In This Issue: MIP Expectations NATPE’s CEO Quest 2012 TV Predictions Istanbul TV Show THE BUSINESS JOURNAL OF FILM, BROADCASTING, BROADBAND, PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION MARCH/APRIL 2012 VOL. 32 NO. 2 $9.75 ® www.videoage.org We here at VideoAge keep a close eye on the TV pilots, way before the U.S. networks’ new series are announced at the May Upfronts. So far, several trends have emerged amongst the nearly 90 pilots (a few more than last year), which have been commissioned by the networks for the 2012-2013 season. While the usual cop series, legal dramas and supernatural series are well represented on the nets’ rosters, there are plenty of other options for viewers (and international buyers) too. Wacky families (à la Modern Family) seem to be taking center stage on the comedy front (e.g. ABC’s How to Live With Your Parents for the Rest of Your L.A. Screenings: Comediennes, Brit-Tested Shows, Wacky Families (Continued on Page 38) (Continued on Page 32) There are people who want to control the Internet, others who seek to regulate it, some who would like to restrict it, many who want it to remain freewheeling and anarchic, and also those who simply want to tax it. The problems are well known: Privacy (e.g., the “Do not track” issue), pirating, net neutrality, spectrum scarcity, etc. And each problem has its own set of issues, like “fair use,” for unauthorized downloads; “targeting advertising” for the privacy issue; “bandwidth-hogging,” for net neutrality, and so on and so forth ad infinitum, with Internet tax issues said to be affecting interstate commerce as well. Now considering, for example, that downloads will soon surpass CD and DVD sales and rentals, what does this mean for the entertainment industry? True to the saying, only death and taxes are sure things, so it’s only a matter of time until taxes hit the Internet sector big time, and who’s better than “Uncle Sam” (the U.S. government) at finding a way to milk the new cow? States Are Banking On Tax Downloads PR Biz: Between a Rock and a Hard Place BY LUCY COHEN BLATTER The thing about publicists is that, though they are important to the editorial mix of any publication, they are very rarely seen or heard. Let’s change that and give them their proverbial 15 minutes of fame by turning the spotlight on them. Knowing that there are different roles for PR (Continued on Page 36) (Continued on Page 34) BY DOM SERAFINI In the U.K., a recently aired BBC parody poked fun at the ITV costume drama Downton Abbey because of its very long scenes with no dialogue in which characters communicate simply by exchanging glares. Now, imagine a blind person trying to follow along without a voice describing those mostly silent Downton scenes. In the U.K., two million people have sight loss. There are an estimated 30 million adult Americans, or 9.5 percent of the population, who have trouble seeing or are blind. Depending on the degree of vision impairment, the number could be as high as 54 million (according to Turner Broadcasting research). In Canada, people with seeing disabilities represent 4.5 percent DV To Add Millions Of Blind People To Video Consumption Visit us at Booth RB.40 Anger MANAGEMENT ...because people don’t know how to self-medicate C H A R L I E S H E E N
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V I D E O A G E • N o . 2 • M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 2 Cover stories: Described video could add millions of blind users to television consumption L.A. Screenings: Expect comediennes, Brit-tested shows and wacky families. But a large number of pilots will assure a good mix The PR biz: Between a hard rock (client) and a harder place (media). A look behind the pitch In the U.S., states are banking on tax downloads. Other countries will undoubtedly follow suit 6. World: Italy, China, U.S., Poland, Canada 10. Tech News: 3D shows on 2D, IPTV eliminates PVR, DVB-2T, Spectrum shortage, Eutelsat’s 4,000 mark 12. Book Review (Review). U.K. TV series makes Americans class-(un)conscious 14. MIP-TV preview. New dates add uncertainty to an already stressedout market 16. DISCOP in Istanbul shows that neither snow nor rain can slow down the MECANA TV engine 18. Children’s Television. Kids TV experts like to summit at Kidscreen in New York 20. Predictions and projections: What more to expect for the TV biz in 2012 26. A Tribute: NATPE ends Rick Feldman era at the dawn of its 50th anniversary 28. Product placement. Unloved and distrusted, it gets a shaky reception in Europe 30. Convergence and morality. If Internet TV feels like broadcast TV, rules should apply, but more lightly 40. Conference, travel news and calendar of events 42. My2¢. The Emmy must differentiate between broadcast and pay-TV
(Continued on Page 8) China’s Expansion, Restrictions For TV In China, the ruling Communist Party has banned Chinese broadcasters from airing foreign programs during primetime in an effort to keep international shows from gaining greater influence and “threatening the socialistic values” the Party champions. As a result, programming produced outside of China is not permitted to screen between 7p.m. and 10p.m. In a statement, the government’s State Administration of Radio, Film and Television declared that foreign entertainment “cannot take up more than 25 percent of total programming time each day.” Additionally, domestic channels in China must limit the number of shows broadcast from any one country or region. On top of that, despite the fact that U.S. film and TV are popular in China, the U.S. studios are limited in terms of the number of films they can distribute in the country due to a quota system. The country is expected to be the world’s largest cinema market within the next 10 years. These latest restrictions come as the Chinese government prepares to transfer power to a new generation of leaders this fall. In other news, two state-owned Chinese media groups (Shanghai Media Group and China Media Capital) and DreamWorks Animation in the U.S. announced a joint venture. Called Oriental DreamWorks, the joint venture will be located in Shanghai and will develop original animated and live-action film and TV content, as well as live stage productions. The deal was announced at an economic forum held recently in