TV Asia Pacific ATF 2013

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Top Buyers Australian Content Kids’ TV BBC Worldwide’s Paul Dempsey www.tvasia.ws

ATF EDITION

asia pacific THE MAGAZINE OF ASIA-PACIFIC MEDIA

DECEMBER 2013

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CONTENTS FEATURES

Much Ado About China When 21st Century Fox offloaded its remaining 12.15-percent stake in Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings in October of this year, pundits were quick to call the move the end of Rupert Murdoch’s long, troubled affair with China.

Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Mansha Daswani Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Managing Editor Joanna Padovano Associate Editor Simon Weaver Online Director Victor L. Cuevas Production & Design Director Phyllis Q. Busell Art Director Cesar Suero Sales & Marketing Director Vanessa Brand Sales & Marketing Manager Terry Acunzo Business Affairs Manager

Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP & Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development TV Asia Pacific © 2013 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.tvasia.ws

In the ’90s the media mogul had great hopes for expanding into this populous Asian nation, as did so many others.Today, most international media companies have shifted the bulk of their resources elsewhere, frustrated by China’s ever-complex maze of restrictions on international content. Even the format industry, which seemed like the best way to crack China, has taken a hit. China’s State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has told the country’s satellite channels to limit their acquisition of international formats to just one a year.The adaptations cannot air between 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. during the year they are imported. China, which has seen a slew of format adaptations over the last two years, is also capping the number of musical talent shows allowed in the country: only one will be approved every three months for prime-time broadcast.

Where there is opportunity, however, is in the digital space.

A new comScore report has found that 87.2 percent of China’s 347 million Internet users are watching online video at home or work, with some 30.9 billion videos watched every month.

The leading video portal in China is Youku, which has acquired a host of international content in recent months, including a slate of titles from FremantleMedia International and Orange Is the New Black from Lionsgate.

Online, on-demand viewing is certainly a consideration for traditional linear broadcasters across Asia. In this issue, we survey some of the region’s biggest buyers about the kinds of content they’re looking for as they work to keep audiences tuned in to the television screen.

This edition also takes a look at some of the major exporters of Australian content, which should be feeling upbeat as they head to the Asia TV Forum; according to a recent study from Screen Australia, the next five years will provide a wave of opportunities for Australian producers to collaborate with their counterparts in China, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and other Asian markets.

You’ll also find in this issue a spotlight on some of the leading kids’ channels across the Asia Pacific, ahead of the first ATF Animation Lab in Singapore.

In addition, we hear from Paul Dempsey, the president of global markets at BBC Worldwide, about the company’s strategy for Asia.

—Mansha Daswani

GET DAILY NEWS ON THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION

18 Shop Until You Drop Buyers headed to the Asia TV Forum are seeking out a wide range of genres.

30 Aussie Allure Australian programming is gaining a foothold across Asia and around the world.

36 Gold Rush In their quest to reach Asia’s youngest audiences, channels are delivering local stories alongside highend imports.

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30 INTERVIEW 26 BBC Worldwide’s Paul Dempsey

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ABC Commercial • 72 Dangerous Animals Australia • Giggle and Hoot • Great War Horses The natural-history series 72 Dangerous Animals Australia shines the spotlight on some of the most deadly creatures living down under. Kate Johnstone, ABC Commercial’s acting sales manager for Asia, describes the show as “a journey of horror and fascination” that is “high in entertainment value.” Other titles being showcased by the company include Giggle and Hoot and Great War Horses.The former, created by ABC TV, is a preschool format focused on music, fun and friendship, while the latter tells the story of the Australian horses that participated during the Great War. “In the lead up to the 100th anniversary of World War I, this program takes a unique perspective on war with superb production values, rolling film archive, evocative re-enactments and cinematic interviews,” says Johnstone.

“Recently, business has been very strong in panAsia along with Japan, India, Singapore, Mongolia and Thailand.”

—Kate Johnstone Giggle and Hoot

activeTV • The Great Food Truck Adventure • Snake Wars • The Food Detectives

Led by a celebrity chef, The Great Food Truck Adventure takes viewers on a culinary road trip across Asia. This is one of the titles on offer from activeTV at this year’s ATF, as is the observational docu-reality series Snake Wars, which follows the experiences of five snake catchers working in Australia. There is also The Food Detectives, a 14-part program that investigates the validity of a number of food-related myths. “These shows are examples of the range of original ideas and formats that are coming out of activeTV that have regional and international appeal,” says Marc Checkley, the company’s VP of development for Asia.

“We’re pairing our broad experience in producing numerous international tentpole formats with fresh, engaging shows that capture characters, stories and locations across the region.”

“[We have] a strong reputation in the Asia Pacific for delivering internationallevel quality and strong ratings for broadcasters.”

—Marc Checkley The Food Detectives

BBC Worldwide • Hidden Kingdoms • Atlantis • How to Grow a Planet Each of the three titles selected by BBC Worldwide as ATF highlights has a different appeal for audiences, according to Joyce Yeung, the company’s executive VP and general manager for Asia.

“For Hidden Kingdoms, even as a factual show it has a drama angle to it,” she says.“It is produced by Mike Gunton, who was behind the landmark projects Life and Africa. Atlantis is created by the same producer as Merlin, and we have already received a great response.

How to Grow a Planet offers viewers a different perspective of our planet—something very relevant in today’s society and key to the survival of our future generations.” Yeung adds, “Viewers in Asia are becoming more and more discerning and are recognizing the quality of U.K. drama for its high production values, unique British culture and humor, as well as the creative ideas.”

“We have seen increasing growth opportunities in the region.”

—Joyce Yeung Hidden Kingdoms 26 World Screen 12/13

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BWO TV and Licensing • Mimmit • The Moffels • Storyteller The music-filled series Mimmit is one of the titles that BWO TV and Licensing believes will catch the interest of buyers in the Asia Pacific.“The design is very unique, colorful and appealing,” says Andrea Bannert, the company’s VP of TV and licensing.

“Besides Finnish and English, we dubbed some sample episodes into Chinese and Japanese.We also provide web elements for the broadcasters for their online promotion.” Another highlight is The Moffels.“The charismatic characters of the series combined with superior animation make The Moffels a preschool series that will last,” says Bannert. The third highlight is Storyteller, which has one completed season and more in production for delivery in summer 2014. “We are very excited to show the first season to buyers in Asia,” Bannert says.

“For the AsiaPacific region, BWO TV and Licensing just started to offer its programs and is looking for new partnerships.”

