Contents _/28
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Special Report
Executives
LATIN AMERICA
Within their Culture _/18
Broadcast TV and Local Production _/10
Randy Falco, President and CEO of Univision
The Quality Factor _/22 Emilio Romano, President of Telemundo
The Keys to Success _/54 Miguel Dvorak, President and COO of Organizaci贸n Cisneros
ttv 漏2012
todotvnews.com ttvmedianews.com TRENDS The Battle of the Windows _/28
TWITTER & FACEBOOK The Key to Driving Audiences _/52
ttv ©2012
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Specials
Listings
Martha Contreras _/26
SPECIAL TURKEY _/35
Fernando Gaitán _/32
Gallery
Sales Director, Comarex
VP of Production and Content for RCN Televison
Patrick Jucaud _/34
General Manager of Basic Lead
DISCOP ISTANBUL 2012 _/60
NATPE 2012 _/24
January 23-25, Fontainebleau Resort, Miami Beach, US
Jonathan South _/56
Senior Director of International Content Sales, A+E Networks UK
Nathalie Bourdon _/58 President of FarMore
Download the Scanlife free application on any phone or access your Blackberry’s bar code reader found within the Blackberry Messenger options. Point your mobile device’s camera over the QR code and instantly access www.ttvmedianews.com to read the latest news on Latin American and Hispanic TV markets.
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BUSINESS
Disney/ABC Television Group Debuts New Division
©2012
PRESIDENT/CEO Sebastian Lateulade - slateulade@todotv.tv EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Soledad Saldías - ssaldias@todotv.tv PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Sebastián Amoroso- samoroso@todotv.tv EDITOR IN CHIEF Rodrigo Ros - rros@todotv.tv EDITORS Sebastián Torterola - storterola@todotv.tv Josefina Mezzera Regules - jmezzera@todotv.tv Carolina Mussio - cmussio@todotv.tv WRITERS Valentina Vinaja - vvinaja@todotv.tv Gonzalo Larrea - glarrea@todotv.tv TRANSLATOR Carolina Mussio - cmussio@todotv.tv SALES AND PRODUCTION MANAGER Darío Alemán - daleman@todotv.tv INTERNATIONAL SALES MANAGER Monica Iriarte - miriarte@todotv.tv INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Alejandro Sánchez - asanchez@todotv.tv IT MANAGER Alejandro Barros - abarros@todotv.tv IT ASSISTANT Fabián González - fgonzález@todotv.tv DATA OPERATIONS Fernando Moreno - fmoreno@todotv.tv WEBMASTER Nazario Pereira - npereira@todotv.tv COO Diego Blixen - dblixen@todotv.tv FINANCE MANAGER Cr. Michel Schwartz - mschwartz@todotv.tv ADMINISTRATION Ana Paula Carreira - acarreira@todotv.tv Valeria Morena - morena@todotv.tv ART AND DESIGN Unik Design - info@unikbureau.com www.unikbureau.com
Anne Sweeney,
President of Disney ABC TV Studios
Disney/ABC Television Group has announced the creation of Times Square Studios, a new department to manage the company’s current entertainment programming and develop new shows, especially non-scripted lifestyle and health programs for the morning and evening timeslots, as well as for syndication. “We took this opportunity to rethink our entire business, and the result was the birth of Times Square Studios (...) This gives us the chance to provide great narrative and development resources, in addition to operational flexibility for this key market division,” said Anne Sweeney, president of Disney/ABC TV Studios. Vicki Drummer has been promoted to the series and TV specials executive VP position at the new studio, and will answer to Paul Lee, president of ABC Entertainment Group, which has added Times Square Studios to its vast portfolio. The current programming will be part of this new structure, and includes titles such as ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ and ‘The View’.
DISTRIBUTION
The fact that Latin America constitutes a key territory in Cineflix Rights’ expansion is certainly nothing new. Several titles in the company’s catalog are currently on the air across the region and new distribution deals have been recently signed. “The Latin American TV market has grown significantly over the last few years,” the executive said to ttv. “There are more opportunities now than there were five years ago,” she said. In regard to the Latin American pay TV market, Ayala said that “it is a market that has changed and is much stronger now. The cable and satellite market has always been very important for Cineflix, and now there are new media outlets available,” she said.
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Charlie Crowe,
Cineflix Rights Focuses on Latin America
Sabrina Ayala,
Sales and Acquisitions VP for Latin America Cineflix Rights
CEO of C Squared
TRADESHOW
Festival of Media Global Announces Date of 2012 Edition The Festival of Media Global will take place in April 15-17, 2012. The venue will once again be Montreux, Switzerland, following the success of last year’s event which took place in the same location. “Given the sheer pressures and pace of change in our industry, you have all made it clear to me that Montreux is the perfect location for our annual collective opportunity to draw breath and meet clients, colleagues and trading partners,” said Charlie Crowe, CEO of C Squared, the company in charge of organizing the event. The Festival of Media Global’s agenda will be especially designed to discuss the challenges and opportunities the media industry is currently facing and, as stated by Crow, to “provoke and inspire.” And he added: “We are hugely grateful to all of you that have supported our Festival of Media events in Latin America and Asia. In 2012, we will focus our energies and abilities into making these three events grow, improve and further serve your needs.”
PRODUCTION
Hernán López,
COO of Fox International Channels and President of FOX Latin American Channels
US HISPANIC
FIC, RCN Launch New Network for US Hispanic Fox International Channels (FIC) and RCN Television Group (RCN) have united to create MundoFox, a Hispanic network aimed at audiences in US Hispanic, which is set to start broadcasting content in the fall. MundoFox will offer programming similar to Fox Network’s, with a selection of entertainment programs from different providers, including telenovelas by RCN; series, documentaries and entertainment series by FIC; sports shows by FOX Deportes; Shine Group’s content -even an original series produced especially for MundoFox-; newscasts from NTN24 and RCN; and movies from independent providers in both English and Spanish. “Our partnership with RCN is a major step towards launching MundoFox,” said Hernán Lopez, president and CEO of FOX International Channels. The network’s distribution is currently being negotiated, and MundoFox is expected to reach over 75% of US homes. For the time being, the network has several distribution deals in the works with major Hispanic markets in the US.
‘El Rey David’: Record TV Network’s New Miniseries Brazilian company Record TV Network stood out this last year due to the quality of its productions, with outstanding miniseries such as ‘Samson and Delilah’ and ‘Esther the Queen’, both set in biblical times and produced “with special effects worthy of any Hollywood movie,” said Fabiano Freitas, president of the network’s Art Committee. This year, the network plans to continue its success with another project: it will produce ‘El Rey David’, a series about the life of a hero who was also a brave warrior and sensitive artist. The series will be produced by Joao Camargo and written by Vivan de Olivera. ‘El Rey David’s’ cast has participated in several workshops and learned Hebrew in epic history classes to have a better understanding of the storyline. The series is expected to be premiered later this year.
Delmar Andrade,
International Sales Director at Record TV Network
REBRANDING
Zodiak Media Rebrands The company Zodiak Media Group is rebranding as Zodiak Media, and presenting a new visual identity on its website. The company is also announcing a series of corporate appointments to drive future development. The rebrand and appointments are part of a wider move by Zodiak Media to strengthen its group operations, communication and strategic planning as well as cement its position as one of the world’s top three independent content groups. As far as the new appointments go, Vincent Chalvon Demersay -who remains CEO of Marathon Media, a Zodiak Media company- was appointed chief strategy officer for the group (a role in which he will work closely with Group COO Jonathan Slow and his team) and in which he will report to Group CEO David Frank. David Michel was appointed SVP of group marketing, and remains GM of Marathon Media. Valérie Tailland was promoted to director of group communication, in addition to her role as head of communication for Zodiak France. Within the consumer products department -part of Zodiak Rights, Zodiak Media’s international division-, Nicola Herrman was appointed chief of brand marketing, and will manage marketing activities for all of the children’s properties in Zodiak Rights’ portfolio, as well as support licensees, broadcasters, retail and promotional partners. Last but not least, Gabrielle Langdorf was named international agents manager for Zodiak Rights and will manage Zodiak Rights’ international agents. Zodiak Media has also recently completed a successful refinancing of all its banking arrangements in local markets to bring control and management of group finance through one international syndicate of banks managed from Paris.
FORMATS
‘Tempted’ by Banijay Scores New Deals in Europe Banijay International has signed two new deals for its action-packed reality show, ‘Tempted’, which will see its 60 x 60’ episodes going into production for MTV Russia and TET TV Channel Ukraine in 2012. In addition, options for the show have been agreed in Portugal, Italy and India. “I’m delighted to announce these fantastic new deals for ‘Tempted’, the ‘next big thing’ in competitive reality,” said Karoline Spodsberg, managing director at Banijay International. Created by Nordisk Film TV, ‘Tempted’ made its debut in Denmark, where its first season of the Danish edition improved TV3’s average share by an incredible 70%. In ‘Tempted’ everything comes at a price. A sexy and exotic location turns into the Garden of Eden for 10 contestants, who find that trees of temptation have been planted in every corner of their luxurious mansion. “The ‘Tempted’ format is one of the most interesting and thrilling reality shows currently on the market. We are very proud to be the channel that will create the Russian version of this project. Our audiences are currently showing a most keen interest for this type of content and Tempted seems to be a perfect a choice because it is one of the most provocative, fast-paced and impressive formats existing in modern TV,” Anastasia Korchagina, head of acquisitions from MTV Russia said.
US HISPANIC
‘The Talisman’ Made its Debut on Univisión Starring Blanca Soto, Rafael Novoa and Aarón Díaz, ‘El Talisman’, a captivating story filled with passion, intrigue and romance, produced by Venevision Productions and Univision Studios, made its US debut on the Univision network at 8:00 PM. (it has recently been moved to the 9:00 PM timeslot). “‘El Talismán’ is the second project we’ve done with Univision Studios, with a top-notch artistic and technical crew; I believe we’ll manage to surpass ‘Eva Luna’s’ success,” said Miguel Dvorak, president and COO at Organización Cisneros. “From its preproduction stages, we’ve kept a close eye on the quality of both the script and production in ‘El Talismán’ , since we always attempt to surpass our previous success. ‘El Talismán’ is a drama series that the entire family will love,” he said. What stands out about this telenovela is the fact that several major partners have joined the project, such as Chevrolet, Domino’s Pizza, Suave Professionals and T-Mobile USA; which have added innovative sections for the audience to interact with the show: viewers will be encouraged to visit the companies’ Facebook pages and participate in contests. ‘El Talismán’ was recently distributed to Ecuador, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Georgia, Venezuela, Colombia, Puerto Rico and Canada, in addition to Chile, where it will be broadcast by Chilevisión, a network that recently started another production with Venevsion Productions called Corazón Apasionado. Univisión On Demand will also provide complete episodes the day after they premiere on TV.
Peter Tinoco (Venevision Productions),
Manuel Pérez (Venevision International), Li Jian (CITVC), Miguel Dvorak (Cisneros Group of Companies) and César Díaz (Venevision International)
DISTRIBUTION
Venevision International and CCTV Sign Deal to Exchange Documentaries Cisneros Group -one of the largest privately held media, entertainment, telecommunications and consumer products organizations in the world- and China Central Television (CCTV) -the main media company in the People’s Republic of China- have signed a deal that will facilitate each organizations’ vast entertainment catalogs, particularly documentaries with significant cultural and historical value in the initial stage of the alliance. Miguel Dvorak, president and COO at Cisneros Group, and Li Jian, president of China International TV Corporation (CITVC) made the agreement at this year’s NATPE, creating this alliance that will allow both companies to access a potential audience that surpasses 1.5 billion people, a combined population of the Latin American countries and People’s Republic of China. The terms of the deal state that both entertainment companies will share their documentaries to promote knowledge and understanding of their cultures in each other’s regions. CCTV will devote a segment -appropriately named “Latin Week”- to broadcast a selection of documentaries by Venevision International, Cisneros Group’s international distribution division. Meanwhile, Cisneros Group will secure a pan-regional network to air CCTV’s documentaries across Latin America.
DISTRIBUTION
Globo Takes Documentaries to Poland With a solid partnership of over ten years, Globo and Telewizja Polska have reached a new agreement to broadcast three documentaries by the Brazilian network, which will hit Polish screens through TVP Info. Considered one of the largest media companies in Eastern Europe, Telewizja Polska manages TVP1 and TVP2, in addition to niche channels such as TVP Info, TVP HD, TVP History, TVP Kultura, TVP Poland, TVP Seriale and TVP Sport. The documentaries purchased by TVP Info -a news channel that broadcasts bulletins, reports and interviews- are: ‘2014 - A Dream Under Construction’, which shows how Brazil is preparing for the World Cup in 2014; ‘Carnaval - Streets of Joy’, which talks about the country’s biggest street party in the three most important Brazilian cities; and ‘Invisible Blanket’ that deals with the consequences of global warming. All the documentaries are part of the ‘GloboDOCs’ series, and are produced exclusively for the international market under the supervision of award winning journalists from TV Globo.
The Man Next Door Year: 2009
Broadcast TV and Local Production
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in Latin America Through a compilation of information and interviews to eighteen different executives across nine key territories, the following report will deal with hit programming, local production investment, co-production and format adaptation, as well as new strategies to cope with fragmented audiences. By Rodrigo Ros
Twitter:@rodrigo__ros rros@todotv.tv
O
riginal production for broadcast TV is now -more than ever- the best repositioning strategy to tower over competition and other platforms including pay TV, internet, consoles and mobile devices in general. The key is to make a rational and effective use of production funds which don’t always cover original production costs despite investment returns from advertising. “We would like to think that ad sales have increased more than they have, but the fact is that there are more independent production companies, more offers, and the networks are producing much more, which makes competition even tougher,” said Cecilia Gómez de la Torre, programming manager for Frecuencia Latina in Peru. “Nowadays it’s necessary to improve local production as much as possible, to allow us to stand out among the competition within a very competitive market and also separate us from pay TV offers which include fiction series -such as ‘Prófugos’- that are produced locally for a pan-regional market through HBO,” Pablo Morales, content and production director of Chilevisión, said. In this sense, investing in original local production rises as something that needs to be done. Cecilia Gómez de la Torre also stated that the amount of foreign telenovelas that they broadcast has been significantly reduced and replaced with entertainment formats. “This was the case with ‘Amor, Amor, Amor’, a locally-produced show that was aired at 1:00 PM, and ‘El Ultimo Pasajero’ at 6:00 PM, both in replacement for movies,” she said. Frecuencia Latina’s example is interesting not only because it has stopped broadcasting foreign content but also it’s dealing with local production in association with international partners. “We’ve gone from spending US$65 million in production in 2003 to almost US$300 million in 2011,” Eric Jurgensen, general manager of America TV, said. Another great example comes from Caracol TV. “’The Price is Right’ -a format distributed by FremantleMedia- aired after the newscast, which was a very risky move because that is normally a timeslot devoted to telenovelas,” Marcela Montoya, programming director of Caracol TV, said.
This investment becomes twice as risky when local productions are broadcast during
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primetime. This is what happened with ‘La Perricholi’, an ambitious adaptation set in 1760 which told the story of renowned characters in Peruvian history and was produced by Chroma Producciones. The show came to replace another telenovela, ‘Triunfo del Amor’, which used to air on America TV in Peru at 9:00 PM. Another example is ‘Adicciones’, a 13-episode series that was aired on Uruguayan network Channel 12. Each episode told a different story with cinematographic quality. The show -produced by production company Contenidos- became the leader of Wednesdays’ primetime. After the show ended, the network decided to use that slot to broadcast local feature films: “’Adicciones’ was a programming hit and it represented the return of fiction to our network,” said Eugenio Restano, programming manager of La Tele in Uruguay.
Carolina Sabbag, Director Format Sales, 2WayTraffic
Another example from Uruguay is ‘Dance’, a show co-produced by Channel 10 and Argentine production company PowWow, which aired on Channel 10 at 7:00 PM. The series represented a milestone in the network’s investment in both local and international productions, following up with a deal with Telemundo Internacional. “Co-producing ‘Dance’ with PowWow and the producers of ‘High School Musical’ has definitely marked the beginning of a new era in our programming,” Bernadette Delmás, programming vice-manager of Channel 10, said.
Julián Rodriguez, Aquisitions Manager, Telefe
NEW ENTERTAINMENT FORMATS. One of the most remarkable changes seen in broadcast TV in 2011 is the amount of fiction and entertainment formats on the air. Such is the case of several very successful titles from companies such as FremantleMedia, Sony and Endemol, as well as Talpa, Telefe, Fox, Eyeworks Cuatro Cabezas, Shine, Zodiac Rights, Azteca, Televisa and the BBC network through GP Media. Shows such as ‘Master Chef’ by Shine -a format that’s usually adapted in pay TV- and ‘Canta si Puedes’ by Zodiak Rights (which aired Wednesdays through Fridays at 6:30 PM on America TV) made their way to Peruvian screens. This last timeslot is considered “experimental” in many regions. What’s innovative about this is that the formats are adapted in association with distributers from around the region –‘El Gran Show’, a singing and dancing show owned by Televisa and aired on America TV, for example- and original formats are developed, like ‘Amigos y Rivales’, a local format within the show ‘A Bacilar’, which aired in Peru- Another example comes from Uruguay, where the show ‘Prueba que me Amas’ aired on Channel 10. The format was produced by production
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Walter Sequeira, Acquisitions Manager, Film Department, Artear
Goyo García, Acquisitions Manager, Bandeirantes
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A similar thing happened with Mega in Chile, where shows such as ‘Yo Soy’ -an original Endemol format-, successful sitcom ‘La Colonia’, 2WayTraffic’s ‘Doctor TV’ and telenovelas like ‘The Queen of the South’ from Telemundo Internacional have been very profitable and scored excellent ratings.
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Delmar Andrade, International Sales Director, Record TV Network
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Roberto Buzzoni, Programming Director, TV Globo
Pablo Morales, Content and Production Director, Chilevision
Francisco Henríquez, Programming Director, Mega TV
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Marcela Montoya, Programming Director, Caracol Televisión
Carolina Leconte, Senior Director of Co-production, Caracol Televisión
company Oz Media and is currently being distributed internationally by Frecuencia Latina International. There’s also the case of Televisa’s ‘Pequeños Gigantes’, which scored excellent ratings both in and out of Mexico.
production and format adaptation. As for fiction, Medina highlighted formats such as ‘El Exitoso Licenciado Cardoso (an adaptation of Argentine ‘Los Exitosos Pells’) and ‘Escuela de Famosos’.
‘Big Brother’ in Argentina and Brazil, ‘Minute to Win It’ in Peru and Costa Rica, ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ in Colombia, Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela, ‘The X Factor’ and ‘Got Talent’ in Chile and Argentina, and ‘Idols’ in Brazil and Puerto Rico, all have one thing in common: they were on the air in 2011, they all had privileged slots in Latin American TV lineups, and they had excellent ratings. Some of them even got to be the highest-rated shows on their networks.
“2012 will be a great year for formats, as well as a very competitive period,” Frecuencia Latina’s Gómez de la Torre said.
Certain distribution companies stand out due to their rapid growth within the region, such as 2WayTraffic through Sony Pictures Television. While Costa Rica (Teletica), Chile (TVN), Argentina (Telefe), Peru (América TV), Uruguay (Canal 12) and Colombia (Caracol Televisión) all own local versions of the format ‘Minute to Win It’, ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’ was also successfully adapted in El Salvador (TSC), Colombia (Caracol Televisión), Ecuador (Ecuavisa), Venezuela (Televén), Chile (Canal 13) and Costa Rica (Teletica). The key lies in “the formats’ guaranteed international success” and mainly “the fact that the networks search for registered brands with important track records,” said Carolina Sabbag, format sales director at 2WayTraffic. “This year we’ve included many entertainment formats in our programming. We have done very well and will continue to do the same thing next year. We’ve had outstanding results with formats such as ‘Password’, ‘Doble Cara’ and ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’, and our newest show ‘La Academia’ has greatly exceeded our expectations,” Roberto Romagnoli, production and entertainment VP of TV Azteca, said. The executive explained that due to these results, many deals were signed during the latest edition of MIPCOM to produce “formats such as ‘Doctor OZ’, ‘Dancing Nation’ and ‘Blackout’, for which we have great expectations.” As far as entertainment formats go, Caracol’s Marcela Montoya highlighted products such as Endemol’s ‘Yo Me Llamo’, long-running ‘El Desafío’ -which has been on the air for seven years-, ‘Minute to Win It’, the adaptation of argentine ‘1, 2, 3 A Ganar’ called ‘En sus marcas, listos, ya’, ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ hosted by Paulo Laserna and ‘The Price Is Right’. Karina Medina, programming manager of Ecuavisa, stated that her network has developed different production strategies over the years, getting involved with local
TELENOVELAS: LATIN AMERICA’S GREAT EXPENSE. Latin American programming doesn’t include only new formats; some other classic hits are also worth pointing out. In this case, the strategy focuses more on consolidation rather than innovation. For example, Argentine network Artear broadcast shows such as ‘Los Únicos’ and ‘Herederos de una Venganza’ (produced by Pol-ka) and scored excellent ratings. Another Argentine example is network Telefe and its shows ‘El Hombre de tu Vida’ and ‘El Elegido’. In Brazil, we find Globo’s telenovelas such as ‘Macho Man’ (comedy), ‘Tapas e Beijos’ (comedy) and ‘O Astro’ (mini-series), which were very successful in 2011. Record broadcast telenovelas like ‘Vidas en juego’ and series such as ‘Samson and Delilah’ with excellent ratings. “A lot of effort was put into this project which exceeded our wildest expectations with magnificent results thanks to great investments in new technologies, sets, wardrobe and an excellent cast,” said Delmar Adrade from Record. ‘La Fuerza del Destino’, ‘Dos Hogares’ and ‘Esperanza del Corazón’ by Televisa, as well as ‘Emperatriz’ and ‘Cielo Rojo’ by Azteca, are some of the telenovelas that appeared in Mexican TV. The large amount of telenovelas responds to consumers’ habits when it comes to Latin American broadcast TV. Naturally, these productions are included in most of Latin American TV lineups. In some cases, they air in more marginal timeslots, and in others they are a part of the networks’ primetime: ‘Passione’ by Globo in Uruguay’s La Tele, and ‘Triunfo del Amor’ in Bolivia’s Red Uno are two examples of telenovelas that aired during a channel’s primetime. INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. The executives all agreed that it is important to search for new players within independent production. While doing this, one must keep in mind both the need to consider new alternatives and people’s trust in the production company, in order to find a balance between innovation and risk. Such is the case of Peruvian production company Imizu Producciones, responsible for adapting ‘LaLola’, ‘Los Exitosos Gomez’ and ‘La Tayson’, based on Argentine series ‘Muñeca Brava’, distributed by Telefe International. In Brazil, even top companies like Globo rely on other companies’ expertise such as Conspiração Filmes (‘A Mulher Invisivel’) or Lereby (‘As
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I am Legend Year: 2007
Karina Medina, Programming Manager, Ecuavisa
Alberto Ciurana, Programming VP, Televisa
Roberto Romagnoli, Production and Entertainment VP, TV Azteca
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Eric Jurgensen, Programming Director & CEO, América TV
Cecilia Gómez de la Torre, Programming Manager, Frecuencia Latina
Cariocas’). In Uruguay we find production companies like OZ Media, Nepal and Contenidos, which fill timeslots in a much more conventional way.
ground in Latin American broadcast TV networks. Fiction, entertainment formats, live shows and other products have become an increasingly popular trend.
