioning against regulations that are too intrusive on privacy and data protection. Additionally, members of Parliament in the U.K. have demanded that the government release details of the negotiations to the House of Commons. U.S. Studios And Piracy War The Hollywood Studios have teamed up with governments in the E.U., U.K., Mexico, Korea and Japan to crack down on Internet piracy. A controversial new copyright treaty, called The AntiCounterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), is currently in the works, and will purportedly introduce tough new measures to combat illegal downloading, file-sharing and secret monitoring. As a result of the treaty, the details of which remained confidential as of press time, pirates of film, music and games will be subject to harsh fines and, if warranted, possible prison sentences. The impending treaty has been met the northeastern U.S., and U.K.-based Virgin Media, but the “Premiere” will only be distributed by RCN this year. In other TiVo news, the company recently won a federal court ruling over EchoStar’s Dish Network. The case, which was decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eastern District of Texas, concerned patent infringement by EchoStar’s digital video recorders. TiVo stands to collect more than $300 million in damages from EchoStar. (Continued on Page 8) (Continued from Page 4) V I D E O • A G E 6
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AP R I L 2 0 1 0 (Continued on Page 10) percent of all media spending was on branding, but online accounted for only five percent ($6 billion) of branding dollars. “The consumer is often motivated by emotion, causing a shift away from click rate metrics to a growing recognition of the impact of branding,” commented Fulgoni. Sir Robert Phillis 1945-2009 Bob Phillis, former deputy director-general of the BBC, passed away December 22, 2009 of bonemarrowcancer. The industry remembers him as the managing director of Central Television in the 1980s, one of the top executives at Carlton Communications (1987), CEO of news agency ITN (1991), deputy director-general of the BBC (1993) and head of BBC Enterprises (now BBC Worldwide). Bob’s background was in print. He was an apprentice printer during his school years and, before moving to Central Television in 1981, ran the Independent Television Publication company (publisher of TV Times). Phillis returned to print in 1997 as CEO of the Guardian Media Group. He was knighted in 2004, and resigned from GMG in 2006 when he was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer. No matter where he was in his career, Phillis never failed to meet with VideoAge’s journalists. He is fondly remembered as a fan of our publication, and as one of the few Brits who was truly a friend of America and of Italians. He was one of the sponsors of our editor, Dom Serafini, for the latter’s membership in the Royal Television Society, an organization that he chaired from 1989 to 1992. We first met Phillis, in 1985 when he was featured on the front cover of VideoAge’s April issue. Currently, spending by agencies on these exchanges is small, but the expectation is that within two years, a significant percentage of media budget — perhaps up to 30 percent or more — will move from network buys to exchanges. At JEGI’s conference, Gian Fulgoni, chairman of the Virginia-based comScore, raised the notion that online advertising is leaving branding dollars behind. comScore is a marketing research company that provides marketing data and services to Internet businesses. Branding is advertising with a strong emphasis on the company brand (logo and/or company name). Branding advertising campaigns are highly successful at inducing consumers to pay, for example, $70 for a T-shirt that costs less than $1 to make. According to Fulgoni, in 2008, 63 Ad Spend Shows Two Trends At JEGI’s sixth annual Media and Technology Conference, held in New York City in late January, two key advertising developments came to light. JEGI is a New York City-based investment bank for media. Agencies that buy secondary (nonpremium) ad inventory are being revolutionized by demand-side platforms and user-level targeting data providers, such as Washington State-based BlueKai and New Yorkbased eXelate. These data exchange companies separate data (which directly influences targeting capabilities) from media (where ads show up). when applied to the president’s speeches, which often last hours. Over the course of the protest, one student was killed and nine policemen were injured. Similar protests were held in Merida, Valencia, Ciudad Guayana and Maracaibo. The Chávez administration has lately faced criticismrelated to inflation, banking scandals and power outages. Local analysts are now even venturing that Chávez’s chances for reelection — if they were to be fair — are “shaky.” (Continued from Page 6) V I D E O • A G E 8 PREMIERING THIS JUNE ON 13 x 30 - HDready TWO MEN, TWO DIFFERENT MISSIONS, TWO VERY DIFFERENT MACHINES. BOTH MAKE SPLIT SECOND DECISIONS, AND ONE SMALL GLITCH CAN MEAN DISASTER. THE BEST OF BROADWAY...... LIVE BIGGER STARS, BETTER PERFORMANCES, HUGE NUMBERS... A FACT FOR 2009. A PROMISE FOR 2010. LIVE 3-HOUR EVENT— ONE FAST. ONE FAMOUS. CABLEready IS PROUD TO REPRESENT INTERSECTIONS & THE TONY AWARDS. AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY IN TERRITORIES WORLDWIDE. SEE YOU AT MIPTV! (BOOTH R31.17) TWO NEW PROGRAMS HDready 98 East Avenue, Norwalk CT 06851 USA l tel.+1-203-855-7979 l info@cableready.net ©2010 CABLEready. All rights reserved. D E V E L O P M E N T • D I S T R I B U T I O N • R E P R E S E N T A T I O N www.cableready.net