—Andrea Bannert Mimmit

CJ E&M Corporation • Reply 1994 • Potato Star 2013QR3 • Basketball Following the success of Reply 1997, the anticipation is high for season two, titled Reply 1994, says Jang Ho Seo, the head of international sales and acquisitions at CJ E&M Corporation. “The story brings the audience back to the year 1994, when life was a little simpler and more analogue.The program covers topics that are applicable to any market, including university life, relationships, etc.” CJ E&M is also looking forward to presenting buyers with Potato Star 2013QR3. “While comedies (especially sitcoms) face barriers when travelling to overseas markets, the High Kick franchise produced by the same producer and creative team has established a strong fan base in many countries in Asia,” says Seo. There’s also the historical fiction program Basketball on offer.

“We’ve doubled our sales figures in the Asia Pacific every year for the past three consecutive years.”

Basketball

—Jang Ho Seo

Electus International • David Blaine: Real or Magic • Bet on Your Baby • Food Fighters

India,Thailand and Vietnam are the main territories that Electus International has an eye on for selling formats to. Among its offerings are entertainment and shiny-floor formats, including David Blaine: Real or Magic and Bet on Your Baby, as well as lifestyle fare, notably Fashion Star and Food Fighters. There are also male-skewed action titles such as The Hero and docu-series, including James Cameron’s Years of Living Dangerously. “These themes are universal—family, food, fashion, magic—and resonate with any audience,” says Cyrus Farrokh, the company’s VP and head of Asia Pacific for international distribution. “Our formats are also brand friendly, as we work with clients such as P&G and Walmart at the inception stage so they are part of the story as opposed to being integrated at the production stage.”

Bet on Your Baby

“What distinguishes Electus is the diversity of the catalogue we offer broadcasters, which allows us to service a wide pool of channels.”

—Cyrus Farrokh 28 World Screen 12/13

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Green Gold Animation • Chhota Bheem • Arjun: Prince of Bali • Mighty Raju: Rio Calling Chhota Bheem leads the lineup that Green Gold Animation brings to ATF. The animated series takes place in the mythical land of Dholakpur, a kingdom located in ancient India. It has already enjoyed success in a number of Asian territories, including India, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Also being promoted by the company this year is Arjun: Prince of Bali, which follows a troublemaking 8-year-old prince, and Mighty Raju: Rio Calling, an upcoming theatrical film about a young boy who possesses superpowers. “Green Gold has been a pioneer in creating wholesome entertainment for kids of all ages and is known for its hugely popular, original and path-breaking animated content,” says Rajiv Chilaka, founder and managing director of Green Gold Animation.

“Our goal for ATF is to strengthen our existing tieups and also reach out to the untapped territories in the rest of Asia.”

—Rajiv Chilaka Mighty Raju: Rio Calling

Keshet International • Rising Star • Prisoners of War • Face 2 Face The talent competition Rising Star allows viewers to vote for a winner through an app on their mobile devices. Keshet International is presenting this title at ATF, along with Prisoners of War, the Israeli format that led to the creation of the Emmy Award-winning drama Homeland in the U.S.“In the wake of its prestigious win for Grand Prize at the Seoul International Drama Awards, Prisoners of War has been on Asian broadcasters’ radars,” says Kelly Wright, the company’s regional sales director.

Wright mentions that Prisoners of War is finding success as both a format and as a finished tape version in the region. Also on Keshet’s ATF slate is Face 2 Face, an interactive dating show that allows participants to use social media to “meet” before they connect face to face.

“China’s appetite for formats is very strong, and we appreciate our partnerships there.”

—Kelly Wright Prisoners of War

MANNAM Media • Good Doctor • The Innocent Man • Two Weeks

MANNAM Media’s mission is to bring together the best in premium Korean content and present it to the U.S., Canada and Latin America, among other markets. This includes blockbuster movies, documentaries, reality series and, notably, dramas.

The drama catalogue includes Good Doctor, a medical series.The story centers on an autistic savant who becomes a genius pediatric surgeon. The Innocent Man is a dark melodrama that has themes of betrayal, revenge and romance. Both series are for broadcaster KBS2. MANNAM also presents Two Weeks, which airs on MBC. It is about a small-time gangster who has learned to survive on his wits—and his fists. He falls in love with a college student and looks to start a new life outside of the gangster organization, but starting over isn’t that easy for him.

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Two Weeks

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Media Development Authority of Singapore • Serangoon Road From Infinite Studios, HBO Asia and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) comes the detective drama Serangoon Road. Infinite Studios is among the companies supported by the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA). “The collaboration with HBO Asia and ABC TV has been great,” says Yeo Chun Cheng, the assistant chief executive of industry at the MDA. “We’d like to do more of those. We’re seeing a lot of local stories that appeal well to an international audience. Serangoon Road is a story set in Singapore in the ’60s, but it’s very international and a lot of work went into the research of that period, the way of life and culture. We saw a side of Singapore we’ve never seen ourselves! It’s quite refreshing.”

“Serangoon Road is something we had been planning for three years and it’s come out very well.”

—Yeo Chun Cheng Serangoon Road

SBS International • Change My Race • This is Brazil • Mexican Fiesta with Peter Kuruvita De-racialization surgery takes center stage in Change My Race, an ATF highlight from SBS International. The one-hour program, led by Anna Choy, takes a look at the different types of medical procedures meant to alter the appearance of one’s race. This is Brazil celebrates the individuals that make up Brazil’s culture, from chefs and artists to athletes and musicians. There is also Mexican Fiesta with Peter Kuruvita, which explores the world of Mexican cuisine. “From SBS’s point of view, the Australian content community produces distinctive programming that resonates well with international audiences,” says Lara von Ahlefeldt, the company’s head of program sales.“In particular, our food and lifestyle programs encourage people to explore and celebrate our diverse world, using travel and culture as the conduit.”

“Our goal is to inspire global audiences to explore and celebrate our diverse world, and our talent reflects this diversity and appeals to a wide variety of audiences.”

—Lara von Ahlefeldt Change My Race

Studio 100 Media • Tashi • Vic the Viking • K3

The mystical action-adventure series Tashi is based on the books penned by Australia’s Barbara and Anna Fienberg, which have been sold in more than 20 countries around the globe.

“Tashi’s design is a rich and vibrant blend of color and complexity, which explores a lush and exotic world filled with wonderful creatures and characters,” says Patrick Elmendorff, the managing director of Studio 100 Media. “The audience will immediately be captivated by the exotic environment of Tashi mixing in with the mundane world of his friend Jack.”