Los Angeles, which Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping attended. Poland Denies Catholic DTT Poland’s National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) rejected an application from the Lux Veritatis foundation, which owns Catholic TV channel TV Trwam, to obtain a digital broadcasting (DTT) license for the channel. The Polish Episcopate has demanded to know why TV Trwam was denied the license. Additionally, The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights asked that KRRiT provide detailed information about how the Council decides to award broadcasting licenses for the operation of multiplex digital terrestrial broadcasting services. A KRRiT member reportedly stated that providing a digital broadcasting license to TV Trwam would not be financially beneficial for the multiplex. However, it has also been reported that digital broadcasting licenses have been given to TV stations with fewer financial assets than TV Trwam. eOne Eyeing Alliance Films Canadian production and distribution company Entertainment One (eOne) has reportedly been linked to a bid for another Canadian company, Alliance Films. Previously, proposals had been made by other companies for parts of Entertainment One, but because the company did not feel those proposals adequately reflected the value of its business, it is no longer considering them. In September, Entertainment One hired Credit Suisse and JP Morgan to carry out a strategic review of eOne, and their services have been retained. eOne distributes the Twilight films in the U.K., while Alliance invests in films such as The King’s Speech. The investment division of the Quebec government and the private equity arm of Goldman Sachs, which owns approximately two thirds of Alliance, put Alliance Films up for sale in January. Carlo Sartori 1946-2012 Carlo Sartori, the former Secretary General of PrixItalia –– the TV festival founded and organized by RAI, the Italian state broadcaster –– died last February in Rome. He was 65 years old and suffered from a degenerative ailment. Sartori, one of RAI’s top executives V I D E O • A G E MA R C H/ AP R I L 2 0 1 2 6 ALWAYS ready entertainmentcrime actionlifestylereality 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 +1 203-855-7979 | info@cableready.net Visit cableready.net to see full episodes of our entire program library. MIPTV Booth # R31.17 Contact sales@cableready.net to schedule a meeting 400x30 14x30 13x30 2x60 10x30 30 Minute Weekly 55x60, 11x120 Scan the code with your phone to see all of our new programs now!
Swiss Television Sales Office CH 6903 Lugano Switzerland Tel. +41 91 803 54 82 Fax +41 91 803 57 25 salesoffice@rsi.ch Our complete catalogue on rsi.ch/sales Documentaries Fiction Children Entertainment Classical Music Jazz - Pop - Rock Programs ROGER FEDERER (DOCUMENTARIES) 25’ (DOCUMENTARIES) 6 x 12’ - 1 x 35’ A film by Erik Bernasconi Sinestesia "Sinestesia" chronicles the vicissitudes of four young adults in two moments of their lives which are in turn linked to two dramatic episodes three years apart. The intervening years see the characters confronted by the usual joys and difficulties of everyday life. However, they also find themselves having to react to a destiny which, every now and again, places a crossroads in our way. Fiction- 2010 - 1h30’ 16/9 High definition Coproduction: Imagofilm RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera
(Continued from Page 6) who was credited with the creation of RaiSat, the revival of PrixItalia and the growth of RaiWorld, was also a professor of Mass Communications, a journalist and a writer, with many books about television to his name. Sartori was also one of the founders of Euronews’ consortium of 19 European public TV organizations. He was asked to become the Chief of Radio and Television at the United Nations in New York City, a position that he declined. His admonition to Americans delivered during a NATPE speech became famous: “Yes, [Italy produces] trash-TV, but it’s our own trash, there is no need to send yours.” Prof. Sartori, a graduate of Stanford University, was also a visiting professor at Barnard College from 1980 to 1981. He’s survived by his wife, actress Stefania Barca and two young children, Camilla and Giulio. Local TV Deals For Sports Rights Local TV rights on regional sports networks (RSN) in the U.S. are the equivalent of hitting grand slams for baseball teams in lucrative TV markets, making it possible for the teams to sign top quality talent. Through a trend that’s developed years after the New York Yankees launched their YES Network on cable in 2002, (which reportedly generates annual revenue in excess of $450 million), teams such as the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have begun cashing in on local cable deals. The Rangers were the first to hit the ground running through a 20-year deal with Fox Sports Southwest valued at $3 billion that includes equity in the network, escalator clauses and profit participation. The deal, which doesn’t go into effect until 2015, has allowed the Rangers, which were bankrupt, to develop a franchise payroll of approximately $125 million this year. The Angels followed suit with a 20-year deal they inked with Fox Sports West, which is valued even higher than the Rangers’ agreement. The Angels’ local TV contract made it possible for them to sign slugger Albert Pujols to a 10-year, $240 million contract. With local TV deals that expire or feature reopener clauses by 2015, the L.A. Dodgers (whose franchise value has soared due to its anticipated TV deal), Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals may be the next set of teams poised to cut themselves a larger slice of the local TV revenue pie. In addition to these teams, the San Diego Padres are ready to ink a deal with Fox Sports pending MLB approval. The deal would grant the team a whopping $75 million a year for 20 years, despite the fact that the team plays in only the 26th-largest market in baseball. The Artist: Miracle Of Marketing Leave it to the Americans to create a world sensation out of a black-and-white, noncommercial2011silentFrench film, which culminated with a five-Oscar win. The New York-based The Weinstein Company (TWC) purchased distribution rights to the film for the U.S. and