In Chile, “foreign production has given us great results,” Francisco Henriquez says. The network reinforces its deals with production companies such as Kike 21 to produce ‘Morandé con Compañía,’ with Efetres to produce telenovelas, Marketlink to produce ‘Veredicto,’ and even with the BBC to adapt ‘Con Signos Vitales’ by GP Media in Latin America.
ARGENTINA. In Argentina, content aimed at teenage audiences is found at the very foundations of broadcast TV. Production companies such as RGB -created in 2000 by Gustavo Yankelevich- and the Cris Morena Group -created in 2002 by Cris Morenahave produced several shows, including ‘Rebelde Way’ (Channel 9, 2002), ‘Floricienta’ (Artear, 2004), ‘Chiquititas’ (Telefe, 2006) and ‘Casi Angeles’ (Telefe, 2007). Content production for this demographic is still very popular, and several companies are still producing it, such as Dori Media and Endemol Argentina.
Another example comes from Colombia, where production companies such as Teleset, FoxTelecolombia, CMO, Vista and Be-TV have managed to not only provide content for Colombian TV but also to expand internationally by signing deals with Sony, Fox and Disney Media Networks Latin America for shows such as ‘A Corazón Abierto’ on RCN or ‘Mental’. Walter Sequeira, manager of film materials for Artear in Argentina, explained that the network’s programming strategy is based on investing in primetime to promote ratings and ad sales. “Primetime concentrates most of the ad sales and other timeslots -which are less important from a commercial point of view- are nourished with other types of products, even though now we are investing in local productions, even in these timeslots,” he said. “We are building strong relationships with independent production companies and are planning to see what they are offering the market.” The list of production companies mentioned in this article isn’t complete, but it does illustrate the growing connections between distribution, production and expansion which are worth analyzing. TEEN TIMESLOTS. Production of programs aimed at teenage audiences is gaining
BRAZIL. This is also a country where shows made for kids and teens are very successful. Competition among these programs is very tough. Record has had several hits in 2011, including the local adaptation of ‘Rebelde’ -awarded for Best Show, Best Actress and Girl of the Year at this year’s Nick Awards in Brazil- which premiered in March at 7:00 PM. The Bandeirantes network also produced a teen-series named ‘Julie e os Fantasmas’. “Our strategy is to reinforce this timeslot with shows for teens and kids who were not our main focus before,” Goyo García, sales manager for Bandeirantes, said. CHILE. There are also several Chilean examples of this increasing trend. ‘El Último Pasajero’ was adapted for TVN -and would later be moved to Channel 13- and the Chilevision network aired productions such as ‘Vampiras’. “The network wanted to increase their teen audiences by airing shows such as ‘Vampiras’, and also develop entertainment formats like ‘Talento Chileno’ for a more general audience and ‘Super Star’ for kids,” Pablo Morales, content and production director for Chilevision, said.
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Eugenio Restano, Programming Manager, Canal 12
Bernardette Dalmas, Programming Assistant Manager, Canal 10
MEXICO. Argentine ‘Rebelde Way’ was produced by Televisa in Mexico and managed to engage its target audience, leading into several other adaptations in different countries. The company is also taking a risk with a talent show set to air Sundays during primetime on network Canal de las Estrellas, which is very popular both in and outside of Mexico. The show is called ‘Pequeños Gigantes’: a talent show in which a jury must select the best team of kids. These kinds of shows have been a part of Mexican TV for years, with notorious examples such as ‘Chiquilladas’ and ‘Juguemos a Cantar’, which aired back in the eighties. In addition, Televisa will up the ante by signing a deal to co-produce ‘Miss XV’ along with Nickelodeon. “Our goal for 2012 as far as programming goes is to continue to search for new entertainment formats, new realities, new series, strengthen our comedy programming for weekends and continue to develop teen series, a genre that we intend to devote more time to,” Alberto Ciurana, programming VP for Televisa, said. PERU. Just as in every other broadcast network in the region, the 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM slot is considered an “experimental slot” for content aimed at kids and teens. Frecuencia Latina is raising the stakes with ‘El Último Pasajero’, a show by Endemol Argentina which was originally aired on Artear at 7:00
PM. It was adapted by GV Productions and it presents several groups of senior high school students competing against each other to win a end-of-year trip. The format has been adapted for Chile, Venezuela and Brazil. “What we’ve accomplished with these shows is to reach teen audiences in the afternoons and raise production standards, something I consider to be very positive for the Peruvian market in general,” Cecilia Gomez, programming manager for Frecuencia Latina, said. URUGUAY. One of the year’s most ambitious projects was the Uruguayan production for Channel 10, ‘Dance’. “Co-producing ‘Dance’ with PowWow and the creators of ‘High School Musical’ has been a milestone for our network,” Benadette Delmás, the channel’s programming vice-manager, said. A significant investment was necessary to produce the show -in comparison to what’s usually spent in Uruguayan TV-, which included building a complex 1,000m2 set and hiring a crew of 180 people. Telemundo Internacional distributed the show internationally and presented it during the last MIPCOM. All these examples illustrate the potential that these shows have to produce by-products such as live shows and music albums, among others. The 7:00 PM timeslot stands out as the best time to air these programs. ttv
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PROGRAMS AND FORMATS MENTIONED IN THE ARTICLE Argentina
BRASIL
ECUADOR
COLOMBIA
CHILE
MÉXICO
PERÚ
URUGUAY
‘Casi Ángeles’ ‘Chiquititas’ ‘Floricienta’ ‘Gran Hermano’ ‘Herederos de una Venganza’ ‘Los Únicos’ ‘Rebelde Way’
‘A Mulher Invisível’
‘El Exitoso Licenciado Cardoso’ ‘Escuela de Famosos’
‘A Corazón Abierto’ ‘El Desafío’ ‘El Precio es Correcto’ ‘En sus Marcas, Listos, Ya’ ‘Quien Quiere Ser Millonario’ ‘Un Minuto para Ganar’ ‘Yo me Llamo’
‘DoctorTV’ ‘El Último Pasajero’ ‘La Colonia’ ‘Morandé con Compañía’ ‘Signos Vitales’ ‘Súper Estrella’ ‘Talento Chileno’ ‘Vampiras’ ‘Yo Soy’
‘Blackout’ ‘Chiquilladas’ ‘Cielo Rojo’ ‘Dancing Nation’ ‘Doble Cara’ ‘Doctor Oz’ ‘Dos Hogares’ ‘Emperatriz’ ‘Esperanza del Corazón’ ‘Juguemos a Cantar’ ‘La Academia’ ‘La Fuerza del Destino’ ‘Miss XV’ ‘Passoword’ ‘Pequeños Gigantes’
‘Amigos y Rivales’ ‘Amor, Amor, Amor’ ‘Canta Si Puedes’ ‘El Gran Show’ ‘El Triunfo del Amor’ ‘El Último Pasajero’ ‘Got Talent’ ‘Idols’ ‘La Perricholi’ ‘LaLola’ ‘La Tayson’ ‘Los Exitosos Gome$’ ‘Master Chef’ ‘Minuto para Ganar’ ‘Quién Quiere Ser Millonario’ ‘X Factor’
‘Adicciones’ ‘Dance: La Fuerza del Corazón’ ‘Passione’ ‘Prueba que me Amas’
‘As Cariocas’ ‘Julie e os Fantasmas’ ‘Macho Man’ ‘O Astro’ ‘Rebelde’ ‘Sansón y Dalila’ ‘Tapas e Beijos’ ‘Vidas en Juego’
TRENDS IN LATIN AMERICAN BROADCAST TV > Fewer episodes of fiction series produced locally. Production of TV series, miniseries and anthology series instead of telenovelas (60-episode productions are preferred over those with 180 episodes). A more dynamic narrative and greater potential for international distribution. > Higher production of content aimed at teen audiences, mainly in the 6:30 PM and 7:30 PM timeslots. > Entertainment formats which replace other types of programming during weekend primetime. Mostly game shows, talent shows and reality shows. > Local production instead of foreign telenovelas. > Format adaptation and a search for co-production deals in general, especially with regional partners and international distribution companies. > Fewer movies by major studios are included in TV lineups. > More independent production.
Executives ttv
Within
their Culture The numbers are conclusive: 42 out of the 50 highest-rated shows watched by bilingual Hispanic audiences are broadcast by Univision. The company is also the main network among viewers within the 1834 demographic, breaking through language barriers. Searching to connect with its audiences even further, the company is currently investing on several different platforms. In the following interview with ttv, Randy Falco shared his strategies to position Univision as the most influential media company in the US. By Sebastián Amoroso
Twitter: @sebamoroso samoroso@todotv.tv
Sábado Gigante Entertainment
audiences and be available to them through multiple platforms in order to constantly reach our main audience, no matter how many options they may have.
“Our primetime ratings regularly place the network among the five most watched in the country, regardless of language. Univision is also one of the most important networks among viewers in the 18-34 demo, pushing past language barriers once again.”
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“The ‘Eva Luna’ finale in 2011 was seen by 9.7 million viewers and became the highestrated, locally-produced telenovela.”
You became Univision’s new president and CEO in June, 2011. Which would you say is your strategy to promote the network’s growth as a leading media company in the US? The goal is to turn Univision into the greatest, most influential media company in the US. Our main audience currently includes one out of every six people who live in the country and, according to the US Census Bureau, this number will rise to one in three US citizens in the next 40 years. Our primetime ratings consistently place Univision among the top five networks in the US, no matter the language. In addition, the company is the number one network among viewers in the 18-34 demographic, breaking through language barriers once again. In order to fulfill these goals, we must keep track of our
Univision Studios, the production division for all of Univision’s media platforms, was launched in 2010. Which TV production and co-production projects are in store for this new department? Our programming strategy -which allows us to make the most of the content we receive from our exclusive associations with the main Hispanic content providers, such as Televisa- in addition to our ability to produce our own content, are essential to meet our longterm goals. Univision’s productions are helping us put together a vast content catalog including hit shows such as ‘Mira Quién Baila’, co-produced with Endemol; ‘Eva Luna’, co-produced with Venevision; and ‘Nuestra Belleza Latina’. We are currently producing our next primetime telenovela, ‘El Talisman’, and continue to work with third parties to make sure our content is available internationally through several distribution deals. What’s in store for Univision Studios within the telenovela genre? Telenovelas are a major element within our primetime offer and we broadcast some of the world’s best ones due to our programming partnership with Televisa. We receive daily rating reports that show the genre is doing extremely well. In fact, the ‘Eva Luna’ finale -coproduced by Univision Studios and Venevision- was seen by over 9.7 million
people and became the highest-rated locallyproduced telenovela. We have a very positive outlook in regard to telenovelas, and in order to further extend our audience we will add English subtitles to them in 2012.
Randy Falco,
What type of programming does Univision offer? What does the US Hispanic audience currently demand? We believe that in order to be successful we need to be innovative, constantly stay updated and deliver relevant content to our audiences. This is why we are investing on different platforms and using them to connect with viewers. The most efficient way to reach Hispanic audiences is “within their culture”. More than just being fluent in Spanish or English, it’s important to understand their customs. Latin viewers are proud of certain aspects of their culture -food, holidays, music, media and contentwhich represent their community, values and aspirations. Culturally relevant content in Hispanic media outlets -which is not available in English- satisfies their “appetite” for Hispanic culture. We are also aware of the fact that 75% of all Hispanic people speak in Spanish in their own homes. It’s interesting to see that our best rating results come from the 18-34 demographic. There’s no question that an increasingly large percentage of these viewers are bilingual, yet -according to Nielsen’s reports- they still prefer to watch Univison. This is great for us since it provides the opportunity to maintain a constant growth. 42 out of the 50 shows watched by bilingual Hispanic audiences are broadcasted by Univision.
“To many advertisers, Hispanic viewers (and Univision) represent an undiscovered opportunity to grow and that’s why we have worked with over 200 brands over the past 18 months.”
How has the US’ current economic scenario affected ad sales in 2011? What’s your outlook for 2012? The 2010 census was key since it revealed what we already knew: in order to promote growth one must invest in Hispanic audiences. To many advertisers, Hispanic viewers (and Univision) represent an undiscovered opportunity to grow and that’s why we have worked with over 200 brands over the past 18 months. We see great opportunities for this new year because The Talisman Telenovela
President and CEO of Univision
advertisers and distributers continue to find great potential in investing on Hispanic audiences. This will be even more noticeable once we launch our new cable networks and broaden our digital offer. Just like the rest of the companies within the US, we are monitoring the economy very carefully and plan to be strategic, smart and careful about our decisions to invest and expand. The Hispanic community is considered to be the fastest growing community in the US, with over US$1.2 trillion in purchasing power. What tools does Univision provide to major brands that want to reach this enormous market? We’ve expanded our Client Development Group (CDG) in Univision to include over 50 experienced industry veterans from the media, marketing and advertising industries who will help advertisers develop and carry out different strategies to promote sales within the Hispanic market. The CDG department was created in 2008 to address a great market necessity. Advertisers are increasingly more aware of the fact that they can’t promote their business without addressing Hispanic audiences. Since very few clients have the tools or knowledge to reach these audiences, Univision created a team to make the most of its knowledge of the Hispanic community and its unparalleled connection to it. As I’ve mentioned before, CDG has already worked with 200 brands over the past 18 months.
What are Univision’s future plans and how is it preparing for the foreseeable future? Today’s media scenario forces you to act fast, innovate and promote audience engagement. We live in an “on demand world”, where technology has created the illusion that we can get anything we want, anytime, anywhere. Univision’s content strategy is based on authentication and making sure our highly popular content is available on multiple platforms. The new networks, our association to Hulu, and our multiple endeavors within the digital world, are all part of our strategy. For instance, for the first time, through our content agreement with Hulu, Univision’s assorted content catalog which is exclusive for the US -including content by our partner Televisa- will be distributed after its initial release on our networks. This deal also includes much of our most popular programming among Hispanic audiences in the US, which had never been available online before. ttv
PROVIDING FOR THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY Univision has a track record of over 50 years of service for the Hispanic community in the US. “Our unique understanding of the Hispanic community and our relationship with it are proof of our commitment to provide information and entertainment for this diverse segment of the US population, which is clearly one of our main priorities. We’ve created initiatives and award-winning programs that tackle key issues and challenges that the Hispanic community deals with on a daily basis,” Randy Falco said.
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Univision and Hulu signed a multiannual programming deal in October 2011, which includes current seasons. What type of content and how much of it does this deal include? The content offer is different in Hulu. com and Hulu Plus. At any given time, Hulu’s users can access a programming selection from the current season, while Hulu Plus subscribers will have a much deeper and more complete access to new primetime episodes,
in addition to hundreds of other programs. Hulu Plus users will also have access to all the content available on Hulu’s free service through any device that can access Hulu Plus.
Executives TTV
A
s a pioneer company in Latin America with an innovative production style and TV genre -the TV series: a combination of telenovelas’ guaranteed success and US sitcoms’ quality standards-, Caracol Television continues to turn heads on the international arena with a content portfolio that has outstanding potential to be distributed overseas. In fact, ever since the Colombian company -through its broadcast TV network, its production division and regular contact with local independent production companiesstarted addressing complex issues such as drug-dealing and prostitution, its productions have made way for a new kind of TV in Latin America. In addition, the company continues to produce classic telenovelas which are both necessary and successful on massive screens. The success of Caracol TV Internacional’s productions in different countries across the globe is nothing new. But what is it that makes Central Asia, the Middle East and Northern Africa one of the most important markets for the distribution company? Berta Orozco, the company’s sales executive for Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa, spoke to ttv about the content’s performance in this particular market and what her expectations are for this next edition of DISCOP Instanbul, which will take place from February 28 to March 1 in Turkey. “After Latin America, the Central Asia, Middle East and Northern Africa market is the one
The First Lady Telenovela
we have the strongest presence in,” said the executive. And judging by the amount of deals the company’s signed with networks
“After Latin America, the Central Asia, Middle East and Northern Africa market is the one we have the strongest presence in.”
Berta Orozco,
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Sales Executive for Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa, Caracol TV Internacional With stories that tackle controversial issues such as drug-trafficking and prostitution -in addition to classic telenovelas- the Colombian distribution company arrives in Istanbul to present its high quality productions, which have scored excellent ratings in Latin America. By Valentina Vinaja Twitter: @vvinaja vvinaja@todotv.tv
in the region, it’s clear Caracol’s content can adapt to all languages and cultures. According to the executive, there’s a great demand for romantic comedies and TV series aimed at men: “’Neighbours’, ‘Pretty Ceci and Mr. Indiscreet’, ‘Roman x 2’, the series ‘The Cartel’ 1 and 2, and classic telenovelas such as ‘Love and Fear’ and ‘Love her to Death’ have been purchased to be dubbed into all the languages in the territory, including Arab, Farsi and Pashtu,” Orozco said. Caracol TV Internacional is currently taking this market by storm: ‘Pretty Ceci and Mr. Indiscreet’ airs in Afghanistan; ‘The Cartel 2’ is currently being broadcast in Iran, where ‘Love and Fear’ will premiere soon. This last series is already airing on FOX for the entire Arab territory, as well as ‘The Secretary’. “We are also closing a deal to adapt a format with a very important network in the Middle East,” said the executive. Orozco believes that what makes Caracol’s catalog stand out is its quality: “In addition to having innovative, groundbreaking stories, we have very high standards as far as production and development go,” she said. The company is also thinking about products that can adapt to this audience: at the next DISCOP Istanbul, Caracol will present “two productions with a dash of humor that can adapt well to this market: ‘The Secretary’ and ‘Yellow Team’; in addition to the thriller ‘The Labyrinth’ and TV series ‘Broken Promises’. “Our clients say great things about our products and are quite pleased with their performance in the different networks. Our main goal is to maintain a loyal relationship with our current clients, and obviously reach those we haven’t had the chance to work with yet,” Orozco concluded. ttv
Executives ttv
The Quality Factor
The US Hispanic network scored record-breaking ratings in 2011, with a 4% increase in market share which currently reaches 25%. The company’s solid investment in quality programming is one of the key elements which contributed to its growth on local screens and its programming’s international distribution. In the following interview, Telemundo’s new president tells ttv all about the NETWORK’S strategies for 2012. By Sebastián Amoroso Twitter: @sebamoroso samoroso@todotv.tv
Maid in Manhattan Telenovela
Dangerous Affairs Telenovela
You took over as Telemundo’s new president in October, 2011. Can you explain your strategy to promote the company’s growth as one of the leading media companies in the US? I’m joining a team and a company that have reached some impressive goals. Telemundo is currently the number one programming producer for the US’ primetime. The company is also the second largest Hispanic programming distributer, commercializing its content in over 100 countries, in addition to being the company with the most significant growth in ratings in the US in 2011. The last episode of the telenovela ‘The Queen of the South’ was the highest rated show in the network’s history with an audience of 4.2 million viewers and over 2.8 million adults in the 18-49 demo. This has been a record-breaking year as far as
ratings go. Our market share has increased by 4% and is currently at 25%.
“Don [Browne] leaves behind an amazing legacy as a true veteran within the media industry in the US.”
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“We know our viewers have a better connection to our stories and products when they are presented to them from a cultural point of view, in a language that they can relate to.”
What’s the competition like within the Hispanic TV industry? We have great respect for all of our competitors within the market and are completely focused on further improving our programming to make Telemundo the company with the most attractive content for Hispanic audiences. What do you think about Don Browne’s management and legacy as Telemundo’s former president? Don has had an incredible career as a true veteran within the media industry in the US. One of his main contributions has been promoting original primetime productions by Telemundo. This is
Emilio Romano,
what positioned the company and allowed it to grow significantly over the years.