Studio 100 is presenting Tashi at this year’s ATF, along with Vic the Viking, a 3D/CGI show featuring slapstick humor, and K3, a 2D animation that drew its inspiration from the popular girls’ band and live-action films.

“The Asian market has always been very interesting for us and our programs have continuously sold very well in the region.”

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—Patrick Elmendorff

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Televisa Internacional • The Power of Destiny • A Shelter for Love • Entertainment formats The telenovelas The Power of Destiny and A Shelter for Love are two highlights from Televisa Internacional at this year’s ATF. The Power of Destiny (La fuerza del destino) focuses on the life of Ivan, a man who returns to Mexico to confront his turbulent past. A Shelter for Love (Un refugio para el amor), an adaptation of a Venezuelan series, follows the unlikely romance that develops between a maid and the wealthy businessman whose family she works for. The company is also promoting its entertainment formats. “The Asia-Pacific market is growing and looking for different trends,” says Mario Castro, the company’s director for Asia and Africa.

“We think that our product will be of interest to the broadcasters in the region.”

“Our goal is to offer our buyers the best product with the highest quality.”

—Mario Castro A Shelter for Love

Toonmax Media • Beijing Opera Cats • Stone Bone Rocks • NuNu&LuLu First launched at MIPCOM 2013, Beijing Opera Cats is a kung fu adventure series inspired by a popular Chinese book. It is co-produced by Toonmax Media and Dazzling Star Productions. Based on a comic strip, Stone Bone Rocks centers on the adventures of a prehistoric youngster and his pet saber-tooth tiger. Also on Toonmax’s slate is NuNu&LuLu, a preschool program featuring a pair of seahorse siblings, and Tales from Journey to the West, an animated show about a character named Monkey King. “These brandnew animated properties are very close to our hearts and we are delighted to be bringing them to the international marketplace in Singapore at ATF this year,” says Yang Wenyan, the managing director of Toonmax Media.

“We have aimed to achieve high international standards in terms of excellent storytelling and high-quality production.”

—Yang Wenyan Beijing Opera Cats

Zodiak Rights • Versus • Grab It, Hold It, Count It • The Proposers

The new studio-based game show Versus provides entertainment suitable for the whole family. “It can be scaled up or down to suit any broadcaster’s budget,” notes Naomi Koh, the VP of sales for Zodiak Rights. The company is also offering buyers Grab It, Hold It, Count It, an entertainment format in which contestants compete to grab, hold and count real money that is being pumped into a “money mansion” in various ways.

“It is an exciting and fast-paced physical format that was coproduced with ABC Japan and Zodiak Media,” Koh says.

Also a new offering, The Proposers is a factual-entertainment show “with lots of love and emotion involved,” says Koh. “It is romantic, heart-warming and feel-good entertainment that should appeal to many broadcasters.”

“I have seen an increase in the formats business in the last year, especially in China, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines, and we are also now discussing deals with Cambodia and Mongolia.”

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—Naomi Koh

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GMA’s My Husband’s Lover.

SHOP

UNTIL YOU DROP Buyers heading to the Asia TV Forum are seeking out a wide range of genres, from high-end dramas to documentaries, formats and more.

By Mansha Daswani y 2018, on-demand revenues generated in the Asia Pacific will reach $1.5 billion, more than double those of 2012, according to Digital TV Research. Of the world’s top ten markets in terms of on-demand revenues, four are in Asia—China, Japan, India and South Korea. Against this backdrop of shifting consumer habits, Asian broadcasters, free and pay, are remaining focused on delivering the most compelling content propositions—preferably at the time, and on the device, of the customer’s choosing.

FOX International Channels (FIC) was an early mover in the TV Everywhere space, rolling out authenticated online players for some of its flagship channels. As a result, negotiations for nonlinear rights are key in the company’s dealings with suppliers.

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“We will be focusing on expanding our rights to allow us to provide a better experience for our affiliates and subscribers who use our online catch-up players and apps,” says Michael Dick, the head of acquisitions for FIC in Asia, about how his programming needs have changed over the last year.

“We need to consider second-screen viewing and more,” agrees Marianne Lee, director of programming and acquisitions for Universal Networks International in the Asia Pacific.

That sentiment is shared by Joy Olby-Tan, the VP of network acquisitions at Singapore’s MediaCorp. “With the need to be in touch with our viewers ‘anytime, anywhere,’ having new-media rights on top of free-to-air rights is now the norm. This will enable us to provide the multiplatform viewing experience to be in tune with viewing needs.”

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FOX Movies Premium, FOX Family Movies and FOX Action Movies. Some of the harder genres to acquire for in recent years have been strong, critically acclaimed series that are hits internationally and that will also rate in our markets.There are many series that work well domestically in the U.S. and across Europe but just don’t rate in our territories in Asia, so the challenge is finding the ones that we feel will work in our markets.”

LICENSE TO RISE

Action hero: Buyers across Asia continue to seek out Korean dramas like MBC’s Two Weeks, represented in select markets by MANNAM Media.

According to Olby-Tan, MediaCorp buys about 12,000 hours a year for its free-to-air channels 5, 8, U and okto and the over-the-top SVOD platform Toggle.

Top-performing acquisitions at MediaCorp have included The X Factor, which airs day-and-date with the U.S. broadcast, Grimm and The Walking Dead, Olby-Tan says.“The blockbuster documentary Africa wowed viewers, and branded animated content such as Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness 2 and My Little Pony Equestria Girls were top performers,” she adds.

“Korean dramas continue to be hugely popular, including the first-window hit Dr. Jin (starring heartthrob Song Seungheon) and the long-form drama Smile Again. Chinese Dream series three, a China-produced talent show series, was also a first-window airing that garnered a strong following.”

Regarding her overall approach, Olby-Tan says, “MediaCorp aims to provide the best curated mix of quality content.

We acquire all key genres, including movies, scripted and unscripted series, documentaries, arts content, children’s programs and sports content. The rights should also be allencompassing, including linear and catch-up free-to-air rights and online VOD rights.”

Another challenge, Dick says, is increased competition for rights, which in turn have driven up license fees.“This is driving us to be more creative in how we spend our budgets and in finding innovative ways to effectively use what we have.”

The increased competition Dick refers to has largely been among the English-language general-entertainment pay-TV channels, which are continually trying to one-up each other in terms of getting their hands on high-profile U.S. acquisitions.

One of the most talked-about new shows of the American fall season, The Blacklist, landed on AXN, which also recently picked up the adventure reality series The Hero for the region.

SPT Networks Asia, AXN’s parent company, remains on the lookout for “high-quality and compelling dramas, reality series and movies that are on brand with our English content channels AXN, beTV and Sony Entertainment Television,” says Ang Hui Keng, senior VP of business operations.