Australia for $3 million after The Artist won one award at the Cannes Film Festival. Once the film reached U.S. soil, TWC spent an additional $20 million to market it, though some analysts said that marketing costs could have reached as much as $30 million, or double the cost of production. As per early March, the film — released in the U.S. on November 25 — had generated $32 million in the U.S. and $44.7 million in other parts of the world, for a total gross of $76.7 million. TWC’s Oscar strategy for The Artist is comparable to that of the 1997 Italian movie, Life is Beautiful, in which the Weinstein brothers spent a reported $15 million in marketing, or double its production costs. In 1999 that film won three Oscars. Life competed in both the U.S. and foreign film categories, while The Artist, being silent, ran only in the U.S. category. U.S. film companies invest, on average, 25 percent of a film’s budget in marketing. Sartori at MIP-TV 2000 V I D E O • A G E MA R C H/ AP R I L 2 0 1 2 8
CONFERENCES April 14–19, 2012 EXHIBITS April 16–19 Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada USA www.nabshow.com FREE Exhibits-only Pass Use code PA02 The great content shift — the demand for content anytime, anywhere — has set in motion a kaleidoscope of infinite consumption options with unlimited business models, all enabled by shifting technologies. Broader-casting® professionals are leading this device-driven expansion by collaborating across screens, and leveraging multiplatform distribution, as the new paradigm for success. From creation to consumption, every aspect of the content lifecycle is being dramatically impacted by changing technologies. NAB Show®, the world’s largest media and entertainment event, is the place to experience the rapid emergence of hot technologies, game-changing strategies and new players, all brought together to deliver content that exceeds market expectations. Turn shift in your favor and evolve in a marketplace that moves forward with or without you. Register now!
2DTV and 3DTV Are Compatible Geneva, Switzerland-based Digital Video Broadcasting’s (DVB) Steering Board has approved the requirements for a second 3DTV delivery system. The DVB-3DTV enables the 2D HDTV and 3D versions of a program to be broadcast within the same video signal. This technique allows consumers with 2D HDTV receivers to watch the 2D version, while 3DTV sets can display the same program in 3D. TV Sets with IPTV Make PVR Irrelevant The race toward integrating Internet TV (or IPTV) into regular TV sets is said to be a marathonnotasprint.Patience is the new mantra among Internet companies (Incos) and TV set manufacturers. South Korea’s Samsung and LG, Japan’s Sony and Taiwan’s Vizio have started to incorporate Google TV 2.0 software into their TV sets. Sony is also launching TV sets with an IPTV alternative to cable and satellite reception. IPTV is said to be worrisome for traditional TV companies because it could become a major new competitor, since Incos are aiming at bringing content to big-screen TV. In addition, with IPTV, home PVR time-shifting will losemuch of its relevance since content is available in the cloud. On the other hand, there is a sprint toward advanced user interface (UI) technologies that allowTVsets torecognize gesture, motion and voice control. Since the advent of the TV remote control in 1950, the basic paradigm for controlling the TV set has not changed substantially. According to an IMS Research report, by 2015, connected (or UI) TV sets are expected to lead smartphones in sales. Implementation of UI technology will be driven by the desire to enable hands-free operation. Airwaves Make Waves For TV, Telcos Smartphones consume 24 times as much spectrum as traditional mobile phones. Tablet PCs consume more than 100 times as much. Faced with these increasing spectrum needs, the mobile phone companies are claiming more frequencies, and the only way to get those is from broadcast television. This much-needed spectrum is also alluring to governments. The U.S., for example, could generate $30 billion from an additional spectrum auction. The U.S. telecommunications authority, the FCC, has determined that the wireless sector will need at least 500 MHz of additional spectrum within the next three years. Some of it will come from satellite frequencies, but a big chunk will come from broadcast TV stations. TV stations in theU.S. are hard pressed, since less than 10 percent of TVHH rely on FTA, while the wireless companies claim that their spectrum shortage is holding back the entire U.S. economy. One solution is for TV stations to move (re-pack) from the 700 MHz and 800 MHz frequencies into the VHF bands, but this is not considered an acceptable option since the VHF band is not very good for delivering digital TV signals. Plus, the frequency change would cost each TV station an estimated $2.5 million. Eutelsat Hits The 4,000 TV Ch. Mark The satellites of Paris-based Eutelsat are now carrying 4,000 TV channels. This milestone was reached with the addition of the Arabiclanguage channel Rotana Cinema. Over 50 percent of Eutelsat’s TV channels were added in the last five years, with the growth of TV markets in the Middle East, Africa, Russia and Central Europe. All of Eutelsat’s TV channels are digital and 60 percent serve the pay-TV market. HDTV channels represent seven percent of the signals carried. Tech News V I D E O • A G E MA R C H/ AP R I L 2 0 1 2 10 Petit ours - series jeunesse DESCRIPTIVE VIDEO WORKS Seamless Audio Description since 2003 www.descriptivevideoworks.com 1 866 818 DVWS (3897) I Love Lucy Comedy Series South Park Animation Series Lockout Feature Film Volver Feature Film On Time On Target On Budget The Audio Description Experts English, French, Spanish Feature Films, Television and Live Television Audio Description Vancouver · Toronto · Montreal · Los Angeles · Boston