President of Telemundo
How much is Telemundo currently investing in original production and co-production projects? Telemundo’s priority is to invest the most in producing the best programming possible. The investment percentage destined for TV is quite high, and we are constantly searching for new ways to make sure we have the best storylines, the best scripts and the best casts to entertain our audiences as best we can. Which projects -TV series and telenovelasdo you have in store for this 2012? On November 29 we’ll premiere the primetime telenovela ‘Maid in Manhattan’, co-produced by Telemundo Studios and Sony Pictures Television and shot in Miami, New York, Los Angeles and Mexico. Telemundo also has a series of telenovelas already in production to offer at the next NATPE, such as ‘Dangerous Affairs’, which will premiere in January. In addition, we’ll release two other telenovelas during the first half of 2012: ‘Caídas del Cielo’ and ‘Un Amor de Película’. How has the US’ current economic scenario affected ad sales in 2011? What’s your outlook on 2012? Telemundo had its best upfront yet in the summer of 2011, with 20% growth compared to the previous year. This is a consequence of Telemundo’s programming becoming increasingly more engaging for audiences, which attracted a significant amount of viewers that allowed advertisers to really appreciate the media outlet’s power. The Hispanic community is considered to be the fastest growing community in the US, with over US$1.2 trillion in purchasing power. What tools does Univision provide to major brands that want to reach this enormous market? As far as promoting our clients’ sales, Telemundo’s platform is really paying off to the point in which we’ve been able to increase our advertisers’ revenue and attract new advertisers to our company. Yet there’s still a significant amount of advertisers in the US who are still reluctant to advertise on TV in Spanish.
“Many have speculated about whether Telemundo is actually a priority for NBCUniversal or not. If there was any doubt about it, I believe it’s definitely gone by now.”
Why do you think this happens? Probably since they believe they already reach Hispanic audiences through their ads aimed at the general public. Yet we are focused on using the Hispanic media’s power to promote products. We know our viewers respond much better when the stories or products are presented to them from a cultural point of view, in a language that they can relate to. We have our work cut out for us in this field, to show advertisers the power -or need- to advertise in our network. A very smart choice by Telemundo in 2011 was purchasing the rights to broadcast the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and 2022. What does having these rights mean for the Hispanic community? It’s certainly been a great accomplishment by NBCUniversal and Comcast, which shows Telemundo’s potential as a platform with infinite opportunities. Many have speculated about whether Telemundo is actually a priority for NBCUniversal or not. If there was any doubt about it I think it’s definitely gone by now. NBCUniversal’s intentions to transform Telemundo into the most successful network in the Hispanic US
TELEMUNDO INTERNACIONAL
BEHIND THE SCENES AT ‘Dangerous Affairs’ The telenovela ‘Dangerous Affairs’ is based on the series ‘Física o Química’ by Spanish company Antena 3 and will be launched to the international market at the next edition of NATPE. “Adapting a weekly fictional series while adding local context to it has been one of the greatest challenges we had to face when producing this telenovela. The writers focused on finding key issues that are characteristic of our culture, and as a result we got a series that showcases the problems and conflicts many immigrants must deal with when they arrive in the country,” Martha Godoy, executive producer for ‘Dangerous Affairs’, told ttv.
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Telemundo Internacional -the company’s distribution division- is currently distributing its content in over 100 countries worldwide. “We have partnerships with all the networks and always try to offer them the option that suits them best. This is a great accomplishment that shows the impact and evolution of the Telemundo brand,” Joysette Rivera, sales manager for Central America, Canada, Ecuador and the Caribbean, told ttv.
market are obvious. Telemundo has found ideal partners in NBCUniversal and Comcast to make the most of this current growth and continue to build an international media company that provides information, education, inspiration and entertainment to Hispanic audiences both in and out of the US. ttv
Gallery tradeshows
NATPE2012
Gulherme Bokel, Ricardo Scalamandré and Raphael Correa Netto (Globo TV International)
Miguel Dvorak with Venevision’s top executives and renowned stars at the inauguration party at NATPE 2012
Zasha Robles (Spiral International) and Jens Richter (SevenOne International)
Marcos Santana (Telemundo Internacional)
Sabrina Duget (All3 Media International)
Marcello Coltro and Melvin Pérez (MGM Networks Latin America) with clients at the launch of the ELLA network in Miami Beach
Revital Basel and Nadav Palti (Dori Media Group)
Jack Alfandary (FremantleMedia Latin America)
January 23-25 Fontainebleau Resort, Miami Beach - US
Nimet Ersin and Meltem Tumturk Akyol (TRT)
José Manuel Brandariz (Beverly Hills Entertainment) and Iván Díaz (Filmax International)
45 todotv ,00 new 0 Un s.co (S ou rc e: Go og le
The 2012 edition of NATPE in Miami Beach witnessed several major announcements, signing of co-production deals, new network releases, distribution of all types of genres and a smooth organization. The tradeshow included a series of announcements that will keep the industry quite active during 2012, such as the launch of broadcast TV network MUNDOFOX for the US Hispanic market. In addition, Latin American creativity took the spotlight at this edition of NATPE, with Fernando Gaitán receiving the Brandon Tartikkof Legacy Award 2012 in honor of his work in the TV industry, making him the first Latin American to receive this traditional distinction.
Joysette Rivera, Angélica Guerra and Carolina Leconte (Caracol TV Internacional)
Carole Bardasano (Viacom Media International Networks The Americas)
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Fe br ua ry
Elisa Ayub (Band) and Mónica Sufar (Turner Boradcasting System Latin America) Carlos Bardasano (TeleFutura), Luis Fernández (Univision Studios) and Luis Fernández-Rocha (TeleFutura)
Cecilia Gómez de la Torre (Frecuencia Latina), María Bonaria Fois (Mondo TV Spain) and Gema López (Cinergia Companies)
Helen Jurado (BBC Worldwide Americas)
María Eugenia Costa, Meca Salado Pizarro and Fernando Varela (Telefe International)
Michela Giorelli (Discovery Networks Latin America & US Hispanic)
Li Jian (CITVC) and Miguel Dvorak (Grupo Cisneros)
Gabriel Reyes and Fernando Gaitán (RCN Televisión)
Executives DISCOP ISTANBUL
The executive spoke to ttv about the programming the Latin American distribution company -present in Asia for over fifteen years- has in store for the upcoming DISCOP Istanbul 2012, including the telenovela ‘Legendary Love’ and the series ‘La Teniente’. By Sebastián Amoroso Twitter: @sebamoroso samoroso@todotv.tv
Martha Contreras, Sales Director, Asia, Comarex
T
he distribution company has prepared an outstanding content catalog to present at the next DISCOP Istanbul 2012, which will take place from February 28 to March 1 in Turkey. The telenovela ‘Legendary Love’ (120 x 60’) is Mexican network Azteca’s latest hit. “Just a few weeks after its release, it has managed to engage Mexican viewers and it has already been sold in over 15 countries,” Martha Contreras, the company’s sales director in Asia, told ttv. The telenovela features Anette Michel, Víctor González and Andrea Martí. ‘Legendary Love’ is a suspense story with hints of intrigue and love. It tells the story of a woman who dresses up like a bride to commit crimes. You can’t tell who’s hiding behind the veil, until the leading couple decides to investigate and unveil this murderer.
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Meanwhile, another title the company will present at the tradeshow is ‘La Teniente’ (24 x 60’), a series that revolves around Roberta, a
“With the launch of the first network devoted to telenovelas in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, and the growth in format sales and co-productions in Southeast and Northern Asia, we know for a fact we’ll be able to expand our products’ distribution in the region.”
“Comarex’s presence in the region is undeniable, since we have been working nonstop with cable companies and TV stations in the region for over 15 years now.” Legandary Love Telenovela
woman who must prove she has the training, ability and values to fight in the Army. The lieutenant must face several missions that only the best soldiers could endure. In this series, “you will see the heroes’ lives through Roberta’s eyes, who proves force is no longer brute,” Contreras said. And she added: “Produced by the same team responsible for ‘Drenaje Profundo’ (‘Drowning City’) and ‘Asgaard’, this series has what it takes to become an international success.” REGIONAL DISTRIBUTERS. Comarex’s content portfolio is already well known in Asia, and the executive says so in her own words: “We have an exclusive contract with Astro in Southeast Asia and another one with True Corp in Thailand. Meanwhile, we are working with all Free TV networks in the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia, where our telenovelas and formats are quite successful. Latin American content -especially programming distributed by Comarex- is highly demanded in Asia. “Comarex’s presence in the region is undeniable, since we have been working non-stop with cable companies and TV stations in the region for over 15 years now, which ensures our clients’ loyalty and confidence towards our product,” she said. Last but not least, Contreras highlights her high expectations for what the company plans to do in the region in 2012: “With the launch of the first network devoted to telenovelas in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, and the growth in format sales and coproductions in Southeast and Northern Asia, we know for a fact we’ll be able to expand our products’ distribution in the region,” Contreras concluded. ttv
todotvnews.com | ttvmedianews.com Television & Entertainment Business News
The #1 source on Latin American Markets (Google Analytics – February 2012)
TRENDS
The Battle of the
Windows Content premiering via streaming as a first window, products aired on broadcast TV before cable and the advantages of new window strategies and independent content are some of the current market trends that ttv analyzes in the following report. By Sebastián Torterola Twitter: @storterola_ttv storterola@todotv.tv
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M
illions of dollars are no longer needed to create original, high quality content that users can relate to. Recently we have witnessed how US series and movies have slowly been removed from broadcast TV’s primetime in Latin America. In addition, the once unparalleled Hollywood now has to compete with independent content, which can also have multimilliondollar budgets. Broadcast windows have grown significantly, and US culture -despite still being a key point of reference- lost its shine due to the rise in local production in several countries. Nowadays we are on the verge of this new audiovisual era: extreme fragmentation and an unprecedented rise in original local production. The question is... how does this new reality affect scheduling movies and series?
pay TV programmers in the continent own networks that broadcast movies and series from Hollywood and, in lesser quantity, from other places.
CONSOLIDATED WINDOWS. The first thing to consider is that pay TV’s penetration in Latin America has reached an all-time high in every country -and still has plenty of room to grow in several of them. Therefore, content that falls under the “films and series” category has niche networks -both basic and premiumas its main broadcasting window. Referring specifically to adult content, almost all major
Networks Latin America (AXN), MGM Networks Latin America (MGM), DIRECTV (DIRECTV HD, ONDIRECTV), Discovery Networks Latin America/US Hipanic (LIV), Fox Latin American Channels (FOX, FX), HBO Latin America Group (10 channels plus HBO On Demand), Turner Broadcasting System Latin America (TNT, I.Sat, Space, TBS), SOMOS TV (ViendoMovies), Televisa Networks (Golden, Golden Edge),
Some examples of good buyers and programmers of films and series are A&E Ole Networks (A&E), Sony Pictures Entertainment
“if you can’t make the commitment to really keep a social network account active -or at least use it to attempt to solve problemsit’s best if you don’t have one at all.”
Pramer (film&arts, Europe Europe), Universal Networks International (Universal Channel, Studio Universal, SyFy) and Warner Channel, just to name a few. To this list we must add HD versions of these networks, which began to bloom in 2010. In pay TV’s local and pan-regional industries, two things are noticeable: the first is -and has been for a while- some production companies’ great investment in original local production as part of a general trend. The second one, which really became noticeable in 2011, is the launch of SVOD platforms. This last phenomenon -as is the case of Netflix and Cuevana, Moviecity Play, Yuzu TV (Maxcom), Terra TV, Muu (Globosat), NetMovies and soon HBO GO- represents a new platform for this content which already transcends the TV screen.
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Drowning City Series
he said. The series premiere is scheduled for late 2012. Sarandos himself announced -during his keynote speech at MIPCOM 2011- that Netflix had purchased the exclusive rights of the series ‘Lillyhammer’, written by and starring Stevie Van Zandt and distributed by SevenOne International. And if this wasn’t enough, a deal has already been signed for its second season, in which Netflix will participate as coproducer (another unprecedented fact) and all signs indicate that the company will also acquire its exclusive broadcasting rights. This means the streaming company is competing side by side with major pay TV players in the US such as HBO and Showtime in the search and purchase of original content, which has caused a major stir in Hollywood, where Netflix’s business model has been questioned.
We must not forget that HBO is one of the few companies that hasn’t signed any deals with Netflix to broadcast its content (usually, a year after they originally premiere). Netflix’s case is pretty unique, since it’s the largest company of its kind. Yet -returning to the topic of windows to premiere content in- programming companies that work in Latin America have started to think about what the best use is for their TV Everywhere platforms. A great example of this is Moviecity Play’s initiative to premiere new episodes of ‘Camelot’ exclusively, before they were even released on TV, generating an unusual rise in the amount of visitors. The programming company has already determined it will premiere the highly anticipated series ‘Spartacus: Vengeance’ on Moviecity Play one day before it’s broadcast on Moviecity’s
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TRIAL WINDOWS. Following their release, an unprecedented phenomenon took place in 2011 in regard to new windows: content that premiered first through online streaming platforms. In March, Netflix’s COO Ted Sarandos announced the company was taking a very big chance: a deal for US$ 100 million for 26 episodes of ‘House of Cards’, a series directed by David Fincher (‘The Social Network’) and starring Kevin Spacey. “TV series and movies which can be instantly viewed on Netflix are licensed from production studios, TV networks, distribution companies and, on occasion, directly from the producers. ‘House of Cards’ is unique since it’s the first series to make its debut on Netflix (…) with a slightly riskier approach; although we didn’t produce the show, nor do we own it, we purchased the rights before it was successfully produced,”
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TV networks on January 29. Certainly a date we must mark on our calendars, considering in this case -even though it still seems to be just a complementary tool for linear TV- the streaming platform is given a much more important role, different from the ‘catch-up’ function we are all used to. “What we are noticing is that users are spending 50% more time watching movies on Moviecity Play than on pay TV, while also consuming 50% more titles a month,” Edgar Spielmann, CEO of Moviecity, told ttv. In addition, the executive also stated that series are Moviecity Play’s star content. “Moviecity Play’s series are premiered before they air on TV. The rest of the content available on Moviecity Play can be accessed 48 hours after it’s released on Moviecity, and remains available until the license we have for Moviecity expires, whether it’s on the air or not.” MASSIVE WINDOWS. The strategy of taking full advantage of every window (VOD, cable/satellite networks, catch-up and -less frequently- DVD), in addition to piracy and users’ easy access to online content a mere few hours after its release, have caused a major drop in ratings generated by movies and series on broadcast TV. Nevertheless, Hollywood doesn’t seem to notice this new
scenario, since according to Latin American buyers, taped content prices have remained the same as if ratings hadn’t diminished at all. As Eric Jurgensen, general manager at América TV in Peru stated in May 2011: “Taped content is dead.” Back then, Jurgensen criticized major studios stating they should give broadcast TV stations the content’s broadcasting rights to air on TV as a first window, before cable TV, as a way to go back to the ratings they once had. A request that was supported by RCN Television’s president Gabriel Reyes and that, at first glance, seems outrageous, going against the business model based on “added value” in which pay TV programmers -especially their premium networks- are willing to pay extra for the rights. Yet, we are talking about Hollywood. And as far as independent content goes, there’s increasingly more of it in the market. Now, a business model has emerged that’s more flexible and is currently the solution to public TV’s problems. “Independent content isn’t as over-exposed as other series, yet the investment made on each episode is as high or even greater than any series by major studios,” Marcel Vinay Jr., CEO of Comarex, said. This allows networks to premiere them at a more affordable price.
FIRST BROADCAST, THEN CABLE. The “independent model” has also modified the way to schedule programs. Comarex distributes independent series ‘Drowning City’, produced by Mexican company TV Azteca, which is clearly an interesting success story: successfully broadcast on broadcast TV by Azteca 7, the series was picked up by MGM for its cable networks MGM and MGM HD. Once again, the fact that it travelled from a massive screen to a niche one confirms the content’s versatility. Other cases that are also worth mentioning are the Peruvian series ‘Tribulación: La Batalla Antes del Fin’ (Creative Tree), broadcast by America TV; and Spanish series ‘El Barco’ (Globomedia), which was aired on broadcast TV by Antena 3. Both series were later picked up by DIRECTV to be broadcast on ONDIRECTV and DIRECTV HD. Despite the fact that it’s still not possible to determine whether or not one business model will prevail eliminating all others, the constant endeavors in search of innovation are an excellent sign for an industry that wants to satisfy audiences’ quality demands and improve their experience. For the time being we can say -against all apocalyptic commentsthat linear TV remains strong and several new initiatives continue to appear around it, some of which are worth keeping a close eye on. ttv
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Executives ttv
In the following interview, the man responsible for the most successful telenovela in the genre’s history -and winner of a Brandon Tartikoff award at NATPE 2012- shared with ttv his inspiration behind RCN Television’s creative and operative processes and described its structure and production capacity. By Sebastián Amoroso Twitter: @sebamoroso samoroso@todotv.tv
Fernando Gaitán,
VP of Production and Content for RCN Televisión
C
olombian telenovela ‘Yo Soy Betty, La Fea’ became part of the Guinness Book of World Records in 2010 as the most successful telenovela in history, broadcast in over 100 countries, dubbed in 15 different languages and adapted 22 times across the globe. Its creator, in addition to being a screenwriter and producer, is RCN Television’s VP of production and content. This executive’s vast experience and knowledge have injected the network’s stories with creativity and production quality, further improving everything he has already done as a writer and producer. “The writer is alone and is constantly faced with many questions, which is why I designed a process in which other people can guide him through his adventure,” Fernando Gaitán said to ttv. CREATIVE PROCESS. RCN Television currently has 54 professional writers and 60 junior writers in its staff. “This team works under a system in which the writer is accompanied through the entire writing process. A permanent committee
“We’ve maintained our leadership within the drama series genre.” was created -which includes ten professional screenwriters- to work in the network and read the original idea with its writer. This includes: synopsis, character design, story transitions…. After that, we discuss everything and help the writer change some details,” Gaitán said. Then, once the writer starts to actually put the script together, he is accompanied in two different ways: “On the one hand, there’s the group we’ve named ‘senior readers’, who read the story with the writer and become a nexus between him and the second group, which we’ve named ‘junior readers’. These read the scripts in groups of ten or twelve and follow the story. These many readers help generate trends by voicing their opinions, which is different when only one reader checks the stories,” he said.
Even if all this makes the writing process more expensive, it also allows the writer to be much more relaxed since he knows his story is always on the right track. “Junior readers have been a great addition to the network. They’re part of a platform we named the CREA where all the production divisions are included (writers, actors, producers and directors). They’re all students or people who have ventured into TV. And we have so many junior readers because they work so well. All the telenovelas that have been read by them have been completed; we haven’t had to cancel any projects midway. This is why I believe this process is very effective when it comes to writing scripts,” he said. PRODUCTION PROCESS. The company also has a distinctive production process for TV content. RCN Television has a special committee of producers who study and analyze production design once the writing process begins. “This committee chooses the directors and actors along with the screenwriter, the producer and the director. There’s also a quality department that manages the production according to the committee’s guidelines,” Gaitán said. The committee keeps a close eye on the product’s quality since it consistently has to answer to those in charge. “We watch the first few episodes, see the first locations, and it allows us to change actors, sets, and even the scripts which may sometimes seem great on paper yet not so great during production. It’s basically an evaluation system that lets us act fast,” he said. Once the product has been completed -the first ten episodes for example- the story is shown to a focus group made up of people from different social classes. If the group understands and can relate emotionally with the product, then the network can rest easy. The combination of all these creative and production processes pays off. “The result is evident: we’ve maintained our leadership within the drama series genre. Plus, the network has never had to cancel a show that was on the air, which is fairly common within the TV industry when a show doesn’t work. Our products’ good fortune has been consistent because they remain current and most of them have scored excellent ratings,” he concluded. ttv
GAITÁN MADE HISTORY AT NATPE 2012 During the content and entertainment tradeshow held on January 23-25 at the Fonainebleu Resort in Miami Beach, the talented Colombian producer became the first Latin American to receive a Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award. Every year at NATPE, this award is given to top industry players who have made a difference in the TV industry. Gaitán introduced the telenovela as a vehicle to showcase the best in Latin American culture, “such as the bolero, the tango or the bossa nova. The telenovela is a way to communicate with the world. It’s a genre that has evolved in the last few years with the addition of certain elements from international TV. We incorporated ingredients from US sitcoms and created ‘Yo Soy Betty, La Fea’ through which we took the genre to several countries. This way, what once seemed like a distant fantasy is now a dream come true,” he said. Finally, while fighting back the tears, he concluded: “This award is not for me, nor is it for Colombia. It’s for all of Latin America.” Lilly Tartikoff, Rick Feldman (NATPE) and Fernando Gaitán (RCN Televisión) Photo courtesy of NATPE.
Executives DISCOP ISTANBUL
The general manager of Basic Lead, Patrick Jucaud, spoke to ttv about the upcoming edition of DISCOP Istanbul, shed some light on the DISCOP Budapest sale and described the company’s strategy to work with emerging markets. By Carolina Mussio Twitter: @carolinamussio cmussio@todotv.tv
Patrick Jucaud,
General Manager of Basic Lead
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ith a market that covers two major regions such as Western Asia and Northern Africa -which include 32 countries, a population of 600 million people and 150 million TV householdsDISCOP Istanbul’s second edition will take place at the Intercontinental Ceylan Hotel, from February 28 to March 1 in Turkey, and promises to be as successful as last year’s event, attracting key industry players from across the globe. Patrick Jucaud, general manager of Basic Lead (the company behind the event’s organization), spoke to ttv and described Istanbul as a strategic location: it’s a very easy city to access with a strong and active production community. The executive explained that, in terms of infrastructure and services, the market will be the same as last year. As far as attendance goes, DISCOP’s previous edition had over 550 attendees and, according to the executive, 100 more are expected to attend this year in search of new deals and high quality content. “We are expecting more people than last year because we have widened the region we are covering with DISCOP Istanbul,” he told ttv. The executive also highlighted that “ninetyfour percent of buyers who come to DISCOP
“Now, because of the Arab Spring, there are new Arab producers producing more content for the local and international markets.”