However, the group’s acquisition remit has widened with the upcoming launch of the new channel GEM. “We have ramped up the volume of regional content being acquired for GEM, a 24/7 linear channel that caters to the strong demand for Asian entertainment programming in Vietnam,” Ang says. “This also enables us to acquire a broad range of programs across several genres and territories.”

GAME ON

Another all-encompassing buyer is the FIC portfolio, which is now in the sports rights game following the addition of FOX Sports to its pan-regional offerings. “For example, we recently announced deals for the Bundesliga and the French Open,” Dick notes. “For the rest of our channel portfolio we’re looking at acquiring everything from factual-entertainment shows to put on National Geographic Channel all the way to reality series, formats, U.S. and international scripted dramas and comedies for our general-entertainment channels like FOX and STAR World, as well as blockbuster movies for 38 World Screen 12/13

Rock with me: AXN Asia’s recent acquisitions include Electus International’s The Hero, fronted by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

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Looking up: CJ E&M’s Potato Star 2013QR3 is the newest series from the makers of High Kick, which picked up slots across Asia.

At Universal Networks International, Lee is seeking out content for three brands: DIVA Universal, Universal Channel and Syfy. Among her most successful acquisitions recently have been the American modeling series The Face and Australian cooking competition My Kitchen Rules for DIVA Universal and Bates Motel for Universal Channel.

“We tend to look for character-centric series for Universal Channel, and entertaining competition reality series in addition to uplifting dramas with strong female characters on DIVA,” says Lee about her overall acquisitions approach.

Lee is also increasingly keeping an eye out for strong international formats. “Acquiring formats is a big consideration for our Asia-Pacific market as our ratings and brand trackers show that localized formats are popular among audiences,” she says. She’s also open to local ideas, noting the acquisition of the Singaporean concept Supermodelme.

“We are increasingly looking at acquiring formats wherever they might come from,” says FIC’s Dick. “FIC Asia has had great success with recent original productions like The Apartment season two and Asia’s Next Top Model season two. We are definitely looking to build on the success of these original productions and will continue to turn out even bigger and better shows.”

For ABS-CBN in the Philippines, formats have been among its most successful acquisitions, with local versions of Talpa’s The Voice and Electus’ Bet on Your Baby both resonating with audiences this year. Leng Raymundo, the head of program acquisition, sales and distribution and DTT channels, says she’s looking for both scripted and nonscripted formats, plus drama, animation and movies for ABS-CBN’s main free-to-air channel. For pay TV, meanwhile, she’s eyeing sports content and lifestyle and entertainment fare. “Strong dramas which feature empowering and inspiring contemporary stories of family, relationships 40 World Screen 12/13

and romantic love guarantee the highest ratings,” she says on what she looks for. “Game shows that combine both skill and luck and are cost efficient to mount are preferred.

[We’re also interested in] reality shows which are transformative and effectively show the journey of participants.”

NEW MARKETS

Among the Asian markets that have been garnering increased international attention is Indonesia, which is expected to see tremendous growth in its media sector in 2014. In the very crowded terrestrial landscape, the broadcaster ANTV is refining its schedule for next year in the wake of stiff competition and in preparation for major events like the World Cup. According to Gunawan, the channel’s acquisition and distribution manager, formats will be atop his ATF shopping list, along with animated series and features, variety and comedy. Finding good formats, however, has been a challenge. “We are always looking for some formats from the international market, but apparently there’re nothing that matched with what we needed in 2013.”

Another emerging market is Mongolia, where Mongol TV is working to distinguish itself with high-quality imports.

According to Nomin Chinbat, the CEO of Mongol TV, the format Who Am I? has been a top performer for the free-toair channel, alongside finished programs like Downton Abbey, Homeland and The Good Wife.

Chinbat says she is buying about 400 to 500 hours a year, largely American and British dramas, documentaries and kids’ formats. The acquisition of Western drama is a fairly new development for the channel, Chinbat says, while at ATF she’ll be keeping an eye out for new formats as well as sports programming. In addition, she says, “We need to fill [slots for] late-night adult entertainment and daytime factual-entertainment series.”

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Time check: Period drama like ITV Studios’ Mr Selfridge has done well with pay- and free-TV buyers across the region.

Raymundo at ABS-CBN is keen to close some deals at ATF to fill animation and Asian drama slots. She’s also interested in game shows for weekdays and reality productions for weekends. On how her acquisitions strategy has evolved, Raymundo says, “Digital initiatives are becoming increasingly important as we look to launch our mobile platform soon. Programs which have organic extensions into the Internet and digital space [are preferred], and so is content produced exclusively for digital platforms.”

MediaCorp’s Olby-Tan is buying largely for prime time across a range of genres. “We will favor any content providers who can provide strong content at reasonable rates and who are flexible in the kinds of rights included,” Olby-Tan says.

“Any content with day/date or short windows from the original telecast will be prioritized over others that have long untenable holdbacks. Multiple-platform rights are also key.”

Dick at FIC is also eager to work with content partners on “moving closer to true day-and-date launches in Southeast Asia.” There are no particular slots he needs to fill, he notes. “We are fairly well stocked at the moment. We are currently looking ahead to see what movies and series are coming up next year.” This is particularly important for FIC now that it operates a portfolio of movie networks in Asia.

In addition, he says, “We have also recently begun to make changes to FX, our edgier, more irreverent general-entertainment channel, by introducing movies to the [schedule], so our demand for quirky library movies that fit the FX brand has slightly increased.”

On the series front, meanwhile, he says, “We have and will always look for game-changing [shows] like Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Ray Donovan, The Walking Dead and Sleepy Hollow. At ATF specifically we will primarily be looking ahead to what’s coming up in 2014 and to start planning accordingly.”

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SPT will largely have its eye on new Asian content at ATF this year to fill GEM’s schedule. “We expect to acquire programming from markets such as China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan across a variety of genres, including anime, drama, variety and general entertainment,” Ang says. Anime is also being acquired for SPT’s Animax network.

SPT has engaged in a number of co-productions on a global level, most notably Hannibal for AXN, which is heading into a second season. Ang says that the group will continue to be open to collaborative opportunities in Asia and internationally.

SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION

“We are looking to increase our production output going forward, so we are very open to any and all business models that make sense,” says Dick on FIC’s plans for co-productions.