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AP R I L 2 0 1 0 (Continued from Page 8) and usurped the top Hindi general entertainment ratings slot from Star. In response, Star is planning a Bollywood awards show, which will feature the genre’s top stars and hopefully prove to be a ratings juggernaut. Meanwhile, Colors, a co-venture with India’s Network18, is launching a variety of reality shows based on the Indian Premier League of cricket. The channel has also secured licensing for the IPL cricket tournament and has its own Bollywood-inspired series in the works. In addition to Star and Colors, the Indian branches of Sony and Warner Bros.’ Turner are competing for a piece of the Indian TV market pie. Their attempts to garner ratings have lately consisted of Bollywood-style soaps and reality shows. ITV Reports Profits For ’09 U.K. broadcaster ITV reported an annual profit of £25million (about U.S. $37.4 million) in 2009. The profit represents a drastic rebound for the company, which lost £2.7 billion (about U.S. $4 billion) in 2008, which many are calling the worst year for TV advertising on record. Now, however, things seemto be turning around. The network reported a seven percent improvement in ad revenues in the first three months of 2010 and predicts even greater growth on the horizon. Interim chief executive John Cresswell forecast that ad revenue will bounce back by 15 or 20 percent in April, driven by a recovery in retail and food advertising. Nevertheless, ITV remains £612 million in debt (U.S. $915 million). In other ITV news, the broadcaster also announced an official start date for its new chief executive Adam Crozier. Crozier, who is currently the chief executive of Royal Mail, will officially take his post on April 26. He replaces former executive chairman Michael Grade. ITV also has a new management team led by ArchieNorman, another new hire who assumed his role in January. Famous Quotes “Reporting on the entertainment business is one of the most bewildering tasks in journalism: no one talks” Vanessa Grigoriadis reviewing “Star,” a book on Warren Beatty for The New York Times Book Review. Letters “With your publication I get all the news I need on a daily basis and it has become a must read every day.” Michel Zgarka Montreal, Canada piece together information from a variety of firms. comScore and its many rivals hope to develop a system to fill this void. Viacom, News Corp Now Vie For India Hot on the heels of Disney, Sony andWarnerBros.,U.S.- based media conglomerates Viacom and News Corp are stepping up the competition for supremacy in the Indian television market. Both companies are now tackling two cultural mainstays: cricket and Bollywood. News Corp’s Star Plus has been in the region for nine years, and its forecasted revenue for 2010 is the equivalent of U.S. $180 million. Recently, Viacom’s Indian company, Colors, swooped in as vice president of Television Sales and Business Development — is a radio and TV ratings company with many locations throughout the U.S. It is well known for its radio research and for having provided data services to NBC Universal during the Olympics. Analysts are speculating that Fitzgerald’s appointment represents comScore’s desire to break into the cable, satellite, telco and set-topmaker researchmarkets in order to challenge Nielsen Co. as the leading media measurement firm. However, if comScore is to take aim at Nielson, it may take more than hiring experienced professionals. TheU.S. market for measurement companies has recently been flooded with competitors, some of whom already gather data from more than 70 million set-top boxes. On the other hand, since the rise of the Internet, one streamlined method for gathering viewer data has yet to emerge. In their marketing research, companies currently comScore Takes Aim At Nielsen ComScore, a Virginia-based Webmeasurement and marketing research company with offices all over the world, has expanded its team with the hire of former Arbitron executive Joan Fitzgerald. Arbitron — where Fitzgerald served V I D E O • A G E 10
Season 2