“Ninety-four percent of buyers who come to DISCOP Istanbul and Africa don’t go to other big markets like NATPE.” Istanbul and Africa don’t go to other big markets like NATPE.” CO-PRODUCTIONS, CONFERENCES… THE WORKS. Even though co-production is relatively new to the region, its locations, talented professionals and quality attract producers from all across the globe. “There are independent producers producing TV series in Morocco and Indonesia, in partnerships with French and Canadian networks, and there are five or six co-production deals for TV series being shot in Northern Africa as we speak,” the executive said. He also highlighted the fact that there are currently more co-production deals for TV series where you see a big input of local stories, which is also important. As far as Latin America goes, the executive believes telenovelas are still very popular and “have competition coming from Turkish companies which is good for the market, because it brings better quality and better prices.” In this way, DISCOP Istanbul is shaping up to be a major event, which will focus on an emerging market that can provide several opportunities within the industry. “These countries have huge potential today and tomorrow, and we have a great number of
sellers who come from those regions,” Jucaud says. During the event, different conferences on three main topics will be given. The first day will include an event called Silk Road Way, with four sessions that will present an overview of all production and investment opportunities in Central Asia and present the region’s main content development, production, creative and distribution players. On the event’s second day, a conference on the renaissance of Arabic content will be held. “Now, because of the Arab Spring, there are new Arab producers producing more content for the local and international markets,” the executive explained. And, last but not least, the event will include a lecture on online content distribution opportunities in emerging markets covered by DISCOP such as the Middle East and Africa. A BETTER FOCUS. Basic Lead is an expert in taking up-and-coming markets under its wing and promoting their growth, making them extremely profitable. Such is the case of DISCOP Budapest, which became a major market attracting over 401 sellers and 662 buyers during its last edition. Last year, Patric Jucaud decided to sell DISCOP Budapest and allow it to expand into a globally focused market, while giving him more time to focus on other markets. Now, following the company’s decision to “focus on emerging markets only” and therefore sell DISCOP Budapest -purchased by NATPE and renamed NATPE/BUDAPEST-, Basic Lead certainly has its work cut out for it. The two huge markets it has taken on, DISCOP Africa and DISCOP Istanbul, are growing at a remarkably fast pace. “The reason why I sold Budapest is because now we have 60% more time to dedicate to these countries that we cover in Africa and Western Asia, and that’s a lot of work”, Jucaud said. “We felt we needed more time and energy to focus on what we know, which is to organize business between companies who sell content, and the countries that are difficult to reach.” DISCOP Istanbul will focus on the Asian market, a territory that the company has a lot of experience working with. “We have been covering emerging markets for the last 20 years. So we understand the problems that our clients have today, going into new territories which are developing fast and are not always easy to understand,” the executive said. “All of these countries represent one percent of the total TV licensing sales. For our clients and companies who sell content, this is only one percent of the world, which very small. On the other hand, they represent 25% of all the population in the world, so the only thing we see is growth; no recession. We need to help our clients understand what kind of opportunities exist and introduce them to the right people. That’s what we do with DISCOP,” he concluded. ttv
TTVTurkey Report PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Kuzey Guney Kanal D
Turkey:
TURKEY/TTV MAGAZINE
TV Screen’s Battlefield 75 million people. Three daily hours of prime time original production, six days a week for eight months, in all free-toair channels. Over US$ 150,000 in investment per episode. An array of drama series being sold in the international market at excellent prices. Five to eight strong players fiercely battling to score the highest ratings in the local market. All these reasons and several others, make Turkey a thriving battlefield for the TV and entertainment industry. By Sebastián Torterola Twitter: @storterola storterola@todotv.tv
1992, Istanbul. Ilhan arrives from work at six and gets himself something to eat. Fortunately, his baby is asleep and his wife Aygen has everything ready for her daily 7 o’clock ritual. He looks at her pretending to be annoyed with this, but he soon flashes a smile and they have a laugh together. TV has been a legitimate part of their home ever since, and he is now used to watching the tropical scenes in ‘The Slave Isaura’, the Brazilian telenovela everyone is talking about. This kind of situation was natural in Turkey in the nineties. Yet, things changed dramatically with the beginning of the twentieth century. Latin American dramas, which had been very successful among Turkish audiences for several years, began to lose ground with the local audience. Turkish companies started to tell their own stories and to showcase their own culture through fiction, which resulted in a strong connection between local audiences and drama series. A BOOMING TV MARKET. “I think Turkish drama’s success was neither eventuated by chance nor is it temporary. These productions filled a gap by showcasing Turkey’s diversity and complexity. As a bridge between East and West, sheltering tradition and modernity; the richness of different subcultures and minorities render sophisticated and unique stories to bloom,” said Ziyad Varol, ATV’s content sales deputy manager. Drama series in Turkey are certainly at an all-time high in terms of success: “Drama series have been getting more popular in recent years for Turkish audiences and have played a significant role in Turkish channels for nearly ten years. The success of Turkish TV channels and ad sales are parallel to the success of the drama series in Turkey,” Kerim Emrah Turna, international sales executive for Kanal D, said. Turkey’s TV market has over 75 million people. It’s often said its high levels of competition turns it into a ratings battlefield. While in the nineties, Turkish audiences were used to consuming fiction from Latin America, as the new century came about local channels set their first challenge: to start producing for the internal market. And it turned out to be a wise decision since Turkish viewers connected with the stories, which were produced with local talent and took advantage of the country’s exotic and attractive locations. Drama series are clearly an excellent vehicle to showcase Turkish culture, and Turkey’s top industry players take full advantage of this. As stated
by Zeynel Koc, TRT’s deputy general director: “We give great importance to this genre, not only because we desire so. As you know, the great Turkish tradition of storytelling is continued on the screens with this genre.” There are many players operating in the market: digital platforms (Digiturk, D-Smart), IPTV operators (Tivibu), commercial free-toair channels, public broadcasters and plenty of thematic networks. Ad sales are expected to amount to 2.5 billion euros in 2012, split between four major TV channels. Some international groups like Turner Broadcasting System, Axel Springer, Disney and Al Jazeera already entered the market, while other important media companies have shown great interest in stepping in. This scenario is understandable: while being in Turkey, you get the impression that the market has great appetite for TV. Today, the vast majority of Turkish viewers watch TV from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM, Mondays through Saturdays, as a result of the broadcaster’s proactive attitude towards TV content. Top rated channels make sure to program at least 20 hours of prime time drama series a week for eight months, from October to June. Not to mention news, sports and variety programming produced in-house; as well as non-scripted formats, which have also started to pop up lately. There’s fierce competition, yes, but this landscape guarantees high production standards and a diverse selection of great content for all needs.
and dynamic economy is that production costs are very high, so it’s necessary to find alternative funding. “In 2005, Turkey’s production companies became professional players within the audiovisual content industry. Now there are so many actors and actresses in Turkey who want to be in the most popular programs, that they are performing better than ever. Stories and scenarios are rich, and there are plenty of locations in the country. Altogether you get excellent productions,” Bozaslan explains. After consolidation comes expansion, and 2007 was the year Turkish companies took their first steps on the distribution arena. In fact, ten years ago, no TV company in Turkey would have thought of exporting its own content. But the country kept on developing its economy in a way their neighbors didn’t, and local players took advantage of the situation and of the region’s cultural similarities. As a result, Turkish drama started to fill regional and pan-regional slates in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Balkans, and Central Asia, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon.
sales deputy manager. “The difference between Turkish content, compared to Latin American telenovelas, is that the latter are generally produced in static production studios, whereas Turkish production takes advantage of the country’s locations: 90% of these productions are shot in cities, villas and mountains, and Arab countries just love these kind of scenes,” Bozaslan adds. And when another day of fighting for ratings is gone and people’s minds are free to look around and evaluate the industry, many Turkish players agree on one thing: they are doing things the right way. “We don’t use the name ‘competitors’; we like to say each one is filling a gap by producing specific kinds of programming to satisfy certain demands. That’s why we are not competing; we are complementing each other,” Samanyolu’s Hasan Bosazlan states. Ziyad Varol, from ATV, agrees: “All players in this industry deserve to be applauded for managing to pack episodes which are at least 90 minutes long within a single week. The casts, crews and the rest of the contributors making this happen are the unsung heroes of that success. We are proud to be part of this achievement.” ttv
“It’s not something cultural. I mean, watching a lot of TV isn’t a cultural aspect of ours. It just so happens that in 2007 local production in Turkey became so popular that the feeling that every household had to watch Turkish drama started to spread”, Hasan Bosazlan, Samanyolu Broadcasting Group’s International Sales Director says. Can Okan, ITV’s CEO complements the idea: “There is a big number of big-budget series and telenovelas right now, which are being aired on primetime, and neither viewers nor the production companies or the broadcasters seem to be complaining about this”. NEW TERRITORIES. There’s no way around it: in order to compete, every channel in Turkey has to be a self-sufficient production house. And in spite of the territorial and cultural distance, it’s not unusual to compare Turkey with Latin America. In fact, Turkish audiences have already tried both kinds of content and there are similarities in some Latin countries like Brazil and Chile, where local broadcasters produce interesting amounts of original programming and score similar ratings on a daily basis. “There is a popular belief that Turkey and LatAm are rivals. To some extent this could be agreeable, yet one can distinguish they play different roles in the international markets,” said Ziyad Varol, ATV’s content
“There’s fierce competition, yes, but this landscape guarantees high production standards and a diverse selection of great content for all needs.”
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INVESTMENT AND RETURN. In 2005, local content was consolidated and revenues were worth the investment. Currently, each drama series’ episode costs between US$ 100,000 and US$ 300,000 when the broadcasters outsource projects to independent production companies, and US$ 80,000-100,000 when the production is made completely in-house. Most of the stories air in 90-minute episode formats, and here’s the economic reason behind it: Turkish law only allows twelve minutes of advertising per 60 minutes of programming. This way, channels are able to sell over twenty minutes of ad space for each hour and a half of programming, which at the end of the day is an important revenue source. Indeed, the negative side of Turkey’s healthy
The End ATV
TTVTurkey Production and Distribution
Feray Türkan Özkan, Head of Acquisitions & Sales, Turkish Content, Show TV
With an assorted content catalog and a pioneer broadcasting approach, Show TV has certainly earned its position as one of the leading networks in Turkey. Constantly seeking to stay on top of the latest trends, this dynamic and entertaining network, aimed at the entire family, has what it takes to fulfill the demands of the current, ever-changing TV industry. By Carolina Mussio Twitter: @carolinamussio cmussio@todotv.tv
S
how TV is currently one of the leading TV channels in Turkey due to its progressive and pioneering broadcasting approach. Over the past few years, the network has increased its primetime and daytime programming, becoming a dynamic, reliable, entertaining, sincere and family-focused channel. Its programming reaches both international viewers and Turkish citizens residing abroad across several territories such as Central Asia, South Africa and Latin America.
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CONTENT FOR ALL AUDIENCES. The network conducts its business with an intellectual and flexible attitude, and is constantly seeking to stay up to date with the latest trends in order to respond to the everchanging demands of its audiences. These efforts have certainly been rewarded with its target audience’s long lasting loyalty.
“Our programming is being broadcast in over 40 countries, particularly in Central Asia, the Middle East, Western and Central Europe” School’, ‘Muck’ and ‘Forgive Me’, which were all audience favorites, taking “leading positions as far as ratings go,” she says. In addition, the network has three new drama series in store for 2012.
As far as programming goes, Show TV’s local series, as well as acquired program formats, both score excellent ratings. The network produces most of its primetime programming in-house, with a “very well established team, studios and technical hardware facilities,” Feray Türkan Özkan, head of acquisitions & sales for Turkish content at Show TV, tells ttv. According to the executive, all programs are filmed under high quality standards, in addition to a diligent and caretaking approach. In fact, Show TV’s new offices in Ayazaga are considered to be one of the best facilities in the world.
TURKISH TV. Show TV’s outstanding content catalog makes it stand out among other networks within the Turkish market, where drama series are by far the leading productions. “Today, the most influential aspect of Turkish television consists of dramas. It is such dramas that tie viewers to the channel, generate loyalty, and elevate the networks’ ratings to top positions,” Özkan says. The executive believes another key element necessary to compete in this market is producing high quality series: “Reaching the largest market share, the highest ratings and the most ad sales is directly proportional to the success of the television series broadcast by the channel.” She also highlights entertainment programming such as game shows as playing a crucial role in the leadership of any channel, a genre in which Show TV is a clear leader.
The network’s assorted content catalog includes drama and comedy series, kids’ programming, lifestyle and entertainment shows, which are all produced with “the same quality and enthusiasm,” Özkan says. The company stood out last year with very successful shows such as ‘New Guys at
INTERNATIONAL ARENA. Show TV’s assorted content catalog is also turning heads in the international arena with its drama series, romantic-action shows and kid’s programming which are all distributed overseas. In addition, Show TV also offers lifestyle and entertainment programming to
the international market: “Our programming is being broadcast in over 40 countries, particularly in Central Asia, the Middle East, Western and Central Europe,” Özkan says. Turkish content is currently up to par with programming produced by major studios all over the world. “Over the last few years Turkish television, particularly series and entertainment programs, have reached international standards in terms of their budgets and production as well as quality,” she says. The executive also believes it’s the characters’ universal appeal that has attracted the attention of foreign TV networks and increased its demand all over the world, including Latin America, which the executive describes as “an essential market” and hopes to sign several deals which are currently being discussed in the region. As part of its strategy for the foreseeable future, the executive states that “we as a channel are intending to take part in all main tradeshows, particularly Discop 2012, in order to promote our content.” ttv
Between 2011 and 2012, Kanal D produced three TV shows and three drama series in-house, and outsourced three TV shows and ten drama series to other production companies. With an impressive 30,000 hours of content produced each year, the broadcaster is definitely a major player both in the local and regional TV markets. By Sebastián Torterola Twitter: @storterola storterola@todotv.tv
Kerim Emrah Amac Erol Us, International Sales Turna, International Sales Executive, Kanal D
K
anal D is frequently ranked as the number one free-to-air broadcaster in the Turkish market and is a clear leader among its competitors in terms of rating. There are several reasons behind the company’s success in the last couple of years, with its “production abilities” clearly at the top of the list. Indeed, the numbers revealed by Kerim Emrah Turna and Amac Erol Us, both from the channel’s International Sales department, are impressive: “Our company produces approximately 30,000 hours of programs a year”.
IN AND OUT. According to Kanal D’s international sales executives, the success
of Turkish TV production is based on the high competition in prime time slots of the commercial free-to-air TV market. “Every commercial TV station airs at least one locally produced drama series. There is a great preproduction process in which the producers and the scriptwriters work hard on the story, the scripts and the cast. Besides, series are shot in HD and cover internationally accepted high quality standards. All these factors differentiate the Turkish dramas from their regional competitors,” they say. As for international distribution, even though Kanal D’s catalog includes different genres such as comedy, crime, investigation or health; drama is the most popular genre among international buyers. “Our TV content is distributed to the Middle East, Central Europe, North Africa, South Africa and Central Asia, and our goal is to reach Southeast Asia and Latin America. Our titles ‘Time Goes By’ and ‘Fatmagül’ are currently the most popular TV series in Turkey. We have recently launched our new series ‘Kuzey Guney’ which has also created a great hype in the local market. As for our international sales, we have sold our most recent titles ‘Fatmagül’ and ‘Time Goes By’ to more than 30 countries and we are currently in negotiations to enter several others.” NOSTALGIA OF LATIN AMERICA. The habit of watching TV series in Turkey started with Latin American telenovelas. However, hit titles from big Latin Telenovela companies
have now been replaced by local productions. “Now, Turkish drama has replaced telenovelas, not only in Turkey but also in many other countries,” the executives explain. Today, Turkish companies seem to be ready for payback, but Latin America is quite full of local content and it’s certainly not an easy market to distribute content in. “We are aware that competition is much tougher for Turkish drama series in Latin America, but we believe that our content is at least as good as Latin American TV series in terms of production, story, cast, etc. Latin America is a huge market and we believe that our TV series would be successful there as well. That is why Latin America is one of the territories that we would like to expand to.” Kanal D is ready to deliver content from its well-nurtured catalog, and also partner with new companies in different regions in the world. “As Turkey’s leading TV Channel and leading content provider, we play an important role in DISCOP Istanbul. Our goal is to maintain our strong business partnerships with our clients and meet new clients from existing and new territories.” ttv
TTV MAGAZINE/TURKEY
The broadcaster produces several projects inhouse, while an important amount of content is managed by independent local production companies. This way, between 2011 and 2012, Kanal D produced three TV shows and three drama series in-house, along with three TV shows and ten drama series it outsourced to other production companies. “Drama series have been getting more popular in recent years for Turkish audiences. That is why dramas have played a significant role in Turkish channels for nearly ten years. The success of Turkish TV channels and ad sales are parallel to the success of the drama series in Turkey. On the other hand, we also produce variety TV shows such as health shows and talk shows,” the executives say.
Executive, Kanal D
“Every commercial TV station airs at least one locally produced drama series. There is a great pre-production process in which the producers and the scriptwriters work hard on the story, the scripts and the cast.”
TTVTurkey Production and Distribution
Izzet Pinto, CEO, Global Agency
Turkish content is on the spot. And Global Agency has been a forerunner in delivering national content overseas to international screens for five years and counting. Effective TV formats and high budget drama series are the strong suits of this distribution company that’s taking Central Europe by storm. By Sebastián Torterola Twitter: @storterola storterola@todotv.tv
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very single day the Turkish television market witnesses a merciless battle between seven main local media groups attempting to conquer the 70-million-households viewership. And there’s a great demand for a significant amount of content to satisfy this need for entertainment. “This means each year we need around 20 new series. It’s quite competitive and most of them have big budgets, so they need plenty of talent. I believe we have over 100 very successful actors and actresses in Turkey”, Izzet Pinto, distributor Global Agency’s CEO explains.
TURKEY/TTV MAGAZINE
With just five years in the market, Pinto’s company has made its way through the international tradeshows delivering high quality Turkish TV formats and drama, which have had an unexpected -yet not surprisingsuccess in dissimilar markets. “75% of our catalog is made up of TV formats, while 25% of it is drama series. We have always been interested in having premium products, so we are focused on distributing premium series from Turkey. We prefer to have a smaller catalog with strong projects”, he adds.
high quality production and great stories. “Turkey has the highest production budget, not compared to territories like Italy, France, Germany and Spain, but to neighbor countries and the Balkans. Therefore, the quality is very high, which makes viewers really connect to the story”.
“Our projects are doing extremely well in all the territories we exported them to. We are now able to enter even tough territories like Russia.” premiered in Russia in late January 2012. “I can say ‘Magnificent Century’ is the bestselling series from Turkey”, Pinto assures. As for drama series, the most important sales are being registered in territories like the Middle East, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and many territories in Central Eastern Europe. “And as far as formats go, Europe is very important, especially Italy, France, Germany and Spain,” he points out. But why is Turkey such a privileged territory in terms of production? Pinto says it bluntly:
HIGH-END PRODUCTION. Drama series are certainly very important in Turkey’s export. In the last five years, Turkey has upgraded its level of production, and drama series have an “absolutely European quality”, according to the executive. “Especially South Eastern Europe which has always needed new, fresh content and I think we arrived at the right time”. Currently, the Turkish distributor is mainly focused in two titles for the international market: ‘1001 Nights’ and ‘Magnificent Century’. “Our projects are doing extremely well in all the territories we exported them to. We are now able to enter even tough territories like Russia”. Indeed, ‘Magnificent Century’
THE CURRENT YEAR. As stated by Pinto, the Latin American region “is definitely a priority” for Global Agency in 2012. “We want to enter Latin America with the ‘Magnificent Century’ series. I think it fits the region very well. We already started our pitching and I hope by the end of the year the region will have it dubbed into Spanish”. Fast-paced growth is what the distributor is currently used to, and each international market shows it’s ready to become increasingly larger. “We are very proud of how much the company has expanded. In five years we became one of the fastest growing companies in the industry, especially by having very strong content. For example, we own excellent formats such as ‘Perfect Bride’ and ‘Shopping Monster’ (30 countries and 15 countries in 7-8 months). In the following months we will provide great formats for the market from production companies like Coyote (France), Constantin (Germany) and several strong companies around the world,” which are part of Global Agency’s third-party distribution business. ttv
Magnificent Century TV Series
Petek Kardas,
General Manager, IZ TV & Turkmax Digital platform, satellite operator, network distributor, high quality content producer, radio operator and sports licensor. These are just some of the attributes that describe Digiturk, one of the biggest and most complete TV and entertainment services provider in Turkey. By Sebastián Torterola Twitter: @storterola storterola@todotv.tv
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hrough its satellite pay TV service, Digiturk offers the most important national channels -Show TV, TRT 1, Kanal D, ATV, Fox, Star TV and Samanyolu TV, just to name a few- and operates three families of in-house networks: Turkmax, IZ TV and LIG TV. TURKMAX. The network was launched in December 2006 as a local entertainment channel focused on lifestyle programming, owned and operated by Digiturk. “Turkmax is a well-known brand that specializes in broadcasting Turkish movies just after their theatrical release. The channel is also strong in daily live programming and localizing sitcoms,” Petek Kardas says. The channel has produced and adapted five sitcom formats since 2008: ‘I Love Lucy’, ‘Odd Couple’ and ‘7 Vidas’ as in-house productions; and ‘Love Bugs’, ‘Camera Café’ and ‘Kitchen Break’ which are outsourced sitcoms.