“We have great teams in place working on building our presence in the factual and entertainment original productions space for both National Geographic Channel as well as our general-entertainment channels, respectively. In the Chinese space, we are already well ahead of the game as a content producer and we’re looking to ramp this up even further. We already produce over 1,000 hours of content for STAR Chinese Channel in Taiwan and beyond, and we are currently co-producing over 10 movies for STAR Chinese Movies.”

Chinbat at Mongol TV is also looking at co-pros as a way to increase her channel’s output of originals, with talks underway to collaborate with companies in Korea, Indonesia and Malaysia on the production of formats.

Buyers across the board seem eager to open up their checkbooks for the right content at ATF. They have every reason to feel optimistic about 2014; against modest predictions for Europe and North America, GroupM estimates that AsiaPacific ad spend will rise 8.2 percent next year.

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BBC Worldwide’s

Paul Dempsey

By Mansha Daswani

Late last year, BBC Worldwide announced a significant restructuring, shifting its organization away from one built around business lines to one focused on the diverse regions in which it operates. As president of global markets at BBC Worldwide, Paul Dempsey oversees a range of those businesses, with responsibility for operations in all non-English-language territories. Asia is one of Dempsey’s key priorities, as the company looks to build on program sales, local production and channel businesses across the region. Dempsey has been with BBC Worldwide since 1998, with roles in the audiobooks, audio and music, and consumer-products divisions. He served as interim CEO following the departure of John Smith and prior to the arrival of Tim Davie, who took up the role of CEO of BBC Worldwide earlier this year. Dempsey shares with TV Asia Pacific his outlook on BBC Worldwide’s businesses in Asia and beyond.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: How has BBC Worldwide’s business

been across the Asia-Pacific region?

DEMPSEY: I’ve been to most of the markets, and the

overriding impression I get is that to think of Asia as a region is a bit flawed in that it implies that what you do in India is the same thing you do in Japan and China and Indonesia. It’s a bit like people thinking Europe is a homogenous, single culture. We won’t have a strategy for Asia, but there clearly are some massive markets there that we need to have plans for. Where we’re traditionally strong with our channels is Southeast Asia: Hong Kong and Singapore have great audiences for our shows. For BBC Knowledge, there are times of year where we’re even the biggest factual channel in Singapore, and certainly one of the top three for pay TV. Indonesia is growing very well for us with our channels, as are Malaysia and Hong Kong. We still have big relationships for TV sales in all of those markets. [We’re thinking about] what brands we might want to focus on in terms of our channels and invest in building distribution and audiences.

Then we have to look at markets like India, Japan and Korea, particularly, where I suspect what’s most interesting is digital innovation. We’ve got established third-party relationships, and they’re good and strong, but there may be some things we can do to build audiences ourselves or with partners digitally. It’s difficult not to be impressed when going to Seoul and seeing people, in the streets, in cafes, on the tube, watching live broadcasts of HD programming which doesn’t buffer. That infrastructure there is so ready to embrace a new way of engaging with our content that we can really have some fun experimenting there.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: India has been a particular challenge

over the last year, hasn’t it?

DEMPSEY: It’s really difficult to reconcile if you think about the BBC and its heritage in India.

The BBC was the first program brand to ever appear on Indian television—with the launch of television, BBC was there. Not unlike a lot of people, we find it difficult to make an economic model work for us with our own channels there.

We’ve been thinking about what we do next.

Getting it right in India is very much a priority for us. Our programming is still available—we have a very strong production business there and we have our top brands there on other people’s channels, which is great.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What are your goals

and expectations for BBC Worldwide’s business in Asia in 2014?

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DEMPSEY: Asia is a big priority for us. We see opportunity for growth across the region, and we’ve really challenged ourselves to hit a big number and get to more consumers across the region than ever before. Following our strategy launch this month, we’ll be using all the tools in our armory to capture new audiences—expect to see new brands across linear and non-linear platforms, more and better content for our third-party partners and exciting new digital innovation.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: Why was the recent BBC Worldwide

restructure an important move?

DEMPSEY: It’s on the back of two things that we saw were

going to impact our business in the future. [There were] fastemerging markets in the world where the appetite for our content was strong, but we hadn’t really focused on them— particularly Latin America and Asia—and then there were the more mature environments where we were more established, like the U.K. and North America and Australia.We felt we had to shift the organization to allow us to put more focus on the [emerging] regions. Secondly, the media landscape is getting so much more complicated that I don’t know how in the future it will be easy for companies to operate with separate operating divisions in any one market. There’s so much fluidity between the channels you operate yourselves, third-party sales and the digital markets. We had areas of global expertise in all of those activities, but on the ground [we were] disconnected and, ironically, incentivized to try and deliver different things. So as well as going to a regional structure, we integrated all the activities in the regions. [That gives us] focus and the ability to respond quickly to this changing environment.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: How do you strike a balance between selling to third-party clients and making signature content available to your branded channels in any given market?

DEMPSEY: We’ve been a mixed-economy business for many years. We’ve got an established network of channels all over the world. We don’t have a blanket approach that favors one route to market over another in terms of windows. We try to bring some science at the title level that looks to see the best way of maximizing the reach. You want to get the biggest audience you can, and of course maximize the value.

Sometimes that means recognizing that third-party broadcasters are the best way to premiere some of our content, and sometimes it’s our own channels. I do think that will get even more interesting [as we] start challenging the traditional notion of windows. It’s going to become much more dynamic, where you have exclusivity, but perhaps for significantly shorter periods of time. We’re starting to think about what windowing looks like in the future. But profit maximization is what we’re about, so that’s going to be at the forefront of the decision-making. What’s the best way of getting the best value by maximizing the availability through various windows?

We also picked up on the increasing need to be creative and flexible about windowing—we had some really interesting conversations with buyers about this.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: Were there any shows or genres that res-

onated particularly well among buyers?

DEMPSEY: Drama dominated for me.There was some great

content coming from our competitors in this space and we were overwhelmed by the response to Atlantis. It’s a show which seems to have really captured buyers’ imaginations.

U.K. viewers agree, and we’re hopeful that the international rollout sees as much success.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: There are still many markets in Western Europe that are struggling economically. How do you cope with these territories that aren’t spending as much money as they used to?

DEMPSEY: We’re fortunate in that we’re a global business.

We do business in 200-plus markets around the world. We’re not reliant on any one revenue stream. We do have mixed income streams. That allows us to be more resilient in the face of the cyclical nature of economic changes and different business activities being stronger than others.Western Europe is a microcosm of that. Within Western Europe there are different revenue streams. You’ve got some very strong economies in Western Europe, even within the Eurozone.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: Coming out of MIPCOM, what were

TV ASIA PACIFIC: And how has your Latin American busi-

you hearing about what broadcasters are looking for in this increasingly fragmented landscape?