V I D E O • A G E MA R C H/ AP R I L 2 0 1 2 12 This review is unusual in the sense that it’s about a review found in the February 5, 2012 New York Times Book Review titled “Remains of the Days: Three Books Explore the Reality Behind the World of ‘Downtown Abbey.’” It is, in fact, a review of a review. What generated VideoAge’s interest is the large number of books the Times reviewed about Downton Abbey, the British costume drama airing on public TV network PBS in the U.S. — and how the newspaper related to them. All three books highlighted in the pages of the Times review —The World of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes (St. Martin’s Press, 303 pages, $29.99); Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle by the Countess of Carnarvon (Broadway. Paper, 310 pages, $15.99); and Below Stairs: The Classic Kitchen Maid’s Memoir That Inspired “Upstairs, Downstairs” and “Downton Abbey” by Margaret Powell (St. Martin’s Press, 212 pages, $22.99) — were published in the U.S. While the first two books were published in 2011, Powell’s book is a re-release, first published in England in 1968. It served as an inspiration for the earlier classic TV series Upstairs, Downstairs, as well as Downton Abbey itself. In the words of the Times reviewer, author Judith Newman, the publishing industry “is mining the popularity of ‘Downton Abbey’ with the release and re-release of two books [the Countess of Carnarvon’s and Powell’s] that inspired the show, and the inevitable companion volume to the TV series [Fellowes’].” Newman informs readers that the author of Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey is former fashion designer Fiona Aitken, who is now the eighth Countess of Carnarvon and the current resident of Highclere Castle, where Downton Abbey is filmed. (The 1,000-acre Highclere estate is actually located in Hampshire, England, not in Yorkshire where Downton is set). While discussing the Countess’ book, Newman takes the time to introduce another similar book published last year titled, Life and Secrets of Almina Carnarvon by William P. Cross, which the Times does not review. She also provides background about Powell, whose memoir Below Stairs describes her years as a servant. In contrast, Newman devotes just a few words to Jessica Fellowes’ book — which is listed on the first page of the review as a title that will be discussed — and tells readers nothing about the author; even neglecting to mention that Jessica Fellowes is the niece of Downton Abbey’s creator, Julian Fellowes. Neither does she mention that Julian Fellowes wrote the book’s forward. In fact, except to say that the book exists, she ignores Fellowes’ The World of Downton Abbey throughout the remainder of her review. Readers have no idea what the book is about, although we grasp from Newman’s tone that she isn’t dazzled by it: She characterizes it simply as, “the inevitable companion volume to the TV series (inevitably titled ‘The World of Downton Abbey’).” The dominant and recurrent topic of the TV series — viewpoints from the upstairs and downstairs of the fictitious Downton Abbey — gives Newman the opportunity to Americanize the context of the series: “We [Americans] continue to labor under the delusion that we live in a class-free society.” Newman also seems to take offense to the socially inferior moniker attached to the downstairs quarters of the castle, neglecting to mention that the term was first used during Edwardian England of the early 1900s. (Some of us recall that New Yorkers living on the East Side of Manhattan considered the West Side “socially inferior,” as was publicized in the 2007 Hollywood movie The Nanny Diaries). Newman posits that there are two reasons that Americans are drawn to the British series: First, we secretly wish for the perks to which those who live “upstairs” are entitled. As Newman writes, the idea of being handed everything on a silver salver, being served breakfast in bed and even having the soles of your shoes polished, is enticing. Second, Newman argues that with the upcoming 2012 presidential election, Americans are being blamed for not bettering their economic circumstances; therefore, it’s refreshing to escape into the world of Downton Abbey, where social mobility doesn’t exist, and where “heroes are the rare overachievers who work their way up to butler from footman.” She implies that this class-focused society based on birth rather than personal success relieves some of the pressure and makes us feel less sorry for ourselves. Plus, in the meantime, we can fantasize about what it’d be like to sleep on ironed sheets and read newspapers whose pages aren’t wrinkled because they too have been ironed. She reprints passages from Lady Almina and The Real Downton Abbey and Below Stairs, cleverly challenging readers to determine which memoir was written by a member of the upper class, and which was written by a member of the lower class. “See if your keen discerning eye can spot the difference,” she quips. Naturally, it’s not a difficult task, but even after doing this, readers still have only a vague idea of Newman’s opinion regarding the quality and value of each book. It’s clear that she is not convinced that the Countess of Carnarvon’s book possesses a high degree of accuracy, which is why she introduces the book by William P. Cross, who offers a different account of specific events mentioned in the Countess’ book. However, Newman does reveal that she finds Margaret Powell’s Below Stairs to be more accurate: “I suspect the real story of the relationship of servants to their masters is more accurately told by Margaret, in her simple and quite brilliant” book. She also believes that Powell is “such a credible narrator [because] she’s never reflexively bitter or nasty” about those she served. Rather than thoroughly evaluating the books she sets out to review, Newman — and thus the readers — gets caught up in her desire for a “crisp newspaper.” That is to say, we don’t learn much about the value of the books she is supposedly reviewing. Despite all that, her writing is engaging, and will likely encourage those who haven’t seen the series to tune in — although I can’t say the same about reading the books. Originally produced by London Weekend Television, Upstairs, Downstairs was revived by the BBC in 2010. Downton Abbey is produced by Carnival Films for ITV network in the U.K., and the second season, which consists of eight episodes, has wrapped up on PBS in the U.S. In the U.K., 10.7 million viewers tuned in for the season two finale. The third season will be set in the 1920s, and will hit airwaves in September of this year, with American actress Shirley MacLaine joining the cast. SA U.K. TV Series Makes Americans Class-(Un)conscious B o o k R e v i e w