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AP R I L 2 0 1 0 V I D E O • A G E 14 Getting through the 296 pages of the book Broadcasting Policy in Canada (2010, University of Toronto Press) wasn’t easy, and this reviewer must admit to having skipped a few lines here and there. It is obvious that the 15 chapters that author Robert Armstrong put together for the University of Toronto Press was more a labor of love than riches, because it’s hard to imagine that the paperback will rise to The New York Times’ bestseller list. In the book, sold at C$20, Armstrong is introduced as the president of Communications Media in Montreal. Google couldn’t shed light on his company, but VideoAge was able to find out that he’s a former part-time teacher in the Department of Communication Studies at Concordia University in Montreal and, by calling the publishing company, we learned that he’s a former Telefilm Canada executive who now consults from home. The preface explains that the book “examines government policies related to broadcasting in Canada and the strategy in place to safeguard and strengthen the Canadian broadcasting system.” It also points out that “broadcasting is the only regulated cultural medium in Canada.” The book is current to July 2009, and thus no recent developments (like the Shaw-CanWest deal) are anticipated in it. The eight-page glossary offers a quick reference point, especially when one has to remember the difference between “category one” and “category two” services. It points out that those categories will disappear as of August 31, 2011 and be replaced with Category A and B, indicating TV services with access and without access rights, respectively. Throughout the book, readers also discover that, in the 2007-2008 TV season, the total volume of Canadian independent television production was over C$2 billion, in a chart that was divided by category. Indeed, the 30 charts and nine tables that illustrate the book are very helpful to understand Canada’s TV sector, especially the “Summary of Canadian Content and Expenditure Requirements” chart. Topics covered in the book include “Canadian Content Requirements,” “Financing Canadian Content,” and “Copyright, Broadcasting and the Internet.” In a chapter titled “CanadianOwnership and Competition Policy,” Armstrong gives a voice to the laissez-faire Chicago economics school doctrine that “barriers to entry may produce concentrated industries and ‘imperfect’ competition.” As a former Telefilm executive, Armstrong is rather critical of Telefilm Canada: “[…] Telefilm has become a secondary player in television insofar as Telefilm no longer exercises significant policy or decision-making powers in the broadcasting sector.” Inhis“Conclusion”chapter,Armstrong reiterates that, “Given the challenge provided by unregulated new media to the regulated broadcasting environment [….] the CRTC [Canada’s TV authority] should reduce or eliminate its regulation of the Canadian broadcasting system in favor of little or no supervision.” In the book’s final paragraph, he states that, “new media are slowly strangling the goose that lays the golden eggs. Unless a solution to this structural problem is developed, the continued availability of high-quality Canadian [contents], which are so essential to Canadian identity, appears to be highly problematic.” Also problematic is figuring out to whom this book is directed. At first sight, it cannot be Canadian TV executives, since it’s not a TV trade book (not one TV executive is quoted or mentioned in the book). It also cannot be directed at academia, because it’s not boring enough. The only remaining target audience could be non-Canadian TV experts in need of a quick reference tool. DS Canada’s TV is Not Complex. The Way It is Portrayed Is B o o k R e v i e w
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V I D E O • A G E AP R I L 2 0 1 0 16 Even though it is not easy to spot, the official theme of this edition of MIP-TV and derivatives, such as MipDoc (all taking place April 10-16 in Cannes), is “Charting the Next Decade.” “Focus on China” provided the spring sparkle in 2009, and “Rethinking” offered the Fall guidance. Perhaps, looking at the next decade, attendees at this MIP face a show whose main attraction is a new event geared towards formats. The theme also reflects the somber attitude with which many are approaching the once carefree market. Nevertheless, the consensus seems to be that this year’s MIP is an opportunity for companies to bounce back from a shaky 2009, and it’s not to be taken lightly. The premiere of the event dubbed “MIPFormats” is described by organizers as “a one-day premium business conference and pitching forum, designed for producers, commissioners, brands and aspiring creators of breakthrough entertainment formats.” MIPFormats is set to take place April 11, on the eve of opening day for MIP proper, overlapping with MipDoc, which runs April 10-11. Although the market will be less flashy than in years past, the feeling amongst executives interviewed was that there is reason to be optimistic. However, this time around the key issue facing the market is not the economy, but its place in the calendar year, since it presents a recurrent problem for big studios the world over. Such companies depend on May’s L.A. Screenings for new product, and this year the proximity of the two events is proving to be an obstacle. While the studios readily acknowledge that MIPCOM is their best TV trade show, they also admit that MIP-TV’s dates represent a problem. “It would be great if MIP could move to early March. Then, it could make more sense for us,” commented the president of a major U.S. studio who asked that his name not be used. Naturally, MIP-TV organizers have to squeeze the TV event in before MIPIM, a large real estate market which is held in Cannes in mid-March, and at the same time, keep it far away from both the Easter and Passover holidays — not an easy task. On the other