DEMPSEY: Premium content is what’s driving demand— it’s what we live or die by in this industry and never was that more relevant than in the current media landscape.

ness been?

DEMPSEY: To be frank, we’ve been in Latin America a long

time—the BBC brand has been in Latin America for about 80 years—but it feels to me that we’re just starting. We have a relatively small channels business on a pan-regional basis 12/13 World Screen 45

Full speed ahead: Top Gear, one of BBC Worldwide’s biggest brands globally, has been localized for the Korean market.

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Fade to black: Drama features prominently on BBC Worldwide’s ATF slate, with Orphan Black among the key offerings.

and a local channel in Brazil, but our distribution could be bigger and there’s scope to improve the content on the channel for fans to get the very best of the BBC.We’ve got a third-party sales business which has had some great success with individual shows, but I don’t think we’ve been clever enough in the way we’ve extracted the most value from the different platforms available to us in that market. I’m saying all that, which is quite a stark appraisal of where we are now and which you may find unusual, but I’ve come back from [a trip to BBC Showcase in Rio] feeling very upbeat about our prospects there. What surprised me more than anything, and I don’t know why it should, was that the BBC brand and its shows and even British-ness are very popular in Latin America.There’s a real interest in Britishness and therefore in the BBC as an iconic British brand.

There’s good evidence of that when you see the appeal of our shows—Doctor Who, Top Gear, some of the big dramas. That’s the hardest to get right—to get fans to appreciate what you do.

What we’re scratching our head about now is, how do we make that into a bigger business? That’s where we’ve got to get our thinking caps on. It may well be that we develop more targeted channels for ourselves or build stronger relationships with third parties. It may well be that we do quite a lot of over-thetop activity and digital. What I know is, we’ve built a strong team there, and we’ve got big ambitions and an established base.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: Let’s talk about the other emerging

regions—Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

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DEMPSEY: Among the best-performing markets for our channels are Poland and South Africa.We’re very happy with where we are there. That doesn’t mean we’re not thinking about what we might want to do next to build on the traction we’ve got. It’s a curious region. It’s not unique to us but we have constructed something which doesn’t exist geographically or politically: Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. There’s a lot of action in there!

That’s 102 countries and they are all quite different. I would group them in three ways. You’ve got very established markets for us, where there’s strong program sales plus our own channels—Poland and South Africa. We’ve got parts of that region which are more in Central and Eastern Europe where we’re in our building phase. We’ve established channels and they seem to be getting audience support and that’s a place from which to grow, and again we have third-party sales. And then there’s the rest of it, which I would call very new and exciting. I’m thinking particularly of Africa and the Middle East. How audiences there can get to know our programs and connect with them, probably without going through the traditional way of linear television, is a very exciting challenge. There are many more mobile phones in Africa than there are TV sets. It’s an interesting region.

There’s much we can do. Evidence suggests that the BBC and the program brands that we represent have as much connection with the lives of people in that part of the world as they do anywhere.

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all3media international’s Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.

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AUSSIE ALLURE Australian programming has been going from strength to strength, gaining a foothold in Asia and other territories around the world.

By Kristin Brzoznowski ustralia’s local production sector has been enjoying a strong surge of investment dollars as of late.

Subscription TV poured more than A$700 million ($680 million) into creating homegrown programming during the last fiscal year, a 6-percent increase on the previous 12 months. And, in the prior year, freeTV networks invested a record A$1.35 billion ($1.31 billion) in Australian content. This has resulted in an abundance of highquality Australia-made productions that are finding slots on broadcasters across the globe, notably within Asia.

Drama, in particular, has emerged as a sweet spot. Spending on Australian TV drama has reached the highest levels on record, according to governent funding body Screen Australia, with a 27-percent increase in expenditure in 2012–13. Overall hours for adult TV dramas are up 7 percent and budgets 11 percent.

“In Australia, we make drama with heart,” says Ian Hogg, the CEO for Australia and the Asia Pacific at FremantleMedia. “I believe this is what international audiences relate to. We really focus on developing strong characters and giving them story lines that are anchored in the human experience. I believe the pro-

A

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duction quality of Australian drama is of a world standard. And there is some intrigue about Australia that international audiences are drawn to.We have quite a unique culture in this country.”

FremantleMedia Australia has a strong track record with its drama series, including Neighbours, a soap opera that premiered in 1985. “Neighbours is the longest-running serial drama in Australia and one of the longest-running in the world,” says Hogg. “It has had an undeniable impact on local television production, and this is something we are very proud of.”

A more recent success from the FremantleMedia Australia drama slate is Wentworth, a modern adaptation of the iconic Prisoner series that pushed boundaries more than three decades ago. New Zealand was among the first countries to pick up Wentworth, followed by the U.K. with Channel 5. Now it will be shown by a multitude of broadcasters throughout Europe. In addition, the show is being adapted in Germany, with other format negotiations pending.

Another company seeing strong demand for Australian drama is all3media international. It represents, among others, the 1920sset detective series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, based on the

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Australia. Screen Australia reports that after three years of contraction in this area, total expenditure on children’s TV drama more than doubled in 2012–13, hours increased by 95 percent and total budgets increased by 74 percent.

“Australian children’s drama is world renowned for its quality,” says Kay Lawrence, the general manager of activeTV Australia. “This has been possible due to the regulations that the free-to-air networks are subject to: they are obliged to broadcast 260 hours of Australian children’s television, including 32 hours of first-run Australian children’s drama. Combined with financial support from the federal and state governments, Australian children’s drama is amongst the best in the world.”

KIDS’ CORNER

Local flavor: SBS International has had success with lifestyle content such as the Luke Nguyen franchise.

novels of Australian author Kerry Greenwood. The series has performed well worldwide and is building up a solid track record in Asia, where it has been licensed to Sundance Channel in Malaysia, Australia Network pan-Asia and okto in Singapore.

“It seems that Australian broadcasters are commissioning more local drama than they did a few years ago, which is, of course, good news for distributors like ourselves,” says Maartje Horchner, the head of acquisitions at all3media international.

Over the last three years, all3media international has invested nearly A$3 million ($2.85 million) into Australian programming. As part of these efforts, the company recently picked up a raft of new Australia-produced content for its catalogue, including the dramas Love Child and ANZAC Girls.

Horchner points out that, in addition to drama, factual programming from Australia has been traveling well. She highlights the success of Bondi Rescue and Life on the Edge.

