A r g e n t i n a R e p o r t Cable’s Jornadas Mix Biz & Tech Growth Latin America Focus This year’s Jornadas de Cable had two novelties: a change of date and location. Due to Argentina’s October presidential elections, the cable and satellite organizing associations –– Cámara Argentina de Distribuidores de Señales Satelitales (CADiSSa) and Asociación Argentina de Televisión por Cable (ATVC) –– decided to move up the annual cable TV meeting to the end of September from its traditional October or November dates. In addition, the venue was changed from last year’s unsuitable Sheraton to the Hilton Hotel in Buenos Aires. The event, which gathers executives from all over Argentina and throughout Latin America, showcases programming, technology and services through its exhibits, workshops and academic debates where executives analyze and discuss topics related to the development of the field. Before the event, Eduardo Suárez, general manager of CADiSSa, said the organizers chose to hold the event before the elections, to draw attention to the country’s cable and satellite industries before its change in Presidents. Jornadas also serves Argentina-based Claxson as a platform for closing affiliation deals with cable operators. For his part, David Guerra, Affiliate Sales director of Sparrowhawk Media Latin America (a division of the London-based company) stressed the importance of Jornadas for his firm, which has more than 90 percent cable TV penetration in Argentina. Enrique R. Martínez, evp and general manager of Discovery Networks Latin America/U.S. Hispanic, said that at Jornadas his company showcased a campaign called Descubre el Verde, which will be presented as Planet Green. It consists of special programs, interactive tools and Internet sites that focus on the “green” lifestyle. The U.S. launch of an environmentally dedicated channel has been scheduled for 2008. “This initiative will be supported by an investment of U.S.$50 million from Discovery Communications for original content that deals with the preservation of the world’s environment,” he said. Channel provider Pramer of Buenos Aires and Atlanta, Georgia-based pay-TV service LAPTV attend Jornadas to strengthen bonds. “It’s a great opportunity to gather together all the people who make up the industry and to meet with the different operators. Of course this year was a larger event because the market has changed, but it’s always a good opportunity to show the new things we’re doing. Technology has greatly influenced our business,” stated Emilce Cebrian, executive director of LAPTV South Region. LAPTV focused on its HD Movie City, and its premium channels. Patricia Thompson, affiliate sales and distribution vp at Pramer, said Jornadas is the right place to be because “the Argentine market is the sector that has developed most in the last few years.” At Jornadas, ATVC and CADiSSA celebrated 15 years of the ATVC Awards, this time with the slogan: Porque la televisión es por cable (Because television is on cable). The awards, which decorate the best Argentine and Latin American TV productions, included the addition of a new category that recognizes the participation of students of social communications. MR TURNOVERS DURING 2006 An official document distributed by ACTV, shows the 2006 turnover of Argentina’s major cable TV operators and telecommunications companies: Major Cable TV operators 1.900 billion Argentine pesos (U.S.$603 million) Grupo Telefónica Argentina 8.800 billion Argentine pesos (U.S.$3 billion) Grupo Telecom Argentina 7.500 billion Argentine pesos (U.S.$2 billion) Grupo Slim Argentina 4.400 billion Argentine pesos (U.S.$1.4 billion) Emilce Cebrian, executive director of LAPTV South Region Patricia Thompson, Affiliate Sales and Distribution vp at Pramer The New Claxson, Post-Surgery V I D E O • A G E OC T O B E R 2 0 0 7 48 Buenos Aires-based multimedia provider Claxson has had a very hectic year since deciding to sell seven of its 12 channels — Fashion TV, HTV, Infinito, I.Sat, MuchMusic, Retro and Space — to Time Warner’s Turner Broadcasting System last December. While the two companies have agreed upon a $235 million price tag for the transactions, they are awaiting final approval by the Argentine government. Meanwhile, Claxson, which is mainly owned by Venezuelan conglomerate Cisneros Group of Companies (in addition to Texas-based investment fund Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst and various other investors), has already announced two new ventures: basic cable channel Lifestyle and online video portal Mixplay. In order to retain its reputation as a high ratings-getter, Claxson will stick to what it does best — appealing to youth and young adults. The company is hoping this will be achieved by way of a cable channel. “Lifestyle, a joint venture between Claxson and Playboy TV Latin America & Iberia –– itself a joint venture between Playboy Entertainment Group and Claxson –– is the first nonerotic [and non-scrambled] channel from Playboy. It is designed to showcase different types of lifestyle programming, including tourism, fashion, entertainment, technology and cars, among other things,” said Mariano Varela, general manager of Playboy TV Latin America/Iberia and evp of Claxson’s pay-TV group. Claxson has been in the process of launching the channel for over two years, and the company conducted its fair share of market research in that time. “Our schedule consists of almost 40 percent original material, which has a Latin American touch without losing its worldwide appeal and universal point of view,” Varela said. As to what types of programming the channel will acquire, Varela said he is open to a range of topics. “I know we’re competing against various channels aiming at the same target. We will no doubt compete with strong channels like Sony, E! Entertainment or Fox Life,” said Varela. Before launching on September 30, Lifestyle was available on a trial basis for more than three months while deals were sealed with the region’s main cable operators. Though it results from an association between Playboy TV Latin America and Claxson, Turner handles ad sales, and sells the channel to cable systems and DTH platforms. On the other Mariano Varela of Claxson and Playboy Entertainment Group’s Playboy TV Latin America & Iberia (Continued on Page 50)
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