hand, organizers could continue with the April start-date, banking on the fact that MIP is popular among smaller companies. Then again, it’s most likely the presence of the large TV studios that attract so many buyers in the first place — something the studios are quick to point out. According to one major European buyer, “Disney and Warner are not sending their European sales teams. The other majors are attending. For us, that means around 70 meetings, mostly with independent distributors.” Despite the dearth of studios, MIP can expect a strong showing from smaller companies and indies. Claudia Sahab, Televisa Internacional’s director of Europe, who works out of the company’s Spain office, had high hopes. “I’m sure that this year will be busier than the last,” she said. Over the course of 2009, she said, Televisa saw huge growth in its ready-made series sector, a side effect of production budget cuts. As a response to dwindling funds, “Countries like Hungary started buying ready-made telenovelas again,” she said. Sahab expects this trend to continue in 2010, and help bolster Televisa’s business at MIP. Additionally, she noted that the analog switch-off currently taking place across Europe is proving to be a very good thing for product sellers. “Everything will soon be on DTT (digital terrestrial television) and have two or three more channels,” she said, “So broadcasters will need more content.” Saralo MacGregor, L.A.-based vice president of Worldwide Distribution for the U.K.’s Fireworks International, concurred that this MIP-TV will be a busy one. Fireworks will be launching a range of titles, including the fourth season of drama series Heartland and new reality series Wildlife Rescue Africa. Regarding the global economy, MacGregor was realistic. “Broadcasters might be operating with reduced budgets,” she said, “But there are still schedules to fill.” Other TV execs from Los Angeles were gung-ho about the market. GRB Entertainment’s svp, International Distribution, Marielle Zuccarelli, remarked, “Buying is definitely back, and we’re confident that MIP-TV will be a strong market.” Zuccarelli is bringing a full team to Cannes, and plans to hit the ground running with a host of new shows as well as a number of already successful series. Semi-Homemade Cooking With Sandra Lee and Money Saving Meals top GRB’s slate. Of the late market date, Zuccarelli stated that it makes no difference to her company because the firm plans to have a different focus for each market. “At the L.A. Screenings we focus on Latin American buyers that are not attending MIP-TV,” she said. Another L.A. exec, Jon Kramer, CEO of Rive Gauche Television, said of the delayed opening: “I’d like to see MIP at the end of March, although it’s hard to tell if it makes a difference.” He went on to point out that the later the conference falls in the year, the better the idea programmers have of what the first quarter looked like and can make decisions accordingly. Although he’s already a seasoned MIP-TV veteran, Ken Dubow, founder and president of new L.A.-based Opus Distribution, explained that “this will be the first TV market for Opus Distribution with product to deliver, so it’s an exciting time.” As a new company, Opus has a full plate for the market, and Dubow named cash flow as his firm’s biggest challenge. “Cash is still tight around the world,” he said, “But there seems to be some thawing going on with budgets.” Opus’ inaugural MIP slate includes TV movies and documentaries, including a new romance feature starring Alyssa Milano. The Canadian contingent will be out in full force as well, though whether they’ll attend Tuesday morning’s “Connect with Canada — Producers Matchmaking” event remains to be seen. Les Harris, president of Toronto-based Canamedia, said his company will be highlighting HD programming. Harris was also optimistic about attendance figures. “From what I understand, MIP-TV last year was dead,” he said, “MIPCOM had more people, but the people who were there seemed serious. I’m hoping that the trend we saw starting at MIPCOM will continue at MIP-TV this year.” Another Canadian company, Toronto’s Fremantle Corp., is looking forward to touching base with its traditional broadcast clients as well as embracing the new digital world. The Fremantle team will be set up in the Palais presenting a new miniseries called Doc West, automobile/lifestyle shows Hot Import Night andDream Car Garage, new series Healthy Gourmet and much more. Randy Zalkin, president of Fremantle Corp., predicted that attendees can expect a significant core of new and returning buyers. “Given the rollercoaster ride that the world economy is undergoing, some regions In Exchange For Some Needed Cash, Market Sold Its Sparkle M I P P r e v i e w (Continued on Page 18) Claudia Sahab, director of Europe for Televisa Internacional Nat Abraham, head of Distribution, Breakthrough Entertainment
