World Screen L.A. Screenings 2012 by World Screen

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THE MAGAZINE OF INTERNATIONAL MEDIA • MAY 2012

www.worldscreen.com

L.A. Screenings Edition

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contents

MAY 2012/L.A. SCREENINGS & CABLE SHOW EDITION

Publisher Ricardo Seguin Guise

departments WORLD VIEW

Editor Anna Carugati

A note from the editor. UPFRONT

Executive Editor Mansha Daswani

New shows on the market. IN FOCUS

Telemundo’s Emilio Romano. SPOTLIGHT

Cisneros Group’s Adriana Cisneros. MARKET TRENDS Televisa’s José Bastón. NETWORK SCORECARD

In the stars.

Contributing Editor Elizabeth Guider

in the news

Special Projects Editor Jay Stuart

ENTERTAINMENT ONE’S JOHN MORAYNISS

Editor, Spanish-Language Publications Elizabeth Bowen-Tombari

The CEO of Entertainment One (eOne) Television shares insights into co-financing formulas and the advantages of being an independent studio. —Anna Carugati

151

The top 50 shows in the U.S. WORLD’S END

18 17

Managing Editor Kristin Brzoznowski

Online Director Simon Weaver

special report

154

Production Director Meredith Miller

WELCOME TO AMERICA

The major Hollywood studios continue to generate solid licensing fees from their broadcast clients and are now eagerly exploring opportunities with new platforms worldwide. —Elizabeth Guider

AMC NETWORKS’ JOSH SAPAN

As the president and CEO of AMC Networks, Sapan has been raising the profile of the AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel and WE tv channel brands. —Anna Carugati

on the record

Art Director Phyllis Q. Busell Sales & Marketing Director Cesar Suero Business Affairs Manager Terry Acunzo Sales & Marketing Assistant Vanessa Brand

one-on-one

Executive Editor, Spanish-Language Publications Rafael Blanco

Senior Editors Bill Dunlap Kate Norris Contributing Writers Chris Forrester Juliana Koranteng Mihir Shah David Wood

LIONSGATE’S KEVIN BEGGS & SANDRA STERN

The president of Lionsgate Television Group and the COO of Lionsgate Television, respectively, talk about pursuing quality and finding alternative financing models. —Anna Carugati

These targeted magazines appear both inside World Screen and as separate publications. FOCUSED MESSAGE This annual media-buyers survey looks at how brands and broadcasters are riding the wave of increased adspend in Latin America 84…HISPANIC TREASURE The U.S. Hispanic channels are looking to thrive in the wake of the 2010 Census results 92…50 YEARS OF SÁBADO GIGANTE Don Francisco on the anniversary of this landmark show 106…INTERVIEWS Televisa’s José Bastón 112…Cisneros Group’s Adriana Cisneros 115…Telemundo’s Emilio Romano 133

WORLD SCREEN is a registered trademark of WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, Suite 1207 New York, NY