IZ TV. “Multi-cultural channel from a Multicontinental country” is the tagline Digiturk chose for Turkey’s first documentary network. “Since 2006, IZ TV has created the largest audiovisual catalog and permanent documentary record of Turkey’s heritage, impressions and treasures. Archaeology, history, nature, adventure, gastronomy, travel, arts and culture are topics explored by
The channel is not only an excellent window for handcrafted content; it’s also a production hub that manages an impressive number of projects each year. In fact, IZ TV has collaborated with numerous partners in different countries such as the US, China, Australia and Qatar. “IZ TV produces between 100 and 150 programs a year, which means 50-70 hours of HD content each year. All in all, IZ TV has made 979 SD in-house documentary films (500 hours), 101 HD in-house films (50 hours), the first 3D documentary produced in Turkey, as well as the country’s first 3D documentary series”. As for international distribution, the channel’s catalog includes an interesting selection of documentaries that tackle different topics: history (112 episodes), nature (21 episodes), gastronomy (59 episodes) and travel (260 episodes). “The main destinies for content distribution are Eastern-Europe and the Middle East, since we share regional cultural roots and that makes our productions more interesting for neighboring territories”. LIG TV. One of Digiturk’s most valuable properties is the broadcasting rights for the Turkish Football Super League, since passion for football has grown exponentially among Turkish audiences in the last few years. The company takes full advantage of these rights through an important family of 24-hour daily broadcasting sports channels: LIG TV, LIGTV-2 and LIGTV-3, all of which are offered in HD. In regard to these channels, the executive shared details on their technical and production capacities: “For football matches, we have an HD OBVAN with 22 Cameras (16
standard HD, 2 SSM, 1 High Speed, 2 goalcam, 1 Beautyshot) and 24 Microphones (16 effect, 3 speaker, 3 commenter, 2 pitch reporter), not to mention outsourced HD broadcast matches and SD broadcast matches. We have two SNG trucks (one HD and one SD) and 5 studios in Ayazaga Building (500 m2, 400 m2, 180 m2, 180 m2 and 85 m2), which we use for live shows such as ‘21’.” In addition, LIG TV has one HD control room with 7 HD cameras, two SD control rooms, and fully equipped archiving tape and digital systems. “All Turkish TV stations use and adapt to the latest technology and avant-garde equipments right away. For example, HD and 3D broadcasts started to be used at same pace as tech-savvy countries”. ttv
TTV MAGAZINE/TURKEY
“In addition, back in March 2008 Turkmax started to schedule daily programming for women, consisting of eight hours of live broadcasting. Furthermore, it started producing feature films for release in the Turkish market through movie theatres, television broadcasts and video releases in 2007,” Kardas explains. The channel produced 25 different Turkish TV movies with renowned professionals from the local audiovisual industry by 2012, holding 100% of the licensing rights for the films.
IZ TV, which has produced timeless classics portraying nature, human endeavors in culture, historical episodes and energy-filled personal travel adventures,” Kardas explains.
TTVTurkey Production and Distribution
Can Okan,
CEO at ITV-Inter Medya Through a clever business strategy of constantly acquiring new content, Turkish distribution company ITV-Inter Medya has managed to put together an assorted content catalog that satisfies all audiences’ demands, including high quality Turkish drama series and shows by FOX. The company is in talks with major Latin American companies such as Televisa and Telemundo for possible co-productions. By Josefina Mezzera Twitter: @jmezzera jmezzera@todotv.tv
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TV-Inter Medya is a Turkish company that has been distributing content for over twenty years. It currently represents major Turkish TV channels and producers worldwide and distributes their programming to broadcasters and video distributors around the world. “We are aiming to co-produce content suitable for the international market with Turkish and foreign producers,” Can Okan, the company’s CEO, told ttv.
TURKEY/TTV MAGAZINE
With over 5,000 hours of programming available, including series, telenovelas, soap operas and feature films in all genres, ITVInter Medya is seeking to expand its catalog even further. “We are planning to add 1,000 hours of programming for distribution from our existing business partners and possible future partnerships,” he said. TURKEY AND THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET. High budgets and production values, in addition to great stories and scripts with international appeal: this is how Can Okan describes Turkey’s best assets as a production centre, in comparison to other countries in the region. It’s also what causes ITV-Inter Medya’s content catalog to be so successful in the international arena. “We have had big success with ‘The Tulip Age’ and ‘Love Is In The Air’. Both are still ongoing productions and the number of episodes of each will reach approximately 200-210 at the end of their second seasons,” Okan said.
current evolution in the different markets across the region, Turkish dramas are being sold quite well, and international sales also became relevant for broadcasters and production companies.
“We are aiming to coproduce content suitable for the international market with Turkish and foreign producers.” The executive stated that the company is currently in negotiations with additional Turkish broadcasters and major producers to represent their content at the upcoming international markets. DRAMA. In this current scenario, drama is definitely the main genre. “Drama when it’s about the series and action movies; dramas and romantic comedies when it comes to feature films,” the executive explained. There’s great demand for these types of content in addition to US origin feature movies, and ITV-Inter Medya has its distribution rights for Central European territories. “The drama series and telenovelas are nowadays the most popular programs not only for the Turkish channels because of the high ratings they obtain, but for the broadcasters in Central Europe, Middle East and Central Asia as well,” he said. Due to the
Another one of ITV-Inter Medya’s projects that became very popular is the Turkish adaptation of ‘¿Dónde está Elisa?’ (‘Missing’), TVN Chile’s telenovela, distributed by Telemundo Internacional. In addition, some of the products the company has in store for the upcoming edition of DISCOP Istanbul are Red Scarf, a telenovela based on the famous novel by Kyrgyz writer Chinghiz Aitmatov; and FOX’s latest series, ‘Araf Zamani’.
Despite the fact that the company’s business strategy is mainly focused on these three major territories, Can Okan stated that ITVInter Medya is currently in negotiations with buyers from Western Europe and Latin America. “We had a very good market at NATPE in Miami last month where our company attended for the first time as an exhibitor. We had huge interest in the Turkish programming from distributors and broadcasters from Latin America,” he said. The company currently has ongoing negotiations with broadcasters and distributors in the region including some Spanish networks broadcasting within the US. It is searching for the best: The company is in talks with major Latin American companies such as Televisa and Telemundo for possible co-productions. As you well know, ‘Missing’, produced by our business partner Medyavizyon is the remake of ¿Dónde Está Elisa? which is a format by Telemundo. We are looking forward to continue partnering with them and other suppliers and buyers from Latin America. We believe the concept, stories and production quality of our programming are suitable for the global market we are very interested in entering the Latin American market,” Okan concluded. ttv
Tullip Age Drama Series
Zeynel Koc,
Deputy General Director, TRT The man who oversees fourteen networks owned by the largest TV group in Turkey, explains why cultural elements are so important in Turkish content’s international success, and talks about TRT titles’ strong presence in Arab countries. By Sebastián Torterola Twitter: @storterola storterola@todotv.tv
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here’s a major group of networks within the EMEA -currently one of the most important emerging markets- which is definitely stealing the spotlight as an organization the industry ought to keep an eye on. Its fourteen thematic channels represent an extensive and eye-catching offer to fulfill the different demands of avid Turkish TV audiences. Zeynel Koc, TRT’s deputy general director, talks about the group’s superlative capacities and infrastructure. “On average, 670 programs are broadcast through TRT channels each day. In addition, 87 per cent of these programs are domestic products. Through its 14 channels, TRT airs 312 hours of content a day and 113,880 hours a year,” he says.
The high levels of competition in the local TV market result in high quality, cuttingedge productions, and it also explains why Turkish content is so successful internationally. However, Koc believes this is not the only reason and explains this reality through regional cultural characteristics.
RAPID GROWTH. In Koc’s words, TRT’s international content sales over the last couple of years have reached unparalleled numbers, a fact that’s accompanied by great audience feedback that’s reflected in rating results. The executive also states that, in addition to being the highest rated productions in Turkey, dramas are also leaders as far as international sales go. “Furthermore, we have also reached important distribution agreements regarding our documentaries and kid’s programming,” he says. TRT’s catalog is mainly distributed to Central Asia, the Middle East and the Balkan states. “In 2008, after broadcasting dramas ‘Çemberimde Gül Oya’, ‘Gümüş’ and ‘Ihlamurlar Altında’ in the United Arab Emirates’ MBC Channel -which broadcasts to 21 countries simultaneously-, these series reached record audience levels. After that, the other TV channels in that region started acquiring broadcasting rights of Turkish dramas,” Koc explains. ttv
TRT CHANNELS TRT-1 - family oriented programming such as dramas, entertainment, sport and quizz shows TRT-NEWS - newscasts and news programming TRT-SPORTS - sport programming TRT-CHILDREN - kids programming TRT-MUSIC - musical programming, including folk and universal music TRT-DOCUMENTARY - science, arts, sociopolitics and history TRT-ANATOLIA - joint productions with local channels. TRT-HD - general programming in HD quality. TRT-6 - family-oriented programming in Kurdish language TRT-TURK - newscasts in Turkish TRT-AVAZ - programming for mass audience living in Central Asia and Balkans TRT-ARABIC - newscasts and variety programming in Arabic language TRT-GAP - airing for the Southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey. TRT-SCHOOL - educational and cultural programming broadcasting in cooperation with Anatolia University
TTV MAGAZINE/TURKEY
CULTURAL ROOTS. Such an important amount of channels is clearly proof of TRT’s intentions to reach as many audiences as possible. Yet, Koc explains that in recent years dramas have been undisputed leaders as far as ratings go, not only because of temporary business circumstances. “The fact that we give great importance to this genre is not only because we want to. As you know, the great Turkish tradition of storytelling, which is so important to Anatolian culture, is somehow continued on the screens with this genre. This is related to the fact that many of our dramas take on local concepts and themes as subjects,” the executive explains.
“The region’s societies have the same cultural and historical roots as Turkey. Moreover, those Turkish dramas are emotional and romantic and this also engages people living in the Middle East. Turkish dramas frequently cover the relationship between men and women, and since our people live in a society which is relatively freer than other closed societies, this is also a pull factor for these dramas, especially in Middle Eastern countries,” he says. One last important aspect is locations: “Dramas are shot in various parts of Anatolia and they feature amazing Turkish landscapes, especially in Istanbul.”
TTVTurkey Production and Distribution
Hasan Bosazlan,
Director of International Sales, Samanyolu Broadcasting Group Since its first international programming sale to Indonesia (‘Sirlar Dunya Si’) in 2004, Samanyolu Broadcasting Group’s international distribution business hasn’t stopped thriving. European territories pay around US$ 6,000 for each episode of the company’s drama series, a significant amount through which the company continues to foster its in-house production year by year. By Sebastian Torterola Twitter: @storterola storterola@todotv.tv
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amanyolu Broadcasting Group is already a consolidated media and production company, completely immersed in the Turkish TV market’s fierce competition arena. Its main channel Samanyolu TV (STV) is currently one of the nation’s leading TV stations. Also, the group operates a total of twelve TV networks, including EBRU TV (US), HAZAR TV (Azerbaijan), MEHTAP TV (cultural), Yumurcak TV (kids), Samanyolu Haber TV (news channel), just to name a few. “Basically, we have all kinds of TV channels in Turkey,” Hasan Bozaslan, the Group’s director of International Sales tells ttv.
TURKEY/TTV MAGAZINE
The last decade witnessed a tremendous rise in local production, which notably affected the channels’ strategy towards local audiences. “Basically, every channel in Turkey must have at least five or six original programs per week, since they have to show Turkish drama series every day. That means, except on Sundays, you must have fresh programming for the remaining six days in your channel. According to this, Samanyolu produces minimum six programs each week, 1.5 hours each, which means nine hours of original production a week,” he assures.
started producing two new projects called ‘Life on the Edge’ and ‘World Full of Hope,’” he points out.
“Most of our sales income comes from Eastern European countries. They have money, love Turkish programs and don’t have issues with the pay”. hour, some channels show scenes from last week’s episodes. After that, the new episode starts and goes until 11:15 PM. So, that means each night people just sit and watch three and a half hours of TV,” he explains. Each drama series’ new season premieres in October and ends in June, when everyone goes out on vacation. “Depending on the performance of the program, we decide if we will shoot the second season or not. As most of the series are successful, they do have second seasons the following year. Among our most successful programs are ‘Patterns of Diversity’ and ‘The Hill’, and we are now airing their second seasons. Also, we’ve
Yet, Bozaslan believes the difference between Samanyolu and its Turkish competitors is that the company is the only one in which drama series are produced entirely by its channels, and they own all of the properties they broadcast. THE DRAMA FEVER. Samanyolu operates different kinds of networks in various territories. However, Turkey’s business core -and the TV war’s core as well- is local drama. “This is very important, since every single viewer in the country wants to watch Turkish drama series. I’ll give you an example: everyday in the 8:00 PM prime time slot, during one
The Hill Series
The series ‘Patterns of Diversity’ has already been sold to Central Asia and its distribution to the Balkan countries is currently being negotiated. “Most of our sales income comes from Eastern European countries. “It’s a great market, they love Turkish programs and don’t have issues with the pay.” As there’s a lot of competition in the Middle East and each channel has to show the best programs possible, they struggle to get the most successful Turkish content. So, they are willing to pay interesting amounts of money: from US$ 5,000, minimum, to US$ 42,000 for 45 minutes of content”, Bozaslan explains. That said, through its distribution deals in European countries, Samanyolu’s receives around US$ 5,000 and US$ 15,000 per episode, unlike other regions such as the Balkans and Central Asia, which are “poorer and you make less money”, according to the executive. ttv
Ziyad Varol,
Content Sales Deputy Manager, ATV With around 2,000 hours of original programming produced each year, including TV series, daily shows, lifestyle-entertainment and current affairs programs, ATV -owned by Turkuvaz Media Group- has a “pioneer outlook” on the current market and is at the forefront of the “Turkish drama boom”, according to its Content Sales deputy manager. By Sebastian Torterola Twitter: @storterola storterola@todotv.tv
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s part of Turkey’s “drama boom”, ATV follows the current high quality drama production trend; and the company doesn’t stop there. On the contrary, its growing international catalog also includes formats and various TV genres that enter the international arena as a result of the channel’s daily endeavors in the local market. “The channel is known for its enthralling dramas, hilarious comedies, action-packed series and engaging sitcoms, all of which are produced in the highest quality. With a creative and pioneering approach, ATV successfully produces many unique and original programs, bringing an array of fabulous stories and first rate actors to the TV screen,” Ziyad Varol, ATV’s Content Sales deputy manager, says.
INTERNATIONAL TURKEY. Obviously, the local drama prominence is also reflected on the international demand for Turkish series. Yet, the executive believes in content diversification, as other kinds of content also produced in the country are having good performances overseas. “Based on the sales figures, the most popular genre appears to be drama. However, action and dramedy are
“The most popular genre appears to be drama. However, action and dramedy are also the types of genres buyers are interested in during the international markets.” also the types of genres people show interest in during international markets. If you take a look at ATV’s catalog you will also see two formats which have been very successful in Turkey; ‘Match&Marry’ and ‘Straight Forward’. When Turkey’s drama boom was just emerging, ATV’s titles were only distributed to the Middle East. “However, there are already over 60 countries buying Turkish programs,” he states. The Middle East, Balkans, ExYugoslavian countries, Transcaucasia, PostSoviet states and Eastern Europe are amongst the main buyers. “Nevertheless, it’s not a dream to expect Turkish titles to find slots
The End Thriller
BRAND NEW TRIO. In recent months, ATV has launched three new titles which, according to Ziyad Varol, have been successful in the local market and have also captured the attention of international buyers: TV series ‘Life Goes On’, ‘The End’ and ‘The Cliff’. “From one of the most famous directors in Turkey, Mahsun Kirmizigul, ‘Life Goes On’ draws attention to early marriage incidents that are still common in many regions in the world and portrays the dramatic life of a 15-years-old girl whom by force to get married with a 70 years old man,” he says. In addition, all 25 episodes of ‘The End’ have made an impact as “one of the most unique TV projects in the Turkish TV history;” and ‘The Cliff’ tells “the story of a woman coming to Turkey with her sister with the hope of working as a nanny manages to escape from the trap she falls into at the last moment”. Lastly, Varol shares his outlook on DISCOP Istanbul, a local event for ATV to test the market and the strength of its presence in the region: “It’s a small market, but we are glad to have an event like this taking place in Turkey. It was definitely a right decision to organize said market in Istanbul where the heart of globally popular Turkish drama beats. We find it a tailored market where all potential clients assemble”. ttv
TTV MAGAZINE/TURKEY
All in all, ATV currently produces around 2,000 hours of original programming including TV series, daily shows, lifestyle-entertainment and current affairs programs. However, overlooking the drama genre in Turkey can be quite dangerous. “Drama stands at the core of the TV industry in Turkey, especially for mainstream channels and independent production houses,” he explains. Also, the executive recognizes the industry’s efforts as a whole and assures “all players deserve to be applauded” for their intense work and for succeeding in enhancing the Turkish audiovisual production quality standards. “We are proud to be part of this achievement,” Varol says.
in major European countries, India, Japan or even America in the future, either as taped content or formats. In the past, no one could anticipate the role that Turkish products are currently playing in the global TV market.”
The End - Half the Truth is the Biggest Lie
ATV Abbasaga Mh. Ihlamur Yıldız Cd. Toprak Center Binası, No: 8 Besiktas, 3435, Istanbul, Turkey Ph.: +90 212 381 26 14 Fax: +90 212 227 83 88 Website: www.atvdistribution.com Email: info@atvdistribution.com Stand: 18, 19
Executives Attending
Mutlu Inan, Asst. General Manager / Editor in Chief Ibrahim Eren, Asst. General Manager Erdi Zencirli, Manager, Content - Movies & International Ziyad Varol, Content Sales Manager Didem Yilmaz, Format Acquisitions Manager Nilufer Kuyel, Format Acquisition Deputy Manager Ali Ugur Bayazit, Content Purchasing Deputy Manager
The Limelight on Istanbul
Ahmet The Cook’s Aide
Kuzey Guney
Kanal D Digiturk - Digital Platform Iletisim Hiz. A.S. Dogan TV Center, 34204, Bagcilar, Yildiz Cad. No: 34 Polat Tower Besiktas, Istanbul, Turkey Ph.: +90 212 326000 Fax: +90 212 3260099 Website: www.digiturk.com.tr Email: bahadir.karalar@digiturk.com.tr
Executives Attending
Petek Kardas, İZ TV & Turkmax General Manager
Istanbul, Turkey Ph.: + 90 212 4135111 Website: sales.kanald.com.tr Email: sales@kanald.com.tr Stand: 1, 2, Bosphorus Hall
Executives Attending
Ezgi Ural, Sales & Acquisitions Executive Amac Erol Us, International Sales Kerim Emrah Turna, International Sales
TOP EXecutivE
TOP EXecutivE
Petek Kardas, IZ TV & Turkmax General Manager
Özlem Özsümbül, Head of Sales and Acquisitions
TRT
Turkish Radio And Television Corporation TRT Genel Mudurlugu, Tv Department A Block No.604, Oran 06450, Ankara, Turkey Ph.: +90 312 463 2482 Fax: +90 312 463 2473 Website: www.trtsales.com, www.trt.net.tr Email: meltemtumturk.akyol@trt.net.tr Booth: 12, 13, 14, 15
Executives Attending
Zeynel Koc, Deputy General Director Nimet Ersın, Head of TV Department Meltem Tumturk Akyol Head of International Sales
TOP EXecutivE
TOP EXecutivE Adem Gurses, General Manager
The End - Half the Truth is the Biggest Lie
(Ongoing Series/Thriller - 7 episodes) Aylin leads a happy marriage with her son Ömer and her husband Selim. However, her life changes in one day with the disappearance of her husband, Selim. Selim and Aylin go to the airport to catch the flight to Germany. News of the Germany bound plane crash devastates the family. However, later it is understood that Selim never boarded that plane. Through the surveillance camera, Selim is seen to leave the airport along with a woman and a child. The more Aylin more looks for traces and clues of her husband, the more she realizes how little she knows him. Finding the connection related to Selim’s disappearance in Iran is beyond her imagination.
Lıfe Goes On - Big Story Of Little Lives
TURKEY/TTV MAGAZINE
(Ongoing Series/Drama - 14 episodes)
“Life Goes On” portrays the hard lives of Grandfather İbrahim from Doğubayazıt who feels he would die if kept away from his lands, his son İsmail , the potter who has 2 wives and 7 children and in the broader sense it deals with the migration theme to a big city which results in the disintegration of the family, the fight for power among the family members and the concept of being co-wives. Ismail has 4 children from his first wife Kudret whom he was forced to marry and has 3 children from his second wife Cennet whom he fell in love with at first sight. As the story progresses, as İsmail no longer earns enough from pottery sales, he decides to migrate to İstanbul with the support of his eldest son Siraç and his daughter Zeliha who settled in İstanbul a few years before.
Ibrahim Sahin, General Director
The Limelight on Istanbul (Documentary - 158 x 30’,45’)
Istanbul is that cosmopolitan city that located on two continents, surrounded by three seas and situated on seven hills. The city is 8,000 years old, yet it is still young and vibrant. Historically, it has been the bridge linking the ideas of Europe and Asia. Today it is a modern, striving city that has adopted the changes that have come with the 21st century, yet continues to exhibit the traditions that have always defined it. IZ TV has paid tribute to this eternal city by developing the most comprehensive audio-visual library of Istanbul.
Gallipoli: A Legendary Battle in World War I (Documentary - 6 x 35’)
In 1915 one of the most decisive battles of the First World War took place on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The Gallipoli Campaign was fought between Turks and Germans on one side and the Commonwealth army that consisted of British, Australians, new Zealanders, Indians and South Africans allied with the French and Senegalese armies on the other. The campaign lasted about nine horrific months in which more than a quarter of million lives were lost. IZ TV has sought to capture the traces that were left behind by the Gallipoli Campaign in the Dardanelles.
The Culinary Journey (Documentary - 56 x 30’)
‘The Culinary Journey’ traces the delicious tastes of Anatolia. Whether it is wine, rakı, chocolate, pickles or tea the dishes of Anatolia and tastes of world come together in this film. IZ TV brings the tastes of France, Russia and the Far East into your home and gives you unforgettable flavors and taste sensations.
Kuzey - Guney Kuzey- Güney is the story of two brothers’ struggle to survive in their own worlds. They have different ambitions, different paths... They have different strategies to reach their goals. The only thing the two characteristically opposite brothers have in common is Cemre, the girl they are both in love with... Even though they have very different behaviours and characters, two brothers can somehow manage to get along. The events which destroy two brothers’ life begin after Cemre and her coiffeur mother move into the neighborhood.