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AP R I L 2 0 1 0 M I P ( C o n t i n u e d ) will have a chance to propose their projects at the Fresh Talent Pitch. A seminar entitled “How Formats Are Valued in the Market” will provide stats on the risks and rewards of the format biz. And “The Big Picture — The Majors: Acting Local, Thinking Global” will take a look at the big U.S. and U.K. studios and how their format departments work. Networking opportunities and cocktails will also be peppered throughout the day. Regular market activities kick off on Monday, April 12. Day one promises to be a flurry of digital activity. The Opening Night Cocktail at the Martinez Hotel will also play host to the International Digital Emmy Awards. The Digital VIP Summit and a seminar entitled “Twitter+TV: How Real-Time Engagement is Changing Content” will continue throughout the day. New media will once again be a hot topic all week long, with seminars and panels like “Will Social Media Drive Mainstream Media?” “Changing Advertising Models” and “Next Generation Online Video Experience,” taking on digital from all angles. Throughout the week, a handful of speakers including Ben Silverman (formerly of NBC) will also take the stage for a series of “Media Mastermind Keynotes.” Other speakers include Tim Kring, executive producer and creator of popular U.S. network series Heroes and Jeremy Darroch, chief executive of Sky. According to event organizers Reed Midem, MIP-TV 2010 boasts 11,500 participants from 102 countries including 4,000 international buyers. Around 1,500 exhibiting companies will occupy 470 stands, and the conference program will feature more than 45 sessions, keynotes, screenings and matchmaking events. Last year’s market saw 11,500 participants from 105 countries. ES at kids ages 7-15. JCC will be at MIP with a new science magazine program co-produced with Japan’s NHK and NED, as well as host of distribution opportunities for production and co-production. “We hope to see better attendance than last year, diverse content from around the world and more representation of the Arab world,” commented a JCC spokesperson. For those who make the trip to Cannes on Sunday, MIPFormats has a packed day on tap. Unknowns as well as well-established producers to Saturday morning cartoons and their effects on pop culture. Abraham also pointed out that MIPCOM and MIPTV have built up differing rosters of participants in recent years. MIPCOM, and its accompanying event MIP Jr., bring out the kids’ programming crowd, while MIP-TV remains documentary and factual-program driven. Nevertheless, a number of companies specializing in children’s TV will still be on hand. One such company is Qatarbased JCC Children’s Channel, a panArab entertainment channel directed will be in hibernation, but others have awakened hungry with an appetite to consume, however cautiously.” Nat Abraham, head of distribution for Toronto-based Breakthrough Entertainment was similarly buoyant. “The global economy is bouncing back quite well,” he said, elaborating, “Last year taught people a few critical lessons about who they should be sending to the market.” Where product is concerned, Breakthrough hopes to promote a variety of series, including documentary program Tooned!, an ode (Continued from Page 16) Saralo MacGregor, vice president of Worldwide Distribution for Fireworks International V I D E O • A G E 18 DW-TRANSTEL is in touch with the issues that are shaping the world. Our new showHow Nature Heals takes a look at traditional and international forms of natural medicine from four different continents. And if you’re curious about the world around you, check out Know it! – it highlights science, technology and everyday phenomena. These are just two of the new shows being premiered this year – check out www.dw-transtel.de for more information. Angelika Newel | Deutsche Welle | angelika.newel@dw-world.de | +49.228.429-2712 Your gatewaY to global issues You can find us at booth19.14 at MiPtV 2010 DW-TRANSTEL is in touch with the issues that are shaping the world. Our new showHow Nature Heals takes a look at traditional and international forms of natural medicine from four different continents. And if you’re curious about the world around you, check out Know it! – it highlights science, technology and everyday phenomena. These are just two of the new shows being premiered this year – check out www.dw-transtel.de for more information. Angelika Newel | Deutsche Welle | angelika.newel@dw-world.de | +49.228.429-2712 Your gatewaY to global issues You can find us at booth19.14 at MiPtV 2010 Anz_VideoAge_27x36.indd 1 23.03.10 11:08
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V I D E O • A G E AP R I L 2 0 1 0 20 BY KAREN RUTTNER Ultimately, NATPE will succeed one way or another, if only by default. The selection of Miami, Florida, as the 2011 venue was received with much enthusiasm, as it will finally force NATPE to reshape itself as a fully international event. Until now, and despite the fact that NATPE’s market is 99 percent international, its organizers did not acknowledge this element at the seminar and awards levels, nor did they focus on relevant international topics in their Daily newsletters, instead relying heavily on coverage of domestic (i.e., U.S.) television. With that in mind, it’s likely that some of the international companies present at this year’s event were there simply to avoid losing exhibiting privileges in Miami. It should be noted, however, that Miami was not NATPE’s first choice. The event is moving in 2011 