SBS International, which represents programming from public broadcaster SBS, also reports solid factual sales. “SBS’s distinctive food and travel lifestyle programming continues to do incredibly well for us, as the presenters and tone of the shows really resonate with audiences in Asia,” says Lara von Ahlefeldt, the company’s head of program sales.

“SBS has some fantastic titles that give the viewer real-life experiences of culture and cuisine,” she continues. In Asia, recent sales include Shane Delia’s Spice Journey, following the old spice routes of ancient Persia; Marion’s Thailand, featuring former MasterChef Australia contestant Marion Grasby; and Ask the Butcher, which was recently licensed to Li TV. ABC Commercial, home to content from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), lists lifestyle programming among its best-selling genres as well. Kate Johnstone, acting sales manager for Asia at ABC Commercial, says that premium lifestyle content has been in high demand in many Asian territories, especially in the food and cooking arena.

The lifestyle series Cheese Slices has sold to Singapore, Japan and Thailand, while Poh’s Kitchen was licensed into Thailand, Singapore, Mongolia, Japan and pan-Asia.

Johnstone also mentions that Australian children’s programming is ever popular. ABC Commercial has placed the animated series Bananas in Pyjamas in Singapore, Mongolia, Thailand and China; the show is aired on a number of broadcasters outside of Asia as well.

Taking a closer look at the kids’ sector, there is renewed activity in children’s drama programming coming out of 50 World Screen 12/13

Lawrence says that within Asia, Australian children’s content historically has done well in Japan and Korea. However, she mentions that over the past few years these territories have been overtaken by Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

The Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF), meanwhile, lists Singapore, Japan,Vietnam,Thailand and India as the Asian countries where its kids’ content has performed best.

“From my experience, quality programming is always in demand worldwide, and I think for this reason our series resonate well with Asian audiences,” says Roberta Di Vito, an international sales executive at ACTF. “Kids’ series that are storydriven, with likable talent and quality productions, will always be hits with kids.Asia is a huge region and whilst animation remains very popular with some broadcasters, our live-action comedies, adventure factual series and outrageously funny short-form animations have also been hugely successful in the area.”

Discovery Kids in Asia recently licensed ACTF’s actionadventure series Bushwhacked! Also, all three seasons of Dukes

Cooking up sales: ABC Commercial has noticed strong demand for shows in the food genre, including Poh’s Kitchen on the Road.

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Cool kids: Flying Bark is producing the new animated series Tashi, distributed worldwide

by Studio 100, based on an Australian book series of the same name.

of Broxstonia have been picked up by Cartoon Network in Asia. “The Dukes’ wacky comedy and punk style was a perfect fit for the channel and a huge success,” Di Vito says.

Another major player in Australia’s kids’ content community is Flying Bark Productions, which is part of the Studio 100 Media group. Jim Ballantine, the managing director of Flying Bark Productions, says that the company has developed strong ties with Asian partners. “We have partnered with Chinese and Indian studios for five of our projects currently in production,” he says.

“We’re working closely with a Chinese partner for the development of a CG feature film for Blinky Bill. We’re also producing a stereoscopic feature of Maya the Bee. The Maya TV series has a huge following in Japan, while we’ve seen great interest in the property from China and other Asian territories. The Chinese market is growing rapidly, with its vast pool of talent and stateof-the-art infrastructure.”

Co-production and partnership opportunities have made Australia very attractive to studios, broadcasters and investors overseas, says Ballantine. “Our proximity to Asia puts us in a unique position, and will ultimately drive creativity even further as we continue to forge new partnerships in the region.”

As a whole, Australia’s production community is being urged to keep a closer eye on neighboring Asian countries. A bevy of new opportunities have begun to present themselves for stronger film and TV ties between the two markets, as Asia is becoming an increasingly significant source of revenue for Australia’s local screen industry. Screen Australia’s Common Ground: Opportunities for Australian Screen Partnerships in Asia report estimates the value of Australia’s audiovisual exports to Asia at about A$50 million ($47 million) for each of the past three years, roughly 25 to 35 percent of the country’s total audiovisual exports for each of those periods. The research targets doubling the Asia export figure within the next five years.

ROOM TO GROW

“It’s early days yet for Aussie content in Asia, as most networks and platforms have long-running output or volume agreements for scripted content from the studios,” says FremantleMedia’s Hogg.

“We look forward to making significant inroads next year.”

Hogg points out that there are certain challenges that make selling Australian content within Asia difficult at times.

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“Australian shows can sometimes be a little too parochial, and their casts are not well known in Asia, unlike those of American dramas. But this will change—as more and more Aussie dramas find the airwaves, there will be more resonance with a broad range of audiences.”

Horchner of all3media international has shared a similar experience. “In Asia, like in every other part of the world, Australian content is competing directly against other Englishspeaking content, mainly from the U.S. and secondly from the U.K. A lot of the shows they buy from these regions are part of output deals, leaving fewer slots to be filled by individual acquisitions. So, the Australian content must be outstanding and better value for the money than what is on offer in the U.S. and the U.K. to appeal to Asian buyers.”

The fragmentation of Asian audiences presents yet another challenge, according to SBS International’s von Ahlefeldt.

“However, there are always new avenues and opportunities, and we’re working hard to maximize these and to provide a point of difference to our buyers by bringing authentic, edgy and thought-provoking stories that will resonate with Asian audiences,” she adds.

SBS International is increasingly focusing on exploring second-window opportunities with a variety of digital players and nontraditional platforms, von Ahlefeldt explains. “Our goal is to get our content out on as many platforms as possible and Asia is seen as a huge opportunity for us.”

“Digital is definitely a key opportunity for FremantleMedia,” agrees Hogg. “In Asia, digital is very country-specific. In countries like China, there’s a huge demand for content in the digital space. This is not consistent across the board, however, as many countries are still grappling with infrastructure and connectivity issues.”

“Producers are now focused on creating content for less traditional [platforms] like Netflix and Amazon,” says Ballantine.

“They’re not just thinking about the television series alone, they’re thinking about the entire brand from a 360-degree perspective. Although great characters and great stories will always be at the heart of our projects, we’re eager to seek new platforms for distribution, incorporating multiple platforms and creating special content for online distribution.

It’s an exciting time!”

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Green Gold’s Arjun: Prince of Bali.

GOLD RUSH

In their quest to capture the attention of Asia’s booming youth sector, channels are delivering local stories alongside top-notch imports. By Mansha Daswani & Bob Jenkins Broadcasters’ battle for children’s attention across the Asia Pacific—where 25 percent of the population is under 15—has become increasingly competitive. Free-to-air broadcasters continue to dedicate time slots to their youngest audiences, but largely the space is dominated by the big three—Disney, Nickelodeon and Turner—alongside indies such as KidsCo and more recent entrants like Discovery Kids.