Tıme Goes By Year 1967... Long distance Captain Sailor, Ali Akarsu spends most of his time away from his family. In the mean time his wife Cemile takes care of their four children. She becomes both a mother and a father figure to their chidren while her husband is away. One day Ali finally comes back home from his journey and Cemile finds a letter in Ali’s pocket which will lead to many events that will make the Akarsu family’s life upside down... A secret love affair with a foreign woman.
Fatmagul The story of the stolen lives... Fatmagül lives on a shore town with her naive brother Rahmi and his wife Mukaddes. She is counting days to marry her fiancee, her childhood love, fisherman Mustafa... Kerim lives in the same town. When he was a little boy, his father left him and his mother for another woman. Ebe Nanny who is known as the healer of the town, takes Kerim under her own care after his mother’s suicide.
Ahmet The Cook’s Aide (Series - 20 x 40’)
The series depict the İstanbul of the Ottoman era. It reflects the lives of both the imperial Palace and that of the common folk who live around it, giving the traditions of the month of Ramadan, along with the unequalled delicacies from the Ottoman cuisine. The love story between Ahmet and Dilruba is as pure as the tasty dishes he helps prepare. In this series the viewers can find everything related to a typical month of ramadan in the Ottoman era, from the fast breaking, to the pre-dawn meal of sahur, from the Muezzin to the Enderun Teravihi, from the dishes of the imperial palace to the dining traditions.
Layla And Majnun (Series - 39x75’)
Two babies, born on the same day at the same hospital, are laid side by side, for there are not enough swaddles. With that coincidence, their families decide that, when they mature, they should marry each other. They are also given names of the legendary lovers Layla and Majnun. One day, 25 years after being betrothed in the cradle, Majnun’s family tells the story to him and convinces him to ask for Layla for marriage. As much as Majnun is annoyed by this old tradition, he tentatively agrees and they go to Layla’s home.
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TWITTER and FACEBOOK
The Key to
Driving Audiences
What do ‘The X Factor’, Netflix, BBC Entertainment, ANTEL and DIRECTV all have in common? They’re trying to engage audiences and customers through social networks... but only some of them are doing it right. By Stephanie Biscomb Twitter: @sbiscomb sbiscomb@todotv.tv
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52/TTV MAGAZINE
onversations on social networks are the modern equivalent to old-fashion chit-chat amongst friends, co-workers and family, and TV has always been the topic du jour. Some producers and programmers understood this phenomenon immediately, while skeptics simply watched as it continued to grow in popularity despite their criticism. So much light has been shed on the relationship between TV and social networks in just one year, that most of its mysteries have already been solved. It’s true that talking about TV shows on social networks can help retain viewers and stimulate their engagement. It’s a fact that seeing how others comment on a TV show online encourages people to turn on their TV sets and see what all the fuss is about. It’s true that social networks return live TV’s long-lost allure. And yes, it’s also true that comments posted on Facebook or Twitter can boost ratings. CONTROLLING CHAOS. But still, there’s one other thing that remains true: knowing exactly what to do and how to control these online conversations is a lot harder than carrying out any other viral marketing campaign. The
speed in which online comments spread makes it hard not to slip up and harder still to fix any mistakes. This is probably why last year Twitter posted a guide for TV producers
“if you can’t make the commitment to really keep a social network account active -or at least use it to attempt to solve problemsit’s best if you don’t have one at all.” on its site, describing the best practices to incorporate the micro-blogging platform into their shows. Those who know a thing or two about marketing strategies on social networks may find this guide to be a little bland. Its recommendations include twittering during the show, promoting hashtags (#topgear, for example), displaying the show’s and host’s twitter accounts on-screen, taking advantage of dramatic moments within the show to boost comments, displaying tweets on the
air and creating specific hashtags to generate speculation while the show is off the air, just like MTV did during its last edition of the VMAs with the hashtag #whatwillgagawear. These kinds of strategies are meant to control what is said online about a show and maybe prevent the viewer from changing channels. Yet, the guide only covers one set of needs to make this happen. After all, the main appeal of social networks (and not just Twitter) lies on the fact that one can talk to friends but, more importantly, also engage with strangers. HUMANIZING AND COMMON SENSE. Twitter’s success relies on this. Twitter lets both fans and dissidents directly express their opinions maintaining some sort of direct connection with the object of their affection or despise. Users not only feel that they’re talking amongst each other but also to producers, programmers, stars and brands. Social networks are meant to humanize brands and shows and, in a sense, this is exactly what is sometimes missing. The secret lies in having common sense, entertaining, retaining and actually making a difference, even if there’s a middleman involved. This can be done in several different ways. BBC Entertainment’s account for Latin
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America -@BBCEntertainmentLA- does it right by re-tweeting fan’s tweets that mention their shows. Netflix takes it one step further and replies to comments, generates trivia questions and gets involved in its community’s conversations even if these weren’t started by its account. For instance, Netflix’s account in Latin America (@NetflixLAT) took advantage of a hashtag created after Scarlett Johansson’s naked pictures were leaked online to remind users about a movie: “#ScarlettJohanssoning, the meme that entices you to take naked photos of yourself. And to think she was so young when we met her in this movie [link to the movie],” the tweet said.
LEARNING FROM MISTAKES. Yet it’s not all sunshine on this side of the Twitterverse. Even though it’s impossible to have a complete grasp over every strategy, it’s still possible
Uruguay’s state-owned telco ANTEL ignored this when it warned fans about a mock account (@AntelDePocos) that offered ridiculous solutions to everyday problems faced by the company’s users. This unlikely reaction caused a minor outbreak amongst users which really took a toll on the company’s image. But what really affected ANTEL’s image was not limited to its poor sense of humor, but the fact that it threatened to take legal action against the account’s creators, even though the account wasn’t breaking Twitter’s service agreement. Another example comes from DIRECTV, when a group of unsatisfied customers took to social networks to find answers for the lack of HD Channels in their service. The group used the hashtag #DirecTVQueremosMasHD (“DIRECTV we want more HD”) to express their problem and look for a solution. But the operator’s Twitter and Facebook accounts responded with what this journalist considers to be “following protocol”, without getting too involved in the issue.
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Fe br ua ry
The result? Despite DIRECTV understanding the extent of what had happened and releasing a press statement promising to incorporate new HD channels within the following twelve months, the group considered the answer “too vague”. It accused the company in delaying an answer and complained about how impersonal it was when it finally arrived, as well as the fact that they did not know for certain when in the next twelve months they’d get what they were paying for. Those of us who work in this industry understand it’s not possible to add HD networks overnight, a concept that’s not well understood by users. This particular group keeps on complaining but at least DIRECTV managed to isolate them, contacting them directly and appealing to their honesty. Meanwhile, ANTEL has not been this lucky, since it’s still causing outrage among its discontent followers in social networks. It’s clear that if you can’t make the commitment to really keep a social network account active -or at least use it to attempt to solve problems- it’s best if you don’t have one at all. Unless, of course, you’re willing to pay the price. ttv
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Yet, there’s no doubt that the world’s best example comes from the US version of ‘The X Factor’, which already has over 2.5 million fans on its Facebook fan page and generates more than 250.000 tweets per show. The reality show even took auditions through Facebook and YouTube, and partnered with Twitter in October to allow voting via Direct Message through its platform.
to identify possible problems, get a jump on reducing them and figure out what these communication lines can do. The next two examples illustrate exactly how not to deal with problems on social networks.
An al yt ics –
Executives ttv
The Keys
to Success
2011 was very successful for Organización Cisneros in its media and entertainment business. It was a year in which the company became established and invested in HD technologies for its production centers. It was also a year of growth and leadership as far as ratings go, both in pay TV and public TV, in addition to a fruitful co-production deal with Univision. By Sebastián Amoroso Twitter: @sebamoroso samoroso@todotv.tv
Eva Luna Telenovela
to add new markets, opportunities and clients such as Netflix and Hulu. We also continue to raise the stakes in the digital world, where we recently launched RedMas and expect to turn it into the first Hispanic mobile advertising company. We are also planning to increase our investments in social gaming, an area we began working with in 2010.
“The telenovela ‘Eva Luna’ was without a doubt our most successful program in 2011.”
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“Venevision International’s new challenge is to conquer new windows, be aware of every new opportunity that may arise and make sure to take advantage of it.”
M
iguel Dvorak, president and chief operating officer (COO) of Organización Cisneros, spoke to ttv about what the group accomplished in 2011 and what new projects it has in store for 2012. How would you define Organización Cisneros’ business endeavors in 2011? Very positive. Venevision Productions’ star project, ‘Eva Luna’, was certainly one of our greatest success stories; the telenovela -produced in the US- scored the highest ratings in the country’s history during its last episode. Meanwhile, we completed our transition to HD in our Miami studios and will gradually repeat the process in Venezuela. In addition, Venezuelan networks Venevision and Venevision Plus are leaders as far as ratings go, both in public and pay TV. Entertainment company Venevision International continues
The company started 2011 by celebrating Venevisión’s 50th anniversary. Which are your strategies to position the network as a groundbreaking company within the Latin American TV industry? Producing content which engages audiences is, and will always be, essential. Yet we do have a new challenge we must face: we must take advantage of all the new platforms created by technology, especially the internet. We no longer watch a single channel on a traditional screen that the family sits in front of in their living room; we know -and have been working on this for a while- that the ecosystem is much more complex, with multiple screens we must be present on, since the content will not be consumed exclusively in a linear way but on demand; and the audience wants to be more involved and participate in the stories. How many hours a year does Venevision devote to producing original content? What projects does it have in store for 2012? Venevision produces an average of 4,000 hours of entertainment and fiction shows between its two production divisions in Miami and Caracas. For 2012 we have several projects in store, including eight telenovelas, three talk shows, variety shows and the Miss Venezuela pageant, among others. We are currently
Miguel Dvorak,
negotiating two more co-production projects, one of which will be in English.
President and COO of Organización Cisneros
During NATPE, Venevision International presented telenovela ‘The Talisman, produced by Venevision Productions in association with Univision Studios. How has this cooperation worked out for both companies? This co-production agreement is excellent. Univision understands its audiences’ preferences exceptionally well, so it makes perfect sense to be working with them to produce content. ‘The Talisman’ must be greater than its predecessor ‘Eva Luna’, since it’s our second experience with this type of content. In addition, we are also working with the same staff from Univision which includes Luis Fernández and Carlos Sotomayor. What results have you obtained from distributing Venevision International’s content catalog in 2011? It’s been very positive. We continue to reach new markets. The telenovela ‘Eva Luna’ was without a doubt our star project in 2011, alongside ‘Passion of the Heart’ which is still in production but has made its international debut on Chilevisión in early November with excellent results, and has already been sold to several other countries to be premiered during the beginning of 2012. Venevision International’s new goal is to be present in all new platforms and be aware of every new opportunity that may come up to make sure to take advantage of it. How successful have Organización Cisneros’ pay TV deals been? We are extremely pleased with the results of our pay TV division. We are the leading network in Venezuela. In the Dominican Republic, where we launched the signal during the end of 2010, we are already among the highest-rated networks. Our panregional network Novelísima continues to engage audiences. We are investing so much in our pay TV division because we want to conquer new markets, and we’ll soon be sharing news on the matter. The Talisman Telenovela
“Investments in the digital area continue to pay off; we recently launched RedMas and expect to turn it into the first Hispanic mobile advertising company.”
The Miss Venezuela pageant was broadcast live in HD all across Latin America through DIRECTV for the first time in 2011. What has this experience been like? The experience was excellent, which is why we plan to repeat it. The pageant’s prestige extends past Venezuela’s boundaries. Being able to broadcast it for all Latin America, and in HD, was certainly very convenient.
in new digital platforms and new markets, especially in Asia. We will attempt to maintain our networks position as leaders in Venezuela. And last but not least, we will create new projects to make sure Organización Cisneros continues to grow. ttv
In general terms, what’s your outlook on new media consumption? I see them as new ways to provide entertainment content to the audience. As I’ve mentioned before, the scenario is much more complex, there are many more platforms which are very different from one another. The challenge is to be present in each one with the right content.
What are the company’s expectations for 2012? Our main goal is to maintain our telenovelas’ success as our main product for Latin American viewers. Meanwhile, we also intend to promote our business within the digital world, mainly through the mobile advertising company, RedMas. We also plan to invest in new markets in regard to our pay TV business, in addition to distributing content
JOHNATHAN BLUM RETURNS TO VENEVISION The new VP and general manager worked as planning director at Venevision between 2001 and 2008, and VP of commercial operations at E!. With his return, the company intends to improve its capacity and speed during the decision-making process. With Blum’s arrival, the company’s current structure is divided into two main areas: on the one hand, Manuel Fraíz-Grihalba, executive VP at Venevision, will manage all production, programming, image and promotion processes. On the other hand, Blum will oversee all engineering and technical processes, production services and the company’s marketing, sales and alternative media departments, as well as its management and finances, human resources, legal and security divisions.
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What projects does Organización Cisneros have in store in regard to on-demand content and services such as TV Everywhere, VOD and HD? Our production company in Miami is producing entirely in HD and we are planning to gradually do the same in our company in Caracas in 2012. A major portion of our content is already available through streaming platforms such as Hulu, Netflix and YouTube. Our website venevision.com provides our linear content in addition to behind the scenes footage, forums, chat-rooms, etc. We continue to work on strategies that make sure our content is present on every new platform that emerges, while also complementing the audience’s entertainment experience.
Executives TTV
W
ith an increasingly strong presence in EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) and the premiere of new networks such as Lifetime -which will be launched in at least two major territories during 2012-, A+E Networks aims to have its full suite of networks in every country; not just in the EMEA territories, but worldwide. Its director, Jonathan South, spoke to ttv about the company’s strategy. “A+E networks’ channel footprint has grown steadily in EMEA. History is our most widely distributed brand in the region and the channel is offered in both SD and HD in most territories. We also distribute Crime & Investigation Network, Bio, Military, History, and now Lifetime,” South said. “We had a very strong year in 2011; we put a strong focus on Crime & Investigation Network, and we launched in Spain, the Benelux and the Middle East. We also increased distribution within territories where the channel was already available. We plan to continue our focus on expanding and extending our reach in the coming year,” he said. Despite the fact that the bulk of its programs comes from the US; South highlighted the fact that the company’s joint venture channels in the UK, Germany, and Spain/Portugal, as well as its channel partners in Italy are all producing some excellent original local productions. “As we have channels all around the world, local production is key to our success,” he said
Storage Wars Reality Show
In regard to the EMEA markets, South believes they require a good deal of attention as they are quite fragmented markets and are all developing at different speeds. “That also makes them interesting. Many territories have a very highly educated viewership and as such many of our more historical and technological specials and series work well,” he said.
“Viewer tastes have widened, and now we are seeing more interest in our character driven shows like ‘Dance Moms’, ‘Shipping Wars’, ‘Storage Wars’ and ‘Ice Road Truckers’.”
Jonathan South,
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Senior Director of International Content Sales, A+E Networks UK The senior director of international content sales for EMEA at A+E Networks UK, Jonathan South, spoke to ttv about the latest networks and projects the company has in store, and shared details on the challenges it must face in the different regions. By Gonzalo Larrea Twitter: @gonzalolarrea glarrea@todotv.tv
Dance Moms Reality Show
The executive also stated that “viewer tastes have widened, and now we are seeing more interest in our character driven shows like ‘Dance Moms’, ‘Shipping Wars’, ‘Storage Wars’ and ‘Ice Road Truckers’.” The company was formerly named A&E Television Networks, and was rebranded to A+E Networks in 2011. According to South, there were several reasons for the rebrand. “The television industry has changed dramatically over the past few years and we wanted our corporate name to better reflect our business. We decided to remove the word ‘television’ from our name since we are no longer just a television distribution company; our brands and programs are being consumed across a variety of platforms and devices. We believe A+E Networks -and our new logo- is a better reflection of our vibrant business and brands,” he said. The executive also stated he has high expectations for the upcoming edition of DISCOP, which will be held in Istanbul. “I think that Istanbul is perfectly placed to bring some of the most vibrant media markets together from east and west. Having attended DISCOP Budapest regularly, I know that the DISCOP Organization provides an excellent environment in which to do business,” he concluded. ttv
Executives DISCOP ISTANBUL
With a well-rounded, 360° business model, Canadian distribution company FarMore is growing in the media industry, distributing an assorted content catalog with programs that can be adapted to several different platforms. By Carolina Mussio Twitter: @carolinamussio cmussio@todotv.tv
Nathelie Bourdon, President, FarMore
F
arMore, a Canadian distribution company, has an innovative approach to doing business, seeking to make the most of the content it distributes. Its president, Nathalie Bourdon, spoke to ttv about the company’s clear role in the industry, its strategy and future projects. The company doesn’t seek to represent massive amounts of products. It selects those that fit its business model. FarMore is not the biggest company in the industry, nor does it intend to be; it stands out due to its wellrounded distribution strategy.
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As part of this strategy, the company is offering an assorted content catalog with programs that can be adapted to multiple windows, such as ‘LOL ;)’, a comedy series that has no dialogs. According to Bourdon, this series is a perfect product for the company’s 360 strategy: “it goes on broadcast television as a 30-minute format and it can go on the Internet and mobile devices as clips.” FarMore’s catalog also includes a scripted series called ‘The Parents’, which shows the delicate art of being a parent through sketches that can last from 30 seconds to 3 minutes.
FarMore is not the biggest company in the industry, nor does it intend to be; it stands out due to its well-rounded distribution strategy.
The company doesn’t seek to represent massive amounts of products. It selects those that best fit its business model.
The company, which is currently associated with Venevision in Venezuela, is focused on working with broadcast TV and formats. According to Bourdon, formats are “key products” within its distribution catalog, along with game shows, which she believes are currently on trend in the industry. The distribution company is also exploring new windows such as new distribution platforms (mobile, tablets, internet, VOD) which Bourdon believes could be a great source of income to add to the revenues from TV. In addition, following a very succesfull NATPE, which the executive described as “great for making contacts in Latin America and the US,” FarMore will attend the World Content Market in Prague and DISCOP Istanbul. “We have a new dating show format that we want to present at these two markets,” Bourdon concluded. ttv
Shipping Wars
Clash
A+E Networks 235 East 45th Street, New York, NY 10017 Ph.: +1-212-210-1400 Fax: +1-212-907-9476 Website: www.AETNinternational.com Email: intl.sales@aetn.com Stand: S25 - Anadolu Room
Executives Attending
Jennifer Fattell, Content Sales Coordinator, EMEA
TOP EXecutivE
Ballad For A Queen
AB International Distribution 132 avenue du president Wilson, 93210 La plaine Saint Denis Cedex, France Ph.: +33 -1 49 22 20 01 Fax: +33 -1 49 22 22 16 Email: ventes@groupe-ab.fr Website: www.ab-international.com Booth: Viewing Box 29
Executives Attending
ARTE France 8 Rue Marceau, 92785 Issy-les-Moulineaux Ph.: 33 (0)1 55 00 70 94 Fax: 33 (0)1 55 00 80 64 Website: http://www.artepro.com/sales Email: c-hazard@artefrance.fr Booth: Arte Booth, French Pavilion
Executives Attending
Cedric Hazard, Head of International Sales and Acquisitions
TOP EXecutivE
(Real Life - 9 x 30’)
A handful of independent transporters have discovered that fortunes that can be made by shipping things traditional carriers won’t touch. These competitive and creative shippers are willing to go the extra mile and take on the oversized, the bulky and the strangely shaped packages that have to be transported from one place to another. See how this battle goes on every day across the highways throughout the U.S.
Storage Wars
(Real Life - 52 x 30’ + 2 x 60’ Specials) Storage unit auctions are the newest and biggest untapped source for hidden treasures, and opportunistic individuals bid on unclaimed properties hoping to strike gold. In this character-driven treasure hunt, bidders range from twenty-something’s out for fun and adventure to husband and wife teams looking to make fast cash. In each episode, the owner of the storage facility cuts the lock to a delinquent unit and raises the door for the first time, allowing anxious bidders to peer inside for a brief moment, aided only by a flashlight.
Dance Moms
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(Entertainment - 25 x 60’ + 1 x 60’ Special) Every little girl has a dream…but their mothers have even bigger ones. Explore the world of competitive dance, where mothers push their daughters to the extreme, while vicariously living out their own dreams through their children. These mothers are driven, fierce and at times ruthless, spending thousands of dollars, all for the chance to turn their daughters into stars. Set in Pittsburgh’s renowned Abby Lee Dance Company, Dance Moms follows children’s early steps on the road to stardom, all under the discerning eye of the notoriously demanding and passionate instructor, Abby Lee Miller.
Clash
(Drama Series - 6 x 52’) Humor, accuracy ans emotion, Clash streches the rope between the Adult and Teengaer planets, where relationships are either passionate or fragile, tender or controversial, stifling or broken. Parents and teenagers : two spheres that live together, intertwine and avoid each other; two universes where harmony and getting along permanently on the edge; two worlds that the CLASH series explore with brand new eyes. These 6x52 episodes stage with a bitter sweet tone a group of teenagers and their respective families, exploring each protagonist’s point of view.
Love In Paris
(Adventure Series - 52 x 45’) Years have gone by since Helen and The Boys. Nicolas is a photographer living on a barge moored alongside the Seine. Olga and Bénédicte have become best friends after Olga saved Bénédicte and Jimmy’s daughter’s life. And everyone thinks Jeanne died in a terrible plane crash. Only Nicolas knows what became of Helene… Professional experiences, encounters, separations, reconciliations - the life of this inseparable group of friends still thrives …
Mafiosa
(Drama/Thriller - 32 X 52’) Mafiosa focuses on the Corsican mafia in which sibling rivaltry splits a clan in two JeanMichel manages to get Sandra to flee Corsica, under the pretext of saving her life from the nationalists. After a year away, Sandra is back in Paris and wants to expand her power within the gambling world. But she hasn’t forgotten that her brother has betrayed her once again.