because its preferred venue in Las Vegas was not going to be completed in time. Out of the 56 seminars held this year, only seven were somewhat related to international TV. NATPE even nixed the idea for the one domestic seminar — about TV stations’ extra digital channels — that would have benefited international producers and distributors. On the awards side, none were devoted to international TV executives, much to their chagrin. At the exhibitors’ level, this year’s NATPE managed to alienate Disney, which having not found a satisfactory arrangement, decided to forgo the event altogether as Sony did a few years back. As far as the overall assessment of NATPE 2010 is concerned, the outcome wasn’t rosy, but consensus seems to be that the market has hit bottom and now has nowhere to go but up. NATPE’s organizers objected to VideoAge Daily’s report of an estimated 2,000 total participants over the three-day market that started on Monday, January 25. VideoAge based its figures on the count provided by THEhotel and Mandalay Bay when the Daily was delivered to all registered participants. Ironically, VideoAge’s reporting is considered “too negative” by NATPE management, ignoring the fact that it reflects the opinions of many TV executives, including the heads of the U.S. studios’ international TV divisions, that NATPE gathered directly. The conference boasted a raft of star-studded panels (think Hugh Laurie, Donald Trump, Judge Judy and more). Even so, words like “unrest” and “discontent” were creeping into the exhibitors’ lexicon. The main divide was found between those exhibitors relegated to the market floor versus those in the THEhotel tower suites. VideoAge surveyed a number of the companies present to gauge their reactions to the location differentials and the event in general. The vibe on the f loor was predominantly negative. When asked how things had been going for TOEI Animation, sales manager for Latin America Eduardo Lucio merely said, “Actually very slow. I’m disappointed really.”Was the trip to Vegas worthwhile for them? “No,” Lucio said. “Not really.” A few stands over, Rafael Fusaro, president, and Maria A. Martinez, svp and COO of APA International Film Distributors expressed similar frustration. “The music [from the nearby Digital Theater, a stage used for presentations] is too loud,” Fusaro said. “It’s not good for speaking. The Digital Theater shouldn’t be where the sellers are. We didn’t know it would be here.” The APA team was divided in terms of optimism for the 2011 move to Miami, despite the fact that their offices are located there. “There’s more to do, activity wise and entertainment wise in Vegas thanMiami,”Martinez explained. “Vegas is used to conventions.” Fusaro was quick to counter though, adding with a smile, “Europeans like to go to Miami more than Vegas.” European approval is certainly something that NATPE should be concerned with, especially considering comments from people like Beatrice Grossman Conforti, head of Business Affairs for Switzerland’s RSI. “More attention needs to be paid to European producers,” she expressed. “Buyers come [to NATPE] to meet with the U.S. majors, mainly. There must be a little bit of interest shown to Europeans. The organization claims to be an American market. After this crisis, though, maybe a little bit of European old culture could be good for everybody.” That said, Grossman is somewhat optimistic about the forthcoming location shift. “I don’t know if Miami will be better, but it will definitely be a shorter trip for the Europeans.” Rob Molloy, director of Television for London, UK-based Guinness World Records addressed the conference focus as well. “This has moved more towards catering to Latin America. NATPE should address this and force everyone back to the show floor. Everyone is all doom and gloom, saying NATPE is dying. I don’t agree. The business of television has changed.” So, considering the business is changing, does Molloy think the moves NATPE has made of late are sufficiently addressing the shift? In regards to this year’s event, he commented, “We were pleasantly surprised [Monday] morning. When we initially saw the buyers list we were a bit skeptical. We have an agent specifically for Latin America, so we’re not here for that. And business definitely slowed that afternoon and even more so today [day three].” Maria Lucia Hernandez Frieri of Colombia’s RCN said, “This has been a very good market. All of our clients have come as previously arranged, and we had a few people come in to request meetings.” Hernandez’s statement, albeit positive, included shades of what seemed to be inherently wrong with With The Miami Move, Mart Has Nowhere To Go But Up N A T P E R e v i e w E1’s Valerie Cabrera CableReady’s Gary Lico at his stand Telefilms’ Ricardo Costianovsky, Humberto Delmas, Tomas Darcyl, Alfredo Andreotti, Alejandro Carballo (Continued on Page 22)