V I D E O • A G E MA R C H/ AP R I L 2 0 1 2 14 The big question is: When will TV program buyers arrive in Cannes for MIP-TV? Will they come on Saturday for the official opening on Sunday, or will they arrive on Sunday for Monday meetings, rendering the opening day useless? Plus, will the drastically reduced presence of the major U.S. studios have an adverse affect on the number of program buyers attending the market? These and other questions were on market-goers’ minds as they prepared for the annual spring trek to MIP-TV, which returns to the Palais des Festivals — this year a week early — kicking off April 1 to accommodate the Easter and Passover holidays. TomasDarcyl, president of Argentinabased Telefilms was adamant that the change “will not affect anything, and everyone will arrive between Friday and Saturday to start the market with great energy on Sunday.” Despite feeling that the Sunday start is “going to be interesting,” A+E Network’s SVP International Sean Cohan expected the market to be well attended. He added that his company is “super committed to the market. We’ve invested in a brand new booth that promotes the brand, and we’re bringing a lot of new content, so our hopes for MIP are very high. We think it will be our biggest MIP market yet due to our content and our investment.” Indeed, “MIP is really important and people try to maximize their investment in it. It’s going to continue to be an important market,” said a diplomatic Reess Kennedy, managing partner at Cable U, a sister company of CABLEready. But Claudia Sahab, director, Europe at Televisa Internacional “didn’t like the change [of dates] at all because it’s also a holy week.” She explained that “MIP-TV is always a slower market than MIPCOM, but this year for sure we think it will be slower than usual” due to the change in dates. Gavin Reardon, head of International Sales and Co-Productions at Canada’s Incendo concurred: “Starting on Sunday will only help continue the trend of MIP-TV being a more poorly attended market than MIPCOM. Who wants to work on a Sunday? And with the L.A. Screenings coming so quickly after MIP-TV, and the majors seeming to be less supportive, it’s in danger of becoming the red-haired, left-handed stepchild of the TV markets (a title recently held by NATPE).” President of Rive Gauche Television, David Auerbach, echoed Sahab’s and Reardon’s apprehension: “It’s confusing and many of my early meeting requests [came] from people who [weren’t] even aware of the change.” CCI Entertainment’s co-chairman Charles Falzon expressed a viewpoint on the opposite end of the spectrum. “I don’t think it’s a big deal,” he said of the change. “It’s not a business that’s time-sensitive. From our end, it hasn’t affected much.” Felipe Herz Boclin, Marketing coordinator at Globo TV Internacional agreed, predicting that the change would not affect turnout. He felt that ultimately “The financial crisis may have more of an impact” than the calendar shift. Date change or no date change, once again the U.S. studios will have a very light presence at the Palais. As of press time, only CBS Studios and NBC Universal had registered with a booth. It was that absence of the studios that fazed Nat Abraham, president of Distribution at Breakthrough Entertainment in Canada. “Those studios are the main draw for most senior buyers who may decide to only attend the L.A. Screenings instead” of making the trip to Cannes for MIP-TV. The final verdict for this MIP will come before the market starts, and will be based on whether distributors’ schedules are filled with appointments on Sunday. If indeed appointments are scheduled on Sunday, the market will not be much different from the others. However, the new start day could be problematic for exhibitors since MIP is now one day shorter. A quiet Sunday could make MIP, in effect, a two-day market rather than a four-day event. As always, MIP will be preceded by MIPDoc, which will hold court March 30-31. MIPDoc will feature over 1,400 of the most recent factual programs from around the globe, offering participants a number of conferences, matchmaking events, keynotes and case studies to choose from. Participants can also look forward to the MIPDoc International Pitch, the annual competition for creators and producers searching for financing partners to develop their documentary projects. For Lou Occhicone, SVP of Operations at CABLEready in Norwalk, Connecticut, “Since MIPDoc is ahead of MIP, MIP-TV is probably our most important market next to MIPCOM.” CABLEready planned to submit eight to 10 programs at MIPDoc, and will use meetings at MIP-TV to follow up with buyers that express interest in those programs. He elaborated, “As a small company, we need to be very strategic about how we spend our money and promote our shows,” so MIPDoc’s proximity to MIP-TV makes both markets all the more valuable. Other companies seem to have the same idea. Over 930 factual program exhibitorswillattendMIP-TV,including: Al Jazeera Documentary Channel, Arte, A+E Networks, BBC Worldwide, Discovery Communications, FCCE Distribution, Frances Televisions, ITV Studios Global Entertainment, National Film Boards of Canada, National Geographic, PBS International, Scripps Networks and ZDF Enterprises. The Drama CoProXchange, a program for commissioners, producers and deal-brokers involved in international co-production, features the Co-production Summit. There will also be case studies of some of the most significant international co-productions. MIPCube is a two-day event running simultaneously with MIPDoc featuring showcases, visionary talks, workshops, networking events and competitions, including Content 360. This competition gives digital creatives the chance to pitch new ideas in crossmedia content. Running alongside MIPDoc and MIPCube, MIPFormats is billed as the largest international gathering of the world’s leading producers, commissioners, buyers, distributors and creators of formats. It features screenings, networking sessions and interactive workshops, among other events. Plus, MIP-TV will continue the Fiction Screenings, including the red carpet World Premiere Television Screenings and the International Fiction Screenings. There will also