Lima 1261, C1138ACA, Buenos Aires, Argentina Ph.: + 54 11 4306 0013 Fax: 54 11 4370 1403 Website: www.artear.com Email: sales@artearinternacional.com.ar Booth: Meeting Table C
Executives Attending
Julieta Gonzalez, Sales Executive
TOP EXecutivE Julieta Gonzalez, Sales Executive
Cedric Hazard, Head of International Sales and Acquisitions
Katia Sol, International Sales Manager
Shipping Wars
Artear Argentina
(Arte Radiotelevisivo Argentino S.A.)
TOP EXecutivE
Katia Sol, International Sales Manager
Jonathan South, Vice President, Content Sales - EMEA
The Social Leader
Ballad For A Queen
The Social Leader
(Documentary - 52’, 90’ - HD)
(Series - 40 x 60’)
On the occasion of Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee in February 2012 (60 years of reign), this documentary offers an iconoclastic and distanced look of the Monarchy and the British society.
The Social Leader tells the story of a political staffer, a man that keeps his dreams alive in a very peculiar way: through the political and social work within a neighborhood. He influences the actions and drives the destinies of the neighbors he represents in the area he has taken control of. The Social Leader is a personal story that portrays the path of frustrations and unfulfilled wishes.
Farewell Comrades (Documentary - 6 x 52’ - HD)
How the Soviet Empire collapsed? From 1975 to 1991, the end of communism in Europe, told by those who were there, lived it, and took part in it.
Species’ Return
(Documentary - 3 x 52’ - HD) With a little helping hand, Mother Nature possesses magnificent vital energy. It is up to us to understand that energy. The films in this series examine various species that have made a comeback among our European landscapes, providing “close to home” examples.
Apple, The Tyrannical Rule Of Cool (Documentary - 52’ - HD)
Apple, the brand that symbolises counterculture, has become a giant that dictates cultural norms and trends. At the root of their success story lies the genius marketing ploy of making mainstream power look tacky by declaring themselves counter to it, thereby conquering consumers with their cool.
Geek Planet: The Irresistible Rise Of A Generation (Documentary - 52’ - HD)
A new generation - the geek generation - has taken over. It is now fashionable to be a geek and for everyone to claim to be one. In saga form, this documentary follows the irresistible rise of a generation and the cultural tsunami it has spearheaded.
Left on the shelf (Series - 35 x 60’)
The harsh and biting widow Gloria (Blum) suddendly passes away. Her three spinster daughters, Susi (Toscano), Virgi (Siciliani) and Male (Cid), come to realize that the death of their dreadful mother is absolutely no liberation at all. As if cursed their lives seem to be marked by the fiasco of being unable to connect with the opposite sex… These three beautiful smart and young women, unable to find Mr. Right… have each other to lean on. This intense sitcom boldly confronts frustration and despair in the pursue for something which comes close to happiness.
Be Kind To Me (Series - 36 x 60’)
It’s never too late to get to know each other. After 22 years of marriage, Jose (Julio Chavez) and Sonia (Cecilia Roth) are having a midlife crisis and to make things a bit more appealing their two kids are caught between whether to make it out there in the complex adult world and grow up or simply linger on as teenagers. And so, in the middle of their lives this couple shaped by life and it’s daily trials, who thought they really knew each other, discover they too have grown separately as adults, and come to the realization that the person lying next to them is an old stranger. A known stranger that still has a lot to give.
The End - Half the Truth is the Biggest Lie
Tempted
Khuda-Yana
Karadag Family
ATV
Banijay International
BRB Internacional
Calinos
Abbasaga Mh. Ihlamur Yıldız Cd. Toprak Center Binası, No: 8 Besiktas, 3435, Istanbul, Turkey Ph.: +90 212 381 26 14 Fax: +90 212 227 83 88 Website: www.atvdistribution.com Email: info@atvdistribution.com Stand: 18, 19
Mosedalvej 14 - 2500 Valby, Denmark Ph.: +45.36.18.84.84 Email: Sales@banijayinternational.com Website: www.banijayinternational.com
Autovía Fuencarral-Alcobendas, Km 12,220, Ed. Auge I, 4º. 28049 Madrid, Spain Ph.: +34 91 77 11 400 Fax: +34 91358 98 18 Web: www.brb.es Booth: Bosphorus, Meeting table I
Kavacik Mah. Ekinciler Cad. Necip Fazıl Cikmazi Sokak. No:6 Beykoz/ Istanbul - Turkey Ph.: +90 216 999 4 999 Fax: +90 216 999 20 00 Website: www.calinos.com Booth: 23-24
Executives Attending
Executives Attending
Executives Attending
Mutlu Inan, Asst. General Manager / Editor in Chief Ibrahim Eren, Asst. General Manager Erdi Zencirli, Manager, Content - Movies & International Ziyad Varol, Content Sales Manager Didem Yilmaz, Format Acquisitions Manager Nilufer Kuyel, Format Acquisition Deputy Manager Ali Ugur Bayazit, Content Purchasing Deputy Manager
TOP EXecutivE Adem Gurses, General Manager
The End - Half the Truth is the Biggest Lie
(Ongoing Series/Thriller - 7 episodes) Aylin leads a happy marriage with her son Ömer and her husband Selim. However, her life changes in one day with the disappearance of her husband, Selim. Selim and Aylin go to the airport to catch the flight to Germany. News of the Germany bound plane crash devastates the family. However, later it is understood that Selim never boarded that plane. Through the surveillance camera, Selim is seen to leave the airport along with a woman and a child. The more Aylin more looks for traces and clues of her husband, the more she realizes how little she knows him. Finding the connection related to Selim’s disappearance in Iran is beyond her imagination.
Lıfe Goes On - Big Story Of Little Lives (Ongoing Series/Drama - 14 episodes)
Luci Burnley, International Sales & Acquisitions Executive Siobhan Crawford, International Sales Executive
Emilie Pasquet, Sales Executive
TOP EXecutivE
TOP EXecutivE
Luci Burnley, International Sales & Acquisitions Executive
Emilie Pasquet, Sales Executive
Ismail Dursunov, International Sales Manager (CIS) Asli Serim, International Sales Manager (Far East & Europe) Goksu Akgun, Advertisement Manager Sibel Ozorhon, Business Development Director
TOP EXecutivE Firat Gulgen, President
Tempted
Khuda-Yana
A sexy and exotic location turns into the Garden of Eden for 10 contestants, who find that trees of temptation have been planted in every corner of their luxurious mansion. Tempted is an action-packed reality series mixed with a weekly soap opera of biblical proportions that navigates the ethical and moral minefield of the common good vs individual gain. Strategy, cunning, and a snake-like charm are key, because at the end of each episode the contestants will vote out one of their own in the dramatic Doomsday ceremony - only to have them replaced with a new player who could be even more ruthless than the one before.
Khuda-Yana, meaning “The Tale of Khuda”, is set in the legendary world of Magesh and featuring a not-so-common thief who finds himself forced to assume the responsibilities of becoming king… a role as absolutely alien and unknown to him as it is simply unacceptable and, frankly, embarrassing.
(Reality format)
Beat Your Host
(Entertainment Format) Our host is so confident of his talents – in every imaginable area - that he is prepared to make a cash wager that he can’t be beaten, not matter what the competition! Viewers submit their profiles in hopes of being the one selected to take on the host live on stage in front of a pumped-up studio audience. The two opponents will be put through several rounds of head-to-head competition, where anything could happen. If the challenger wins, they take home the cash. But if they don’t manage to beat the host, the money jackpots to next week when another viewer has the chance to win!
Faces
(Game Show Format) Plenty of people take pride in their good memory, but could yours win you money? In this fast-paced and original game show, four contestants stand to win a cash prize. A little celebrity knowledge will help them win... So will quick reactions... Not to mention a few strategic manoeuvres... And a dash of ruthlessness! But more than anything it’s a memory test as they ask themselves “Where have I seen that face before?”
(Adventure Comedy/Animation - 26 x 30’ - HD - CGI)
Canimals
(Cute Comedy/Animation - 52 x 7’ - HD - CGI) Curious, mischievous playful… a Canimal always re-discovers the world from a very unique point of view. The most normal objects, the most monotonous tasks, the most common places and the simplest activities become a constant experimentation and total fun.
Kambu
(Slalstick Comedy/Animation - 104 x 7’ - HD - CGI) Kambu is the new postman in Mystery Island and he wants to make friends. But it’s going to be difficult; the inhabitants are more peculiar than he thought. The parcels pile up and there is always something to deliver in a rush. KAMBU is all tenderness, all naivety… all a big mess!!
Papawa
(Animated Comedy - 104 x 7’ - HD) Fame, love, money, pleasure...it doesn’t matter what you want, come to Papawa, the island of your dreams and your dreams will come true, unless you come accross its inhabitants who could turn your perfect dream into your worst nightmare!
Karadag Famıly (Series - 80 TV hours)
An adaptation of Dostoevsky’s “The Brothers Karamazov”. It is a family tragedy centered around a father and his sons where love, intrigue, revenge never end. Halit Karadag and his sons live in a village named Payidar, where there’s a big gap between the wealthy lords and poor peasants.
Fallıng Leaves
(Series - 334 TV hours) The series is based upon a very famous classic Turkish novel. Ali Riza and his wife Hayriye are raising their five children with the importance of moral values and strong family bonds in a small town. The family decides to move to Istanbul following their daughter getting into University in Istanbul, without knowing what the future will bring them. The big city’s modern life and economic difficulties loosen the family’s strong family bonds slowly.
The Gırl Named Ferıha (Series/Drama - 60 TV hours)
A fairy tale based on white lies… Feriha is a girl who lives in a luxury neighbourhood. Her father works as a janitor in an apartment block, where the block management provides the family a small apartment in the basement. Feriha is in the middle and away of a world where desires and opportunities are endless. Her dreams and reality will be mixed up when she attends a private university with full scholarship. She quickly starts being the center of attention for the upper class in the university.
TTV MAGAZINE/61
“Life Goes On” portrays the hard lives of Grandfather İbrahim from Doğubayazıt who feels he would die if kept away from his lands, his son İsmail , the potter who has 2 wives and 7 children and in the broader sense it deals with the migration theme to a big city which results in the disintegration of the family, the fight for power among the family members and the concept of being co-wives. Ismail has 4 children from his first wife Kudret whom he was forced to marry and has 3 children from his second wife Cennet whom he fell in love with at first sight. As the story progresses, as İsmail no longer earns enough from pottery sales, he decides to migrate to İstanbul with the support of his eldest son Siraç and his daughter Zeliha who settled in İstanbul a few years before.
Executives Attending
The First Lady
Mayday: Air Disaster
Cities For Mobility
Caracol Television
Cineflix Rights
Deutsche Welle
Calle 103 # 69b -43. Bogota, Colombia Ph.: +571-6430-430 (COLOMBIA) Fax: + 1 - 305-960-2017 (USA) Website: www.caracolinternacional.com Email: ventas@caracoltv.com.co Stand number: Viewing Box N°01
Barely Mow Centre, 10 Barley Mow Passage, London, UK, W4 4PH Ph.: +44 (0) 208 996 1810 Email: lrawson@cineflix.com Web: www.cineflixrights.com Booth: Table G
Executives Attending
Executives Attending
Kurt-Schumacher-Str. 3, 53113 Bonn, Deutschland Ph.: +49-228-429-2151 Fax: +49-228-429-2650 Email: guido.baumhauer@dw.de Website: www.dw.de, www.dw-transtel.de Booth: Screening Stand 7, Bosphorus Floor
Berta Orozco, Sales Executive
Lucy Rawson, Sales Executive
TOP EXecutivE
TOP EXecutivE
Berta Orozco, Sales Executive
The First Lady (Series - 100 X 60’)
Paloma is a humble young woman and like many women in her condition, she has a great dream: to become someone, economically and socially. She charms her way however possible into being at the opening night of the musical directed by the theater director, Mariano, where none other than the presidential candidate, Leonardo Santander, will be. She already knows what she wants to be: the First Lady of the country. But to do it, she will have to give up the love she feels for Mariano, earn the trust of the politician and most of all, of his wife, without knowing that she’s opening the doors of her house to the woman who will end up destroying her life completely and help her husband reach the presidency.
The Labyrinth (Series - 40 X 60’)
After overcoming one of the most difficult stages in his life, when his innocence is proved in the case of Susana de Acero´s murder (the wife of the president of the company where he worked 15 years ago), Carlos Alberto Buendía is now a man who tries to live a very normal existence, where his family life, next to his wife Adriana and his daughter Verónica, is what matters the most in the world. But one day, he receives a phone call that he hasn´t been able to assimilate: Susana de Acero, the same woman who he supposedly murdered years ago, wants to warn him that his family is in great danger.
Executives Attending
Mr. Guido Baumhauer, Managing Director of Strategy Marketing and Distribution
Digiturk - Digital Platform Iletisim Hiz. A.S. Yildiz Cad. No: 34 Polat Tower Besiktas, Istanbul, Turkey Ph.: +90 212 326000 Fax: +90 212 3260099 Website: www.digiturk.com.tr Email: bahadir.karalar@digiturk.com.tr
Executives Attending
Petek Kardas, İZ TV & Turkmax General Manager
TOP EXecutivE
Lucy Rawson, Sales Executive
TOP EXecutivE
Mr. Guido Baumhauer, Managing Director of Strategy Marketing and Distribution
Petek Kardas, IZ TV & Turkmax General Manager
Mayday: Air Disaster (98 x 60’, 12 seasons)
Revealing the dark truth that aviation safety improves one crash at a time, ‘Mayday: Air Disaster’ investigates legendary aviation disasters to find out what went wrong and why. Based on cockpit voice recorders, accident reports, and eyewitness accounts, every episode also features interviews, state-of-theart CGI, and gripping reenactments.
Driving Wars
(Format - 8 x 60 min) Driving Wars combines the fantasy of driving video games with the sights, sounds, action, and destruction of real-life motorsport and Hollywood stunts. State-of-the-art robotics and radio control technology are used to remotely control cars as teams of hotshot drivers put their reputations on the line in the ultimate driving competition. Driving Wars brings racing skills and video games together for a totally wild ride.
The Human Body in 3D (2 x 60’- Available in 3D and 2D)
Featuring ground breaking technology, powerful human stories, and real 3D firsts, each unforgettable instalment of The Human Body in 3D is packed with mind-blowing images from a perspective that truly no one has ever seenbefore.
Property Brothers (Format 65 x 60’, 3 seasons)
62/TTV MAGAZINE
The Limelight on Istanbul
The Property Brothers are determined to help couples find, buy, and transform extreme fixer-uppers into their ultimate dream home. Since it’s hard to see beyond a dated property’s shortcomings, they’re using state-of-the-art CGI to reveal their vision of the future.
Cities For Mobility
The Limelight on Istanbul
How can we rescue the cities of the future from gridlock? And how should the people who live in those cities get from A to B? Mobility is one of the most urgent challenges facing humanity. Half of the world’s population already lives in cities, and in future the vast majority will have migrated to urban areas. But it is already the case that many urban transport systems are struggling to keep pace with present demands- new solutions must be found to address problems that are set to grow in future.
Istanbul is that cosmopolitan city that located on two continents, surrounded by three seas and situated on seven hills. The city is 8,000 years old, yet it is still young and vibrant. Historically, it has been the bridge linking the ideas of Europe and Asia. Today it is a modern, striving city that has adopted the changes that have come with the 21st century, yet continues to exhibit the traditions that have always defined it. IZ TV has paid tribute to this eternal city by developing the most comprehensive audio-visual library of Istanbul.
(Documentary/Economics & Agriculture - 3 x 30’)
Euromaxx Design
(Culture & Lifestyle - 25 x 30’) Design is the process by wich nearly all objects - from cars to paper clips, from clothing to chairs - acquire a certain form and function. But design involves more than just shaping and styles: good design is a complex process in which different and often contradictory requirements have to be met to ensure that objects function in the desired way. Design is only good when aesthetic and ergonomic elements, durability, function, ecology, and comfort harmonize and complement one another.
Full Report
(Current Affairs - 65 x 30’) Full Report spotlights key and current social developements that affect us all. It is a series with its finger on the pulse. The investigate reports expose problems, provide explanations and offer visions of life in the future.
(Documentary - 158 x 30’,45’)
Gallipoli: A Legendary Battle in World War I (Documentary - 6 x 35’)
In 1915 one of the most decisive battles of the First World War took place on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The Gallipoli Campaign was fought between Turks and Germans on one side and the Commonwealth army that consisted of British, Australians, new Zealanders, Indians and South Africans allied with the French and Senegalese armies on the other. The campaign lasted about nine horrific months in which more than a quarter of million lives were lost. IZ TV has sought to capture the traces that were left behind by the Gallipoli Campaign in the Dardanelles.
The Culinary Journey (Documentary - 56 x 30’)
‘The Culinary Journey’ traces the delicious tastes of Anatolia. Whether it is wine, rakı, chocolate, pickles or tea the dishes of Anatolia and tastes of world come together in this film. IZ TV brings the tastes of France, Russia and the Far East into your home and gives you unforgettable flavors and taste sensations.
Magnificent Century
Missing - Kizim Nerede
Global Agency Abdi ipekci cad. Arman palas 7/17, Nisantasi 34367, Istanbul, Turkey Tel.: +90 533 7661525 Fax:+90 (212) 296 6053 Website: www.theglobalagency.tv Email: info@theglobalagency.tv
Executives Attending
Catherine Stryker, Head of Sales Brianne Bonney, Sales Manager
TOP EXecutivE Izzet Pinto, CEO
Antimafia Squad
Kuzey Guney
ITV - Inter Medya Hizmetleri Ticaret Ltd. Valikonağı Caddesi 94/8, Nisantasi, 34371 Istanbul, Turkey Ph.: +90 212 2318935 Fax: +90 212 2318929 Email: info@itv-intermedya.com Website: www.itv-intermedya.com Booth: Rumeli Hall
Executives Attending
Ahmet Ziyalar, Managing Director Sibel Ozdemir, Sales Executive Beatriz Cea Esteruelas, Sales Executive Leyla Apa, Sales Assistant
Kanal D
Mediaset Distribution
Dogan TV Center, 34204, Bagcilar, Istanbul, Turkey Ph.: + 90 212 4135111 Website: sales.kanald.com.tr Email: sales@kanald.com.tr Stand: 1, 2, Bosphorus Hall
Via Aurelia Antica 422, 00165 Rome, Italy Tel.: +39 06 66390 566 Fax: +39 06 66390 650 Email: internationalsales@mediaset.it Website: www.mediasetdistribution.com Stand: # 5
Executives Attending
Executives Attending
Ezgi Ural, Sales & Acquisitions Amac Erol Us, International Sales Kerim Emrah Turna, International Sales
Antimafia Squad
(Drama series – 120 x 60’)
Kuzey - Guney
The story of a slave girl’s rise to power, within the harem of Sultan Suleiman, the Magnificent. Passion, murder, jealousy and intrigue are part of everyday life in the harem, and Hurrem must fight her way to the top if she is to survive by becoming the Sultan’s favorite concubine. The series is set in Ottoman times with the lavish costumes of that era.
Kuzey- Güney is the story of two brothers’ struggle to survive in their own worlds. They have different ambitions, different paths... They have different strategies to reach their goals. The only thing the two characteristically opposite brothers have in common is Cemre, the girl they are both in love with... Even though they have very different behaviours and characters, two brothers can somehow manage to get along. The events which destroy two brothers’ life begin after Cemre and her coiffeur mother move into the neighborhood.
Shopping Monsters (Daily strip)
Both the glamorous and the tasteless strut their style in this unique competitive makeover format. “Shopping Monsters” is a day time show that combines the elements of competition, gossip, express makeovers and style! Every week, five different women are given a theme to dress for. Under the pressure of both limited budget and limited time, they have shop for an outfit and pull together hair, make-up and accessories in just four hours. Their fellow competitors are the judges of the end result!
Rise or Fall (Talent format)
Rise Or Fall is a next-generation, highly dramatic and adrenalin-loaded singing competition. Rise or Fall puts all the best aspects of singing formats together, but adds an exciting new innovation – “The Black Hole.” The Black Hole is a special and unique aspect of the show; contestants who make it to the next round “drop out,” literally, through the floor into the losers’ lair!
(Drama - 56 x 42’)
One of the country’s top business executives, his wife Suna, their daughters Zeynep, Cansu and Eylül, their sister İpek, Mine and their respective husbands and children are one big happy family. On top of all of that, another accomplishment that was celebrated with a birthday party was that Zafer Demiray was chosen business man of the year. After the celebration Zeynep and her three cousins ask permission to go to a club. The 4 adolescents are being dropped off by Zafer Demiray. Then the happy family portrait becomes a nightmare.
The Compromise - ARAF ZAMANI (Drama - 100 x 42’)
Is the story of Ali a police officer who dedicates his life to his undercover mission losing his loved ones and his real identity while reaching the deep secrets of his own life. The Compromise is the story of people captures between the light and the dark between good and bad; their life in the purgatory…
Love is in the Air - Yer Gok Ask
(Drama - 210 x 42’)
Tıme Goes By
(Scripted format/mafia series – 4 seasons 12 x 50’) After the arrest of Provenzano, the last godfather, the mafia still has not found a new leader respected by everyone. Inner tensions and rivalries, have so far prevented the reestablishment of a single leader…
The Mall
(Scripted format/Soap opera – 230 x 30’) A fashionable shopping mall in Italy with an endless variety of stores, where you can breathe an atmosphere created by passion, hard work, family ties and an intricate web of relationships. The soap follows the lives of the various families who work in the mall.
Year 1967... Long distance Captain Sailor, Ali Akarsu spends most of his time away from his family. In the mean time his wife Cemile takes care of their four children. She becomes both a mother and a father figure to their chidren while her husband is away. One day Ali finally comes back home from his journey and Cemile finds a letter in Ali’s pocket which will lead to many events that will make the Akarsu family’s life upside down... A secret love affair with a foreign woman.