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AP R I L 2 0 1 0 N A T P E ( C o n t i n u e d ) he could muster in terms of enthusiasm for Miami was, “I think [it will be better], yeah.” Park’s biggest complaints about 2010’s event were echoes of our other respondents. “It’s been a little bit noisy on the floor,” he commented. “But, moving to an all-suite format would also have its defects. Buyers have difficulty in the suites. If you don’t have an appointment, it’s difficult getting in there.” Also bothered by the Digital Theater located within shouting distance of the market stalls was Bill Xiaoming Du of China’s Star-D Productions. This was his second year at NATPE, and felt that his coming was “probably a bad thing.” He said, “Compared to last year, it’s been very quiet [business-wise]. The Digital Theater has been kind of a problem. That’s a bit loud. And — I can’t find a cafeteria!” That said, Du added that Star-D will definitely be attending the 2011 affair in Miami. For smaller companies like Animation Dance Association, who made their NATPE debut this year, “Markets are very useful because you can just stay in one place and people come to you,” explained CEO Alexander Vasilkin. “It saves a lot of time.” But comments like Vasilkin’s only apply in a stand scenario, because as outlined by the other companies’ we spoke to, buyers are less likely to casually walk into suites without preset appointments. the market this year. With the general sentiment that suites don’t work well unless one has appointments set in advance, saying that business was good because all of the company’s previously scheduled appointments showed up is not a particularly convincing argument. Comcast’s Gary Forsyth and Fireworks’ Greg Phillips echoed RCN’s satisfaction, noting, “This market has been good” and “We’re completely satisfied,” respectively. Phillips added, “We’ve done enough sales and had enough strategic meetings to have made this market extremely worthwhile. It’s been NATPE business as usual.” But what exactly is NATPE business as usual? Because as Guinness World Record’s Molloy had said earlier, “NATPE has definitely gotten smaller. If it stayed [in Vegas] next year, we’d think twice about coming.” Steven Park, senior sales manager in Korea’s KBS Media International Business Department was similarly hesitant with his feelings. While he said that business had been good for KBS this year, and that it has been on par with their past six attendances, all Lionsgate’s Peter Iacono and Kevin Beggs Image Entertainment’s Steve Saltman, GMX’s Don Golden, Barbara Gomperz-McCarney (Continued from Page 20) Fremantle Corp.’s Randy Zalken, Irv Holender V I D E O • A G E 22 The Banff World Television Festival is taking TV to new heights by teaming up with Canada’s premier digital media conference, nextMEDIA. BANFF is the next step in the evolution of media – and the only conference that is set up to grow your business by combining the expertise of traditional television and the in-demand innovation of digital media. THE HEIGHT OF MEDIA JUNE 13-16, 2010
MIPCOM STAND # R 32.07 www.mediasetdistribution.com - internationalsales@mediaset.it Universal stories. Italian flavor. Scripted Formats Sitcom 14 Seasons Total Episodes 280X30’ Adaptation: Portugal, Serbia Option: Turkey Dramedy Series 6X100’ Adaptation: Portugal Option: U.S.A. Comedy Series 4 Seasons Total Episodes 36X50’ Option: France, Greece Drama Series 3 Seasons Total Episodes 36X50’ Option: France Crime Series 5 Seasons Total Episodes 88X50’ Adaptation: France, Germany, Spain
V I D E O • A G E AP R I L 2 0 1 0 24 BY YURI SERAFINI Unless one lives under a rock or in the United States’ Anglo world, by now one has heard that FIFA’s football World Cup will be held in South Africa June 11-July 11. Across the globe, more than 150 different broadcasters, representing a similar number of countries, will be making sure that anyone anywhere will be able to watch the tournament. More or less, that is. Many TV networks around the world can broadcast extensive coverage of as many matches as they choose to. But a good number of broadcasters will be limited in the number of matches they will be able to air, depending on what sort of package deal they worked out with FIFA. For example, Italy’s public broadcaster RAI is only licensed to air one match per day, while satellite TV platform SKY Italia will show every single game to its subscribers. France’s TF1 has a similar deal worked out — it can broadcast up to 27 matches — while the satellite, cable, and IPTV pay platform Canal+ will broadcast all games. Broadcasters paid for packages based on thematches’ dates, rather thanon the teams involved. This isn’t much of a problem for the U.S. Anglo networks, where viewing figures will be low regardless of which teams are playing. But those broadcasters in other parts of the world that only bought a select number of matches to be played later in the tournament will have to hope their country’s team makes it as far as those late stages, or risk lower-thanexpected ratings. It’s not likely that New Zealand’s TVNZ will be banking on its home team making it very far. But France’s TF1, Italy’s RAI, and Germany’s RTL will be airing a limited number of matches, and they obviously want their teams to play in as many of those as possible. This proves a problem for FIFA too, since it wants the heavyweights to stay in the running as long as they can, so as to maximize viewer interest. As such, FIFA, the football world’s governing body, came up with the solution. In reality, the matches from