be a two-day Branded Entertainment program featuring talks and case studies showcasing innovative branded content. Plus, the Brand of the Year Award will honor an international consumer brand for its outstanding contribution to the development and production of branded content. Participants can also take part in a four-day program of sessions and debates about digital trends. They can screen the latest 3D titles and discuss the latest developments. Additionally, the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ 2012 International Digital Emmy Awards will recognize the best content created and designed for viewer interaction and/or delivery on a digital platform. To keep people extra busy, there will be Mastermind keynotes delivered by: Jonathan Miller of News Corporation, Joanna Shields of Facebook, Miles Young of Ogilvy & Mather, producer Tim Kring, Chris Albrecht of Starz, Jeremy Darroch of Sky, David Frank of Zodiak Media Group, Hans Vestberg of Ericsson and Rodolphe Belmer of Canal+ Group. Presentations will cover a wide variety of topics, including connected devices and connected audiences, the global animation marketplace and 3D TV. Intermsofparties,besidesthetraditional media breakfast and luncheons, there will be two anniversary celebrations: one for the U.S.’s CABLEready and another for Turkey’s ITV. As far as attendance goes, organizer Reed MIDEM expects 11,500 professionals from 100 countries and over 4,000 buyers. SA M I P - T V P r e v i e w Market’s New Dates Bring Uncertainty “ “MIP is really important and people try to maximize their investment in it. It’s going to continue to be an important market.” -Reess Kennedy
V I D E O • A G E MA R C H/ AP R I L 2 0 1 2 16 The recently concluded second edition of DISCOP Istanbul got a cold reception outside due to inclement weather, but a warm response inside the Intercontinental Ceylan Hotel in the Taksim area of Istanbul. The three-day Turkish market, which ended March 1, registered 181 acquisition companies and some 128 distribution companies for a total of 628 participants. The market featured two exhibition areas — the Anadolu and Bosphorus ballrooms — that were set up with stands and viewing boxes, while an additional room was dedicated to companies that opted for meeting tables. The set-up varied a bit from the traditional DISCOPs, like the one in Hungary (now NATPE Budapest). Needless to say, local companies such as ITV-Inter Medya, TRT, ATV, Digiturk, Show TV and Global Agency had the largest stands. The market area was very busy from day one, perhaps because — due to the snowy and rainy weather paired with cold temperatures — participants had to stay indoors most of the time. Distributors in attendance were pleased with the rapid growth of the market and with the interest shown by program buyers for this event. Televisa’s Mario Castro reported good traffic and, even if most of his meetings had been previously scheduled, some walkins too. He pointed out that this trade show gives him the opportunity to meet with buyers from smaller territories who usually don’t go to MIP-TV, due to the high costs of attending the spring event in Cannes. Caracol’s Berta Orozco concurred, noting the presence of buyers from countries such as Lebanon and Egypt who don’t show up at other markets. This is why she likes to pay a yearly visit to broadcasters in this area. Asked about the competition that telenovelas are experiencing as a result of the success of Turkish drama series, she replied that there is such a large need for content there is “a slot for all.” TV Azteca’s Martha Contreras, who opted to meet with clients at a meeting table instead of a stand, focused mostly on Turkey. She had some meetings with Middle Eastern buyers as well that kept her busy, since she was TV Azteca’s only executive at DISCOP. Conferences mostly presented overviews of the status of the audiovisual sector in Central Asia and in the Middle East. Day one’s panelists included GroupOne/1TV’s Ferrell Meisel, who gave a detailed account of the growth perspectives in Afghanistan, and TRT’s Meltem Tumturk Akyol, who harped on the success of drama series produced in Turkey. She emphasized the high production values and the preservation of family values, which are at the core of such series. Cultural differences are limited only to certain themes, making this type of content very appealing to a variety of territories, she said. The conferences held on the second day of the event focused on the renaissance of Arabic content, exploring the genres and programming trends that are currently fueling Middle Eastern television and film companies, as well as the issues of censorship and competition between Arabic and Turkish content. Local distributors played host and organized evening events for participants. On February 28 both Kanal D and ATV sponsored a party, while Global Agency hosted a beautiful evening at the Esma Sultan Mansion in Ortakoy on February 29. Turkish Drama Attracts Buyers, Int’l Sellers Ride The Wave D I S C O P I s t a n b u l NBC Universal’s Marwan Helayel A panel at DISCOP Istanbul Azteca’s Martha Contreras Caracol’s Berta Orozco ITV’s Can Okan Televisa’s Silvia Garcia, Mario Castro
V I D E O • A G E MA R C H/ AP R I L 2 0 1 2 18 Kidscreen Summit 2012 had to be one of the few international TV trade shows that is a seller’s market, in the sense that buyers outnumbered sellers. Held on three floors of the Hilton Hotel New York, it featured 10 exhibition areas, including four umbrella stands from Canada, France, Spain and Korea, which reserved “meeting tables” for their companies (20 from Korea alone). The three-day market, which kicked off February 7, was organized by the Toronto-based Brunico, which also publishes Kidscreen magazine. It featured 36 seminars, 150 speakers from the world of children’s television, and attendance from many broadcasters including BBC, France Television, ABC Australia, Disney Channels, CBC Canada and Italy’s RAI. Mathieu Bejot of TV France International (TVFI) reported that over 100 French delegates, including 25 of TVFI’s member companies and all the major French broadcasters attended Kidscreen. Among the first-time participants was Costanza Arena, executive director of Cinema Chile, who was busy promoting not only nine producers of