Intelligence
Fatmagul
Four portraits of contemporary women aged between 35 and 40, getting to grips with the most classic of problems: men.
The story of the stolen lives... Fatmagül lives on a shore town with her naive brother Rahmi and his wife Mukaddes. She is counting days to marry her fiancee, her childhood love, fisherman Mustafa... Kerim lives in the same town. When he was a little boy, his father left him and his mother for another woman. Ebe Nanny who is known as the healer of the town, takes Kerim under her own care after his mother’s suicide.
(Scripted format/Espionage miniseries – 6 x 100’) Inspired by features such as the Bourne trilogy, the latest James Bond and Mission Impossible films, INTELLIGENCE is the first series dedicated to espionage and secret services produced by Italian television.
Girlfriends
(Scripted format/Comedy series – 12 x 50’)
About My Brother
(Scripted format/Soft crime series – 6 x 100’) After the death of their mother, Stefano, a 30 years old lawyer and Filippo, his autistic brother, are forced to live together.
TTV MAGAZINE/63
Two beautiful sisters... One naive, full of sadness and pain because of the loss of her baby and the other one wild, passionate and full of pride... And, one young man... Wealthy, self-confident and successful in business and winning the hearts of all the women around him, who never found the true love... A love divides the hearts of the sisters into two parts. But who knows what life has planned for us. One cannot escape from the destiny. If fire falls into the heart, you cannot give up or say stop to love.
Ms. Manuela Caputi, International Sales Manager
Özlem Özsümbül, Head of Sales and Acquisitions
Can Okan, President/CEO
Missing - KIZIM NEREDE
TOP EXecutivE
TOP EXecutivE
TOP EXecutivE
Magnificent Century
Ms. Manuela Caputi, International Sales Manager
Dinofroz
QuizZz
Mondo TV Address: Via Brenta, 11 - 00198 Rome Italy Ph.: +39 06 86323293 Fax: +39 06 86209836 Email: mondotv@mondotv.it Website: www.mondotv.it Stand: Screening Stand # 4
Executives Attending
Alessandro Venturi, Sales Manager
TOP EXecutivE
Novavision Promotion Internationale 12, Rue Vivienne, 75002, Paris, France Tel.: +33 (0)1 75 47 80 70 Fax: +33 (0)1 75 47 80 74 WebSite: www.novavision.fr Booth: VB27 Anadolu Hall
Executives Attending
Dinofroz
Tom, Eric, John and Bob are four teenage friends regular for everyone else, but they share a weird BOARDGAME than opened up a gate between the present and the past. In the other time dimension, they were able to talk, think and interact with dinosaurs. The only difference is their body: they had a belt around their heavy dinosaur-neck, and on this belt was a vial in which floats a piece of rock, Rockfroz, that works as a link between earth and the world of the dinosaurs, in the past… They’ll have to save the dinosaurs from the Evil Clutches of Neceron, the king of the Dragons.
Gormiti - The New Adventure (Animation series - 26 x 26’ - HD - 3D)
Three thousand years ago, the Island of Gorm faced its gravest hour. The dreaded Magmion was at full power, and his rage threatened to consume the entire island, and every living Gormiti along with it! He was repelled thanks to the power of the Invincible Lords of Nature and their mysterious benefactor, the Old Sage. But the Lords knew that a victory against Magmion was, at best, temporary for Magmion had grown too strong. The wisest among the Lords devised a brilliant, but drastic plan divide Magmion’s power into Six “Firestones” and hide each of these pieces of dark power separately - one sequestered deep within each Lord’s kingdom.
Executives Attending
Delmar Andrade, International Sales Director
TOP EXecutivE
(Format/Entertainment/Non dialogue - 250 x 60’’) The QuizZz is an interactive game and a funny, short and non dialogue family game. The QuizZz is a great tool to keep the audience on (during commercials for example) and get some extra revenues. Let’s guess what’s behind the mime and play!
Pop Corn TV
(Entertainment/Humour - 400 x 26’) A premier family show for a family audience is now totally revised with exciting and energetic new graphics, depicting a variety of favourite gags from ZéZé hidden Camera, Mad Boys, Junior Hidden Camera, Extreme Sport Bloopers and Hilarious Home Video.
The Prize of Surprise
(Format/Entertainment/Non dialogue - 26 y 52’) The Prize of Surprise is a studio based comedy show, giving loads of prizes comparing and guessing people’s craziest reactions from the same Candid Camera gags filmed around the world. 3 candidates playing and reacting to non-dialogue Candid Cameras… trying to guess people’s reactions to pranks from around the world… and being pranksters themselves! In 3 parts, they compete against each other for the highest score, only one wins the ultimate prize. The players need humor and quick wit, but also require imagination, spontaneity and memory. (Compilation show/Entertainment - 175 x 26’) Is a second complete compilation show focused on candid cameras. The show is an answers to the broadcasters who want a candid camera compilation show, but do not require funny home video clips. This family-oriented show features our favorite world renown candid camera gags from : ZéZé hidden camera, Mad Boys, Junior Hidden Camera.
Samanyolu Broadcasting Group Ferah Mah. Resatbey Sok. no:12, Buyuk Camlica, 34692, Istanbul, Turkıye Ph.: +90 216 524 9265 Website: www.samanyolubroadcasting.com Email: sales@samanyolubroadcasting.com
Executives Attending
Hasan Bosazlan, Director of International Sales
TOP EXecutivE
Delmar Andrade, International Sales Director
Mr François-Xavier Poirier, CEO
Crazy Hidden Cameras
64/TTV MAGAZINE
Rua da Várzea, 240 - Barra Funda, São Paulo-SP, Brasil. CEP: 01140-080 Ph.: +55 11 3300-5468 Fax: +55 11 3300-5200 Email: dandrade@sp.rederecord.com.br Website: www.recordtvnetwork.com
TOP EXecutivE
QuizZz
Autumn Roses
Record TV Network
Ms Nathalie Nennig, Sales Manager
Micheline Azoury, Head of International Sales & Brand Manager
(Animation series - 26 x 26’ - HD - CG effects)
Driving Wars
Rebel Rio (Soup Opera)
Elite Way is one of the most renowned educational institutions in the country, where students have access to high quality education and play sports. This is the case of Alice, Diego, Roberta, Carla and Tomás, some rebel teenagers and full of fancies that will discover in music a common goal. The romances, conflicts, confusions, joys and adventures aren’t limited to what happens behind the walls of the college. When they go home on weekends, a lot of things happen. Despite the adversities and all that separates them, Pedro, Alice, Diego, Roberta, Carla and Tomás will come together by their passion for music and the dream of living the moment as if there was no tomorrow.
Jackpot!
(Soup Opera - 45’ - HD) A group of friends had been playing lottery since two years ago. In the New Year’s Eve, when the prize has an extraordinary value, they picked the correct numbers of the lottery and they all become millionaires. They live their dreams but they are also involved in a terrible nightmare because they made a pact: each one has a mission to accomplish within one year and only those who can accomplish their mission shall be entitled to the other half of the prize that is stored in a saving account. The conflicts get worst when the friends that won the lottery start to die mysteriously and the winners enter in a game of life or death in which, if they don’t discover who the murderer is, they may be the next victim.
Hasan Bosazlan, Director of International Sales
Autumn Roses
(Drama series - 29 x 80’) It’s the most plain and pure story of the country where the white and the black, the good and the bad, downtrod and cruel has jumbled up and all the swords are drawn and the fight has started recklessly, boldly and with no gratitude felt because where the roses faded in autumn, they’ll be blossoming with spring. The story start in September 1980 when there was military coup in Turkiye. A life where Kara family’s been supported by the coup capital and Aydın family tries to live and earn their life honestly; their lives meet in a small town. Aydın family and the poor downtrod people of the town is facing with a great tragedy at the end where the tragedy of them becomes feast for Kara family but the heroine of our story Meryem Aydın had struggled to keep her children save away from all the great destructions she had lived and moved to İstanbul.
The Hill
(Series 37 x 80’) The very young people of this land has fallen into a fight in the south-eastern part of Turkiye that families keep themselves updated with love and longing before any bed news but everyday is a bed news and full of tears. On one side our soldiers have been murdered brutally and on another side local people has been suffering seriously. Many loves has ended before they even started. Grievance is even harder when there’s treachery and in an environment like this Commander Serdar wishes to terminate terrorism forever from this land with zero loss. He wants the friendship and peace would be heard everywhere. His soldiers are like the blossoming poppies on the mountains for him. No soldier has been a martyr for nothing, there’s a great beauty behind those bed news. On one hand Commander Serdar is fighting for his country and on the other hand he’s been looking for his lost sister years ago.
New Guys At School
The Voice Of…
Dangerous Affairs
Show TV
Talpa Distribution
Kemerburgaz Cad. Cendere Mevkii No:29, Ayazağa-Şişli, İstanbul, Turkey Ph.: +90 212 331 55 55 Fax: +90 212 280 11 91 Email: www.showtv.com.tr/distribution/ Booth: Screening stands 34, 35, 36
Zevenend 45, 1251 RL LAREN, the Netherlands Tel.: +31 35 5333333 Fax: +31 35 5333334 Website: www.talpa.tv E-mail: sales@talpa.tv
Executives Attending
Serra Karahan, Sales Executive, Turkish Content
TOP EXecutivE
Executives Attending
Annelies Noest, Format Sales Director Gepke Nederlof, Licensing Manager Laura Rhodarmer, Licensing Manager
TOP EXecutivE
Feray Türkan Özkan, Head of Acquisitions & Sales, Turkish Content
New Guys At School (Teen/Drama - +18 x 90’)
In one of the poor neighborhoods, a public school was destroyed because of a fire. Although the state transferred most of the students to some other high schools around, no available school could be found for the remaining seven. There is only one school left for them within the borders of the district; a private school where the children of the rich and the aristocrats are studying. Despite Esma Sultan, the snob School Principal of this new school; they have been accepted to this school with the help of Filiz, their previous student advisor. In this new school, they will fall in love, fight and even become successful.
Muck
(Teen/Drama - +7 x 90’) Our story takes place in one of the leading universities of the country. While it seems like the new academic year will pass with its usual commonness for the students, Mr. Engin, who is the dean of fine arts faculty, is very satisfied with the situation. However, something that will annoy him takes place. The rector somehow cannot understand why they don’t participate in the musical contest which other universities participate every year. Particularly, he watches the successful choirs on stage enviously. He gives instruction to Engin to form a choir like them, and to participate in the contest. Otherwise, the department will be shut-down.
From Lıps To Heart (Drama - 75 x 90’)
Telemundo Internacional 2745 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Coral Gables FL 33134, USA Ph.: (305) 774-0033 Fax: (305) 774-7372 Website: www.telemundointernacional.com Email: alejandra.recasens@nbcuni.com Stand: 03
(Talent show - 17 x 90’)
From the beginning of time, men and women have tried to understand one another. And have usually failed miserably. But there’s hope. On the upbeat game show The Battle of the Sexes, four male and four female celebrities will do all they can to at least try to understand how the other sex thinks, feels and acts. And the results are hilarious.
The Pain Game
(Entertainment - 40 x 30’) On this show, contestants need general knowledge, estimation skills and above all: a high pain tolerance. Because on The Pain Game, wrong answers must be undone by suffering a scary, dirty or painful punishment. So… no pain, no gain!
Let’s Get Married (Entertainment - 4 x 90’)
Let’s Get Married,…Back at long last, a real, spectacular and super romantic ‘I do’ on television. Two couples and their families compete for an unforgettable weddig! Win the game and you win the most important day of your life. Let’s Get Married. Right now!
Silvia García, Director of Sales in Asia and Africa
TOP EXecutivE Mario Castro, Director of New Businesses
TOP EXecutivE
The Voice Of…
(Entertainment - 8 x 90’)
Executives Attending
Development – Asia Marketing Melissa Pillow, Sales Director - Europe
Xavier Aristimuño, SVP Sales & Business Development, Asia Marketing
The Battle of the Sexes
6355 NW 36th St. Suite 101 - Miami, Fl 33166 Ph.: +1 786 265 2501 Fax: +1 786 265 2270 Website: www.televisainternacional.tv/ Email: htrevino@televisa.com.mx Booth: S26
Executives Attending
Maarten Meijs, Managing Director
It’s the purest vocal talent competition ever. Four of the country’s top recording artists seek out the nation’s best vocal talent. In this innovative primetime contest, looks don’t play a role. This show is all about real talent; it’s all about the voice!
Televisa International
Dangerous Affairs (Telenovela - 130 x 60’)
Dangerous Affairs presents the story of Miranda Cruz, a young woman who begins her career as a professor in the city of Miami at a high school specialized in the Arts. What seemed to be the beginning of a promising future for Miranda, becomes an uncertain one when a completely unexpected twist will force her to choose between reason and her heart’s desires.
Maid in Manhattan (Telenovela - 130 x 60’)
Based on the film starring Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes, Maid in Manhattan, this telenovela tells the story of Marisa Lujan, a young Mexican woman, who due to unexpected circumstances encounters the need to immigrate to the United States with her 10-year-old son Lalo. Marisa moves to Manhattan, where she finds employment as a maid in one of the Big Apple’s most prestigious and luxurious hotels. She meets Cristobal Parker and this moment marks the beginning of this romantic story.
I’m the Boss
(Telenovela - 100 x 60’) Presents the story of a separated couple: Sofia Kuncar and Diego Buzzoni. He is a cheerful, sly, charming and smart man, who loves his job as a radio announcer but has serious problems adapting to its structure and established rules. He is the opposite of Sofia, who is an attractive, sophisticated, well-cultured and very organized executive woman.
Abyss of Passion (Telenovela - 150 x 60’)
It is a love story that takes place in a tiny, traditional, picturesque village from Yucatán. Augusto Castañón and Estefanía Berger de Castañón are Elisa’s parents. With them lives Carmina, Estefanía’s sister, who is about to run away from town with Rosendo Arango. Alfonsina, his wife, finds this out and alerts Augusto about it. On the other hand, Estefanía tries to discourage Rosendo from leaving his family; however, they die in a car accident. This is a fascinating story about four youngsters, whose destinies and happiness are seriously damaged by the resentment, the ambition, and the betrayal that rules in the adults’ world.
A Shelter for Love (Telenovela - 150 x 60’)
Luciana is a beautiful and joyful young girl who escapes from the sexual harassment of Don Aquiles, the tyrant in the town she grew up, and arrives in Mexico City. In order to survive, she has to take a job in “La Burbuja”, a bar with very bad reputation. One night, Luciana is accused of hurting a customer and when everything seems lost for her, Claudio, her attorney, rescues her. She sympathizes with him immediately and he offers her his unconditional help.
The one who couldn’t Love (Telenovela - 150 x 60’)
Ana Paula lives in Chiapas where she is studying nursing. When she was about to graduate, she met Bruno, Rogelio Montero’s lawyer. Bruno offered her a job nursing his boss who became paralytic and got stuck in a wheel chair after having an accident. The pay is good so she takes the job in order to financially support her aunt Rosaura, who has been like a mother to her and her brother Miguel ever since they were kids.
TTV MAGAZINE/65
Everything starts when the prince of sorrow, worldwide known violinist Huseyin Kenan, comes back to Istanbul. After many years he comes back to his childhood home and meets innocent beauty Lamia, who will enchant him with her love. From Lips to Heart is a passionate love story captivating violinist Huseyin Kenan and beautiful Lamia.
Abyss of Passion
Ahmet The Cook’s Aide
Legandary Love
TRT
Turkish Radio And Television Corporation TRT Genel Mudurlugu, Tv Department A Block No.604, Oran 06450, Ankara, Turkey Ph.: +90 312 463 2482 Fax: +90 312 463 2473 Website: www.trtsales.com, www.trt.net.tr Email: meltemtumturk.akyol@trt.net.tr Booth: 12, 13, 14, 15
Venevision International
Zodiak Rights
Periferico Sur 4121 Ph.: +52 555 251 1410 Fax: +52 555 251 1409 E-mail: sales@comarex.tv Website: www.comarex.tv
121 Alhambra Plaza, Suite 1400, Coral Gables, FL 33134, USA Ph.: 305.442.3411 Fax: 305.446.4743 Email: info@venevisioninternational.com Website: www.venevisioninternational.com Booth: Viewing Box #9, Bosphorus Hall
Beaumont House, Kensington Village, Avonmore Road, London, W14 8TS Ph.: +44 (0) 207 013 4400 Fax: +44 (0) 207 013 4401 Email: contactus@zodiakrights.com Web: www.zodiakrights.com Booth: S27, S28 Anadolu
Executives Attending
Executives Attending
Executives Attending Martha Contreras, Sales Asia
TOP EXecutivE
Ahmet The Cook’s Aide (Series - 20 x 40’)
The series depict the İstanbul of the Ottoman era. It reflects the lives of both the imperial Palace and that of the common folk who live around it, giving the traditions of the month of Ramadan, along with the unequalled delicacies from the Ottoman cuisine. The love story between Ahmet and Dilruba is as pure as the tasty dishes he helps prepare. In this series the viewers can find everything related to a typical month of ramadan in the Ottoman era, from the fast breaking, to the pre-dawn meal of sahur, from the Muezzin to the Enderun Teravihi, from the dishes of the imperial palace to the dining traditions.
Layla And Majnun (Series - 39x75’)
66/TTV MAGAZINE
Two babies, born on the same day at the same hospital, are laid side by side, for there are not enough swaddles. With that coincidence, their families decide that, when they mature, they should marry each other. They are also given names of the legendary lovers Layla and Majnun. One day, 25 years after being betrothed in the cradle, Majnun’s family tells the story to him and convinces him to ask for Layla for marriage. As much as Majnun is annoyed by this old tradition, he tentatively agrees and they go to Layla’s home.
Cristobal Ponte, Exclusive Independent Representative for Europe, Africa & M.E.
Martha Contreras, Sales Asia
Zeynel Koc, Deputy General Director Nimet Ersın, Head of TV Department Meltem Tumturk Akyol Head of International Sales
Ibrahim Sahın, General Director
Extreme Job Swap
TV Azteca
Executives Attending
TOP EXecutivE
Passions of the Heart
TOP EXecutivE
Andreas Boenisch, Vice President of Sales Marta Csizmadia, Sales Executive Marion Arbellot, Sales Executive
TOP EXecutivE
Manuel Perez, Vice President & CFO of Venevision International
Naomi Koh, Vice President of Sales
Legandary Love (Drama - 120 x 60’)
Judas’ Wife is the nickname given to Altagracia del Toro who has become somehow of a legend, they say she dresses in a bride dress to kill her enemies. Our heroine Natalia will start investigating about this legend and through this process she will meet Salomon who will fight Altagracia del Toro for the property of “Grupo Cervecero”, a beer factory that is the family business. Together Natalia and Salomon will try to discover the real identity behind the veil of “Juda’s wife”…
Orphans
(Drama - 120 x 60’) Synopsis: Huerfanas is the story of three wealthy young girls whose fortune takes a turn for the worse when their parents die. On the tough journey ahead of them they will discover that their fighting spirit and thirst for the truth are the most valuable things they could ever have wished to inherit. The aristocratic Montemayor sisters, Aralia, Melina and Diana are too young and naïve to fully comprehend the tragedy that has befallen them. Their parents had brought them up in a completely different world one where there was no place for betrayal, intrigue and scorn. Now with the help of their nana, Santina, they will have to learn to survive in a harsher reality.
Empress
(Drama - 151 x 60’) This is the story of Emperatriz Jurado, a woman who has fallen in love with Armando Mendoza but he has betrayed her and taken her newborn daughter. Emperatriz swears to herself that she will take revenge against Armando, get her daughter back and make him pay for all the damage he has done.
Passions of the Heart - Corazón Apasionado
Extreme Job Swap
(Telenovela - 120 x 45’)
(Factual Entertainment - 60’ format)
Patricia grows up under the iron hand of her grandmother, a wealthy landowner who manages the family ranch with equal firmness. When Patricia falls in love with a man that doesn’t meet up to her grandmother’s social and economic standards, she must pay the consequences.
People who do the same job in different parts of the world trade places and often end up way outside their comfort zones. Each week a pair of workers from a developing country, swap with a pair from the developed world. Their jobs may be the same, but they have to deal with everything from dramatically different technologies to fitting in with their new communities. Over the course of ten days the four participants learn how they work in their respective trades and experience a life they knew nothing of before.
The Talisman - El Talismán (Telenovela - 120 x 45’)
A passionate love story unfolds: Years after losing her family’s ranch, “El Talismán,” Camila, now an agricultural engineer, returns to the area to work at the neighboring farm and reencounters the love of her life: Pedro, the man who took everything from her father. While desperately fighting her feelings, Camila begins to discover that the past holds many secrets... and that Pedro is not who she believes him to be.
Eva Luna
(Telenovela - 114 x 45’) When Eva’s father is killed by a hit-and-run driver, she vows to find the culprit. Her life becomes a nightmare when she starts suspecting the man she loves. But there are sinister forces leading her to believe this lie… and she finds herself involved with the real killer, who’ll do anything to have her for himself. ‘Eva Luna’ is the highest-rated domesticallyproduced telenovela in U.S. history.
You’ve Got To Be Kidding Me (Entertainment - 60’ or 90’ format)
The ultimate challenge show that pits kids against adults in the most extraordinary contests on television. They’re clever, smart, fast and strong. They compete against some of the country’s toughest opponents in battles of skill, strength and endurance. And they’re all kids! This prime time entertainment format showcases the nation’s most talented kids in a series of nail-biting duels, matching them head-to-head against celebrities from the field of music, sport and culture. A panel of celebrities bet on the outcome with the winner donating their cash prize to charity.
Sing If You Can
(Entertainment - 60’ format) Talented amateur singers attempt to deliver a winning performance despite a range of scary and occasionally painful distractions. How easy is it to sing – when it’s minus 60 degrees? What about performing on stage with 500 wasps buzzing all around you? Is it possible to get a choir to sing in unison while its members are standing on an electrified floor? Do you love singing? You really need to come on this show.