the eight initial groups were not picked randomly (even if FIFA insists that they were randomly selected). FIFA placed all the teams into four “pots.” One pot was for the world’s top eight ranked teams. The other three pots were geographically organized: One for North America and Asia, one for Europe, and one for South America and Africa. When the matches for each of the eight groups were decided, one team was taken from each pot, thus assuring at least one top-ranking team per group. This way FIFA was able to satisfy broadcasters’ needs from the major football countries. Also, because one group’s first-place team plays the next group’s secondplace team in rounds of 16, immediately following the group eliminations, the big football countries (and their broadcasters) basically have an easy ride to the quarter-finals. Fans who will actually be inside the stadiums watching the games unfold will navigate 10 different venues scattered across South Africa, most of which are conveniently located in the northeastern portion of the country. With 63 matches being played (64 if one counts the third-place match, which few watch), every pitch will see about six matches, with the larger venues like Durban and Johannesburg hosting the final matches. For most of the 100,000-plus ticket holders, getting from stadium to stadium will not be an easy task. There is an extensive highway system in place with Johannesburg at its center, but the sheer size of the country doesn’t make this a particularly attractive way to get around. A drive from Cape Town to Johannesburg takes about 15 hours. Luckily, most of the stadiums are located somewhat closer, grouped around the northeast. Trains are a more comfortable way for sports fans to get around. For those who want to travel in style, the famed Blue Train from Cape Town to Johannesburg has services and facilities comparable to most fivestar hotels. Getting around within the host cities should also be simpler, as bus and trolley systems are currently being revamped to accommodate the expected increase in passengers. But most of the people around the world will only be able to follow the games on television. According to FIFA, approximately one billion viewers tune in to watch the final alone, with similar, if lower figures for preliminary matches. It has been pointed out, however, that these figures are a bit exaggerated — by 70 million TV households, to be exact. According to Initiative Sports Futures, an independent sports broadcasting analyst based in England, about 260 million TVHH in 54 countries tuned in to the last World Cup final. Not a bad figure, but certainly not the figure FIFA boasted. In the U.S. the situation is a bit complex. ABC will only air 10 matches on free-to air television, presumably the quarter-finals and beyond. On cable and satellite, however, ESPN and several of its spin-offs will offer more extensive coverage. And of course, Hispanic network giant Univision will air all the matches on free TV, but those American fans who don’t fully understand Spanish and rely on free Anglo TV services could be understandably displeased, or as they say in Spanish: no, nos gusta esta. Apparently, Anglo TV networks in the U.S. can afford to toss away a billion-dollar industry. Some people reason that there is no place to air commercials, causing American broadcasters to be disinterested. But of course, that’s not a valid argument, since some 30 years ago European, Asian and Latin American broadcasters had the same problem and managed to come up with a feasible solution. If U.S. Anglo broadcasters can’t stop the game to flash the sponsors’ logos in viewers’ faces, why not place sponsors within the game electronically? This World Cup alone, 12 official partners/ sponsors will see their logos displayed on banners beside the pitches, on streamers inside the stadiums, and (for additional sportswear providers) on the players’ shirts themselves — a good pool for broadcasters to monetize. Budweiser, Castrol, Continental, McDonalds, MTN and Saytam have reportedly spent $100 million each in their advertising partnerships with this World Cup. So it’s not a money issue. Perhaps it’s a creativity issue. A philosophical form of creative sports like football can’t compete with American Football, where everyone takes commands from the quarterback, who has in turn been given instructions by the offensive coach. It might also be a goal-scoring issue. Americans get bored if they don’t see scoring. Last World Cup, every game averaged about 2.3 goals. Not exactly a shoot-out. But it doesn’t take close examination to see that a goal is seldom the most exciting event in a match. A striker losing his marker in a display of footwork, a cross that curves at just the right moment, or a visionary through ball that makes one wonder just how many eyes these guys have, are all things that define what a beautiful game football really is. Instant gratification by high-scoring sports, as well as a society that praises speed and quantity over quality, points to some sort of cultural void in America, rather than an issue of advertising or boredom. South Africa to Help Make Football a U.S. TV Sport F I F A C u p
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