V I D E O • A G E DE C E M B E R 2 0 1 1 10 Let’s start by stating that last October’s MIPCOM in Cannes, France, was successful due to great audiovisual content sales. No TV trade show can be successful without the “sales” element, no matter how exuberant the associated conferences and special events may be. Then, it’s by fortuitous coincidence that MIPCOM’s peripheral activities were also appealing. Even the weather complemented the great event with sunny, hot, summer-like market days, which contributed to an upbeat mood and the overall triumph of the market. And with such accolades this feature may have said it all already, if it weren’t for the numerous details still left to report. Starting with conferences: The fortunate few who actually found time to participate had an array of timely subjects from which to choose. Disney’s co-chairman Anne Sweeney spoke about the fact that “digital didn’t weaken the power of television, it unleashed it,” adding that, “television is the medium around which all others revolve.” Kevin Reilly, president of Entertainment at FOX Broadcasting, spoke about creativity in television and how he uses social networks to preview new shows. Expanding on Sweeney’s statement, he said, “New technology revolves around TV products… It turns out that the next big thing is going to include the same old big thing: TV.” Earlier, Reilly told VideoAge Daily that television is “not in a defensive posture anymore.” Then, Mark Teitell from DECE, the UltraViolet (UV) consortium, and Warner Bros.’ Justin Herz explained the UV digital delivery “cloud” as a system by which consumers can view content without the constraints of physical media, location, TV display and time. Ted Sarandos, CCO of Netflix, was also on hand. Netflix is causing a stir with its $100 million original production House of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey, to compensate for the fact that companies such as “HBO and Starz don’t really want to sell to us,” according to Sarandos, and studios would only sell them library product. Moving from the conference rooms to the exhibition halls (which were sold out), the first thought that came to mind was how relatively empty the corridors were and by contrast, how crowded the U.S. studios’ large tents and expansive floors were. Indeed, both the U.S. studios and mini-majors like FremantleMedia, Starz, eOne and Lionsgate dominated the market in terms of product, traffic, sales and attention. The fact that all of the key front cover stories in VideoAge’s three Dailies at MIPCOM focused on the studios and mini-majors, in addition to the aforementionedconferences,isindicative of the important role they played in the market. The Daily also reported on the rebranding and changing structure of German television’s international distribution, the depressed state of television in Italy, the preparations for the NATPE TV market in Miami next January and the imposing presence of the Russian Bear, consisting of a large number of production, distribution and broadcasting companies headed by Channel One Russia. This bear awoke at Focus on Russia with a big roar that included an opening night party, a series of breakfasts, luncheons and conferences in their large Russia House tent, plus a closing party, which unfortunately conflicted with the MIPCOM “Personality of the Year” soiree. That event honored Disney’s Sweeney, the first woman to receive the market’s top award. In addition to the special Russia House, this year’s exhibition floor played host to a new China Pavilion, housing 52 Chinese companies and representing a 56 percent increase over last year. Animation companies were Cannes Finds TV No Longer In A Defensive Posture Latin America imposes its presence M I P C O M R e v i e w (Continued on Page 12) Disney Media Networks Latin America’s Leonardo Aranguibel, Gustavo Sorotski, Jack Morera, Fernando Barbosa, Fabiola Bovino, Henri Ringel Telefe’s Diana Coifman, Fernando Varela Record TV’s Marcelo Cardoso, Delmar Andrade, Edson Mendes At MIPCOM’s “Personality of the Year” dinner attheCarltonHotelinCanneshonoringDisney’s co-chairman Anne Sweeney: MIPCOM’s Anne de Kerckhove, Vanessa Williams, VideoAge’s Dom Serafini and Sweeney.
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