children’s programs, but also her country, Chile, as an international partner for movies and television programs. Cinema Chile is a state-funded association that represents 31 Chilean audiovisual companies. Created in 2010, Cinema Chile is a subsidiary of the Film TV Producers Association (APCT), which is under private funding. According to Arena, co-producing with Chilean companies means international producers can tap up to 60 percent of their program budget from state funds. Subsidies are also available for scripts and post-production services. Currently, HBO Latin America is producing TV series Profugos in Chile, while Italy is co-producing a movie with German and French partners in Chile. Chile produces about 15 theatrical films per year and a score of TV programs, especially telenovelas, which are distributed internationally by nonChilean companies. But because of their lack of international distribution, the Chilean “brand” tends to get lost. As a remedy, Cinema Chile plans to become more active at film and TV trade shows such as MIPCOM and AFM. Arena said that although she’s very satisfied with the amount of recognition and number of accolades that Chilean films are getting from festivals such as Cannes, Sundance, Venice and Berlin, Cinema Chile will become more active in promoting Chilean audiovisual content and the country as a production center at international TV markets. Another first-time Kidscreen participant was Giuliano Tranquilli, a partner at Rome-based Switchover Media, which operates two children’s channels (K2 and Frisbee) and one geared for young adults (GXT). Tranquilli, who left an unusually snow-coveredRome for balmyNewYork City weather, found Kidscreen a “very relaxed market. Not like MIP, where if one is 15 minutes late the appointment is canceled or rescheduled.” Tranquilli acquires about 200 hours of children’s programs per year and in two days at Kidscreen he “met with all the people I needed to see.” He also announced that the three-year-old Switchover Media is entering into the co-production business, after starting as a TV channel and later moving into licensing. Canada’s CCI, on the other hand, is a Kidscreen veteran. The company was represented by president Arnie Zipursky and VP of Distribution Jill Keenleyside. Even though CCI’s presence at this Kidscreen was not at the level of last year’s event, where it launched GeoFreakZ, the market continues to be very important for Zipursky, who’s now expanding into the TV-movie field, for which he’s planning a major launch here at MIP. The Kidscreen setting is more of a conference-based event where the market portion is coincidental. To facilitate meetings, however, the organizers set up tables instead of booths. Some of the tables were sponsored and therefore reserved, while others were free to grab if unattended. It was not unusual for different people share the same table while playing musical chairs with whatever chair or stool was available. According to TVFI’s Bejot, “The market is seen as very efficient. It is more focused and small-scale, and therefore more casual and less stressful than MIP, which, in the end, means it’s more productive.” He also volunteered some suggestions: “If only [the organizers] could fix a few things to make it more fluid. Many people complained about the amount of time wasted looking for the person you have to meet, even when you have a dedicated table, since there is zero signage.” He also suggested that the organizers help generate more traffic in the dedicated table area, which is far less exciting than the sponsored area of the delegate lounge. Bejot added that, “Some of our companies don’t attend the seminars. They came here to do business either in straight sales or in setting up new co-production projects. They can also follow up on existing projects.” On the subject of seminars, one participant told us that despite attending seven sessions, “I attended … only one until the end, as I didn’t find them very useful. Some of the ‘30 Minutes With’ sessions were purely Q&A with no presentation.” Yet, concluded Bejot, “Overall, the feedback is positive and business-wise it seems to be a good year. It might help to be away from the worries of the euro zone!” Kids TV Experts Like To Summit in New York C h i l d r e n ’ s T e l e v i s i o n CCI’s president Arnie Zipursky Giuliano Tranquilli, partner of Switchover Media The sponsored tables area at Kidscreen
V I D E O • A G E MA R C H/ AP R I L 2 0 1 2 20 BY SARA ALESSI The Mayans believed that the world would end in 2012. Obviously, they bet on drama, not comedy. But what will the rest of the year bring for the TV industry? VideoAge asked a group of execs to peer into their crystal balls and predict want the future has in store. Nat Abraham at Toronto-based Breakthrough Entertainment was frank: “It’s no secret that the conventional media business, be it television, print, radio, etc., will face another challenging year, as advertising revenues will be increasingly carved up by the alternative online and mobile media favored by younger consumers.” “Television will for the foreseeable future still be the strongest medium for video content,” he said, but added, “online media will quickly become the primary source of entertainment.” FromZurich, Switzerland, Esther Van Messel of First Hand Films concurred: “TV is still king,” she said, but “only when [TV is] able to combine different aspects of media, online and offline. [The] TV industry is challenged as never before and working feverishly on all aspects to remain the key medium.” Gene George of Starz Media in Burbank, California, predicted that the industrywill“continuetobechallengedby various factors. In Europe, the economic crisis will continue to bring caution to broadcasters’ acquisition budgets and the level of aggressiveness they will have.” But he noted, “Fortunately for us, we have not really been impacted by this macro-economic condition.” From Toronto, Vince Commisso of 9 Story Entertainment also expects the industry to be affected by the “weak economic climate…The cut back in advertising dollars will have an impact on the amount of content produced this year,” he predicted. The European economic crisis was also on Ricardo Ehrsam’s mind. From Televisa Internacional’s Madrid office, Ehrsam