Whether free or pay, local or pan-regional, kids’ channel programmers have much to contend with: restrictions on advertising, the costs associated with original programming and the challenges of keeping up with a fickle, constantly evolving demographic. The latest head scratcher is how to serve their audiences wherever they may be, which means devising smart windowing strategies and making sure that nonlinear rights are included in their programming deals.

“Online rights are becoming increasingly important,” notes Barbara Uecker, the head of programming and acquisitions for children’s television at Australia’s public broadcaster ABC. “Strong growth in viewing on tablets and other mobile devices is apparent throughout our audience.”

As a public broadcaster, Uecker says, ABC “seeks to make our programming available without charge to our audience on the screen of their choice, including delivery by apps to mobile 54 World Screen 12/13

devices and offering a comprehensive online service with games and interactive content.We see increasing competition on digital channels and growing use of social media and gaming.”

As part of its “Brands Everywhere” strategy in the Asia Pacific, Cartoon Network has rolled out a Watch and Play app. “It offers viewers a chance to stream their favorite content,” says Sunny Saha, the general manager for kids’ networks at Turner International Asia Pacific.“Although it will have full non-linear,VOD and streaming functionality, the ability to use the app for catch-up services and live streaming will depend on the authentication process with individual affiliates in each market.”

At Discovery Kids, acquisitions often encompass online, interactive and on-demand rights, notes Kevin Dickie, senior VP of the content group at Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific.

The website for the channel, he explains, mirrors the linear service’s programming schedule. “The website also offers online learning, games and interaction opportunities.”

In whatever format the content is deployed, though, the first concern for programmers is finding distinctive ideas, both local and international, that will resonate with audiences. ABC’s Uecker will be taking part in the ATF Animation Lab in Singapore, where she’ll be on the lookout for compelling concepts from producers across Asia. Uecker is responsible for

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Packing a punch: Disney in greater China airs local originals like Toonmax’s Rabbit Gang.

programming Australia’s dominant kids’ services: ABC3, which targets kids up to age 15, and ABC 4 Kids for preschoolers.

“ABC3 offers the school-age audience a broad range of genres,” Uecker says, including news and current affairs, documentaries and factual entertainment in the morning; comedy, wildlife and animation in the afternoon; and drama, reality and action-adventure in the evening.

The acquired-to-original ratio is about fifty-fifty, with imports like Camp Lakebottom and Grojband complementing domestic originations like Dance Academy and Splatalot.

“Currently we are particularly looking for shows that will appeal to the upper end of the target audience—ages 10-plus,” Uecker says. “This audience responds well to dramas such as Dance Academy, animation such as the Total Drama series and Star Wars: The Clone Wars and shows like Deadly 60 and Horrible Histories.And, of course, comedy is always high on our shopping list.”

Another significant free-to-air player in the children’s space is okto, a service targeting boys and girls 4 to 12 with largely acquired animated fare, including Slugterra and Dragons: Riders of Berk. Topping its acquisition list heading into ATF are animated comedies, plus TV movies and specials to fill a weekly slot. Nonlinear rights for okto are essential, following the recent launch of parent company MediaCorp’s over-the-top service,Toggle, which features a dedicated section for children’s content.

PAY TO PLAY

In pay TV, the global behemoths are focused on localization in order to build their viewer bases.Turner, for instance, has a slew of dedicated feeds for Cartoon Network across the region, and recently added Toonami and Cartoonito to its Asia-Pacific portfolio. “Take-up of both brands has been really promising,” Saha observes. “We knew that kids wanted more content choice and dedicated channels for the genres of shows they liked—and so it 56 World Screen 12/13

has been proven. Subscriptions continue to increase across Southeast Asia, and every few months we’ve been signing new carriage agreements as the momentum grows.”

The flagship Cartoon Network offers varying degrees of local content, depending on the market. Cartoon Network India, for example, airs local feature films, such as Kid Krrish and Mighty Raju, plus Indian TV movies and animated series like Chhota Bheem.

Turner’s biggest competitor in India is the Disney portfolio, which includes Hungama TV. “Hungama TV creates an experience for kids centered on unbridled fun, typical of childhood,” says Devika Prabhu, the director of programming for kids’ networks at Disney UTV. “The channel represents all things fun, mischievous and humorous for kids, and a significant amount of our shows are acquired.The core philosophy of our channel is to bring in good storytelling and iconic characters. If one connects to the character, origin honestly isn’t relevant.”

Asked what she’s on the lookout for, Prabhu says: “We like to bring in content with great stories and characters that kids can relate to. Hungama TV offers a range of animated shows and content that entertain kids. We have a wide variety of Japanese anime that has consistently performed well for us.

And, with the positive response to local productions such as Chor Police, Luv Kush and Adventures of King Vikram, we are also increasing our local animation slate in the coming months.”

Disney in China has also opted for a number of local productions, among them Rabbit Gang from Toonmax Media.

The action comedy is also slated to air on Disney Channel in Hong Kong and Taiwan. “We’re delighted to have this popular manga now adapted into an animation series on our Mandarin-language programming block and channels,” notes Dai Hua, Disney’s head of greater China, adding that further local productions from Toonmax are in the pipeline.

ASIAN FLAIR

Astro Ceria, operated by Malaysia’s dominant pay-TV platform, Astro, is also investing in local content to appeal to the country’s Malay children ages 4 to 14. Its biggest hits have included the singing reality show Ceria PopStar and the dance show Ceria Superstar. The schedule is, however, still mostly acquired, with recent purchases including Code Lyoko, Action Dad, Chibi Marukochan, Wendy, Ultraman Kids and Little Wizard Tao. Heading into the Asia TV Forum, 3D animation with slapstick comedy and action-packed 2D/3D hybrids are on the shopping list.

Astro Ceria’s competitors in Malaysia include Discovery Kids Asia, which has built up distribution in 40 million homes in seven countries since rolling out last year.

“The kids’ market is a high-potential sector, with over 50 percent of the world’s under-14s located in the Asia Pacific, and India having the largest kids’ population in the world at over 420 million,” states Dickie. “In the TV landscape, there is a gap in the market for edutainment programming targeting older school-going kids between the ages of 6 and 12.”

The channel’s shows, Dickie says, “explore adventure, nature, science, wildlife, history and technology.”

Content is largely acquired but Discovery Kids has rolled out three regional productions in the last 12 months. “We are on a continuous lookout for programs that are stimulating, informative and entertaining,” Dickie says.

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