DE C E M B E R 2 0 1 1 Azteca’s Contreras expects to build on the company’s success, “secure new territories, and keep our presence growing in the region.” According to Leng, the most popular genres sold at the ATF are animation and children’s programs because they are “universal in appeal…rising above language and cultural differences.” She also noted that, “Next on the list will be dramas. With their soft and easy-to-digest content, they have wide support among the general Asian viewers. Formats, which can be easily adapted across borders into successful local programs, also remain popular among our buyers.” That’s where many Latin distributors tend to fit in, due to their large supply of telenovelas. Azteca’s Contreras offered proof of Leng’s statement regarding telenovelas and formats: “The reality show La Academia, a singing contest in search [of] the next pop idol, has been produced all over Southeast Asia with excellent results and is still going very strong. Also the series What Women Keep In Silence (Lo Que Callamos Las Mujeres) has had a long run in Asia and is produced locally in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.” In terms of new product, Azteca is looking to capitalize on the popularity of telenovelas in the region, and will introduce the following telenovelas to Asia for the first time: Under a Red Sky (Cielo Rojo) and Empress (Emperatriz). The company is also presenting its newest telenovela, Trading Lives (Huerfanas). Like Azteca, LatinMediaCorporation is also sending two executives: Managing directors Jose Escalante and Farid K. Ahmad. Escalante, who has already attended ATF with Latin Media twice, but has personally participated in the market on many other occasions, characterized the ATF as “a booming market for the television industry.” He told VideoAge that the Asian market is “coming up with new and refreshing formats” and “adapting telenovelas in [their] purest traditional form.” Escalante went on to say, “Production is in full swing in this part of the world, and therefore, in the telenovela genre, we can learn from them and offer our successful formats as well.” He is looking to sell a host of telenovelas, including Pushovers; She, the Taxi Driver; Cholito; Bola Cinta; Pessonah Kassih and First Lady. In addition, Latin Media’s slate will include a number of series such as Back to Me, Life After Life and reality show Year Zero. “The telenovela format is selling very well. Series and animations are also becoming strong in the area,” said Escalante. He and his company will be targeting major Asian markets, including Singapore, Malaysia, China, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines and UEA, just to name a few. “All the markets are important, because in the end, you have to place your product,” Escalante explained. Colombia’s Caracol will send only one executive. Roberto Corrente, Sales executive for Eastern Europe and Asia, reported that the company is “targeting not only our consolidated Asian territories, but we are also aiming to expand our presence in this region by exploring, connecting and understanding each territory’s content needs.” Caracol has attended ATF since 2005, and Corrente has found that “For us, the genre [that] sells best in the region is without a doubt classical drama.” However, he noted that “as viewers’ tastes are evolving, we are also witnessing preferences moving towards a more ‘down to earth drama,’ closer to our audience’s real day-to-day lives, in which there is always space for humor and laughs.” He remarked that a similar switch occurred in Latin America 10 years ago. To meet Asian audiences’ programming desires, Corrente will be at the market with a number of telenovelas and series on display, including telenovelas The Secretary (El Secretario) and Yellow Team (Los Canarios) and series Broken Promises (La Promesa) and Infiltrated (Infiltrados). Expectations for these products are high, as Corrente said the company hopes to, “above everything else… ‘surprise’ our clients, and to move our viewers with productions that won’t leave anyone indifferent.” Globo TV International’s Raphael Correa Netto, head of International Sales, noted that the pay-TV market in Asia is growing, and it’s not surprising that, like the other Latin distributors, the company is “continuing to bet big on the telenovelas Passione and Cat’s Cradle,” which will be on display at the market. Globo TV has been attending the ATF for over six years, and will send two executives this year. Correa Netto said the company has found that the market provides “a chance for relationship building, to search for an ever-deepening understanding of the countries, clients, culture and mainly the market.” He went on to say, “We’re consolidating ourselves more and more in South Korea, Macau, Timor and Singapore, and looking for growth opportunities in India, Japan, China and Australia.” According to ATF organizer Reed Exhibitions’ Leng, over 850 companies from more than 53 countries attended the ATF in 2010, representing a 15 percent increase in the number of participating companies compared to the year before. This year, organizers expect to draw 3,500 attendees. In addition to being Asia’s media hub, Singapore’s officials are striving to make the city-state appealing for technical facilities and services, and are offering financial incentives to producers and distributors for their productions. A good number of Western media companies maintain offices in Singapore, including NBC Universal. This year, ATF will be held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre at Marina Bay Sands for the first time. This marks the third venue change in the market’s history. The theme for 2011 is: “Evolve, Explore and Experience.” (Continued from Page 18) ATF’s Latin Presence Azteca’s Martha Contreras VideoAge presence at ATF “ In addition to being Asia’s media hub, Singapore’s officials are striving to make the citystate appealing for technical facilities and services, and offering financial incentives to producers and distributors for their productions. Off the Fence’s Tony Chow, Health & Lifestyle Channel’s Robert Chua V I D E O • A G E 20
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