said, “I don’t see a very good year for emerging markets at this point in time given that we are in crisis. However…the analog switch-off [and] the opening of new channels [offer] a very important opportunity for Televisa to provide additional content.” According to Giuliano Tranquilli at Rome’s Switchover Media, the “switch-off is still effecting the habits of the viewers, more channels with new content are still entering the free-to-air market and this means more offer[ings] for the viewers and more opportunity for the business.” Jonathan South of A+E Networks in London also predicted that there would be “growth in France, Spain and Italy because of the developments with digital terrestrial free-to-air.” David Auerbach of California-based Rive Gauche Television emphasized that “Viewing patterns will continue to shift as consumers migrate to different platforms.” One trend that Starz’s George sees continuing throughout the year is that of broadcast platforms becoming “more involved in broadening the rights they secure to enable them to reach their audience by all means possible.” He elaborated, “We are seeing more requests for additional rights, such as mobile, as channels become available to their viewers across different platforms.” From Toronto, CCI’s Charles Falzon concurred saying, “There’s a whole new player in the mix, which is subscription VOD and subscription broadcast. We’re seeing a really interesting tension.Midsize companies are finding it difficult to navigate the approach to it. At the same time, traditional buyers are acquiring the subscription VOD rights, too…There are a lot of bad deals happening because people are just signing off rights.” Patrick Elmendorff at Studio 100 Media in Munich said his clients are also “now asking for more comprehensive rights in order to satisfy consumer demand.” He explained, “In addition to traditional free TV or pay-TV rights, we are therefore offering our partners and clients a copious rights portfolio such as Web TV, Catch Up, IPTV, VOD, etc.” Cesar Diaz from Miami-based Venevision International honed in on what he called a “definite increase in local productions, especially coming out of small to medium sized territories in Latin America and Eastern Europe.” CCI’s Falzon noted that due to budget cuts, co-productions are becoming increasingly important and will continue to hold a prominent position throughout 2012, as will local entertainment programs that reflect local values, cultures and languages. Yeo Chun Cheng of Media Development Authority of Singapore agreed that the “tightening of budgets in the current economic situation will push the TV industry into more co-productions and partnerships.” Citing the current economic situation, Power’s Steve Turney in London wouldn’t be surprised to see a “continued increase in demand for domestically produced programming in Latin America, whilst in some southern European countries broadcasters have shifted away from production toward a more acquisition-based strategy.” In terms of programming in demand in 2012, A+E’s South has found that there is a “continuing trend for good quality reality programming with a strong narrative…Related to this is that reality show formats are attracting a lot more interest from production companies, particularly in Western Europe. [This] is a trend that I expect will continue to grow.” “In the non-fiction world, reality TV remains important, and I expect formats to develop further in new ways, What More To Expect For The TV Biz In 2012 P r e d i c t i o n s & P r o j e c t i o n s 9 Story’s Vince Commisso Saralo MacGregor of Content Television CCI’s Charles Falzon Televisa’s Ricardo Ehrsam Gene George of Starz (Continued on Page 24)
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V I D E O • A G E 24 P r ed i c t i ons & P r o j ec t i ons forms and content,” added First Hand Films’ Van Messel. Additionally, 9 Story’s Commisso noted that “More and more, television is becoming a ‘kick-back and laugh’ mediumfor younger audiences, [making] comedy in children’s and family programming…the biggest trend.” For Rive Gauche’s Auerbach, “The world is flat. Ideas know no boundaries and good ideas will continue to become hit shows in multiple territories.” Content’s Saralo MacGregor from Los Angeles said that “High-quality programming will be in greater demand by both traditional outlets as well as [Over-The-Top] OTT players [e.g., Netflix, Hulu] who, as we know, are now investing in the production of their own bespoke programming. And, placement of programming on these OTT services should also be seen as a great second window opportunity for linear product with shorter windowing possibilities. This…will create a different dynamic for both buyers’ and sellers’ strategies,” she said. “Buyers will need to recognize that there’s more competition than ever for the same programming, and for sellers, there are additional opportunities to be had and a carefully strategized placement plan to be considered,” MacGregor added. In terms of what the future holds for trade shows, Starz’s George said, “MIPTV and MIPCOM continue to be the key markets for us. We will continue our strong presence there and capitalize as the studios take a less visible position. We hope that L.A. Screenings can serve a greater role for us in the future. With the recent commitment by NATPE to remain in Miami for 2013, we are expecting our trade show strategy to remain consistent over the next year.” Content’sMacGregor concurred: “For us, the most important TVmarkets have traditionally been MIP, MIPCOM, NATPE and the L.A. Screenings. While not all buyers attend every TV market, we get a broad enough range at each of these as to make attendance extremely worthwhile.” For Switchover Media’s Tranquilli, MIPCOM is still “the main TV market, while attendance at MIP-TV appears to be progressively decreasing.” He added, “We will also attend NATPE, which for European execs is more attractive since it moved from Vegas to Miami.” Of course, Content’s MacGregor summed up the goals for 2012 best: “As always, there are sales targets to achieve.” (Continued from Page 20) Patrick Elmendorff of Studio 100 A+E’s Jonathan South Breakthrough’s Nat Abraham MA R C H/ AP R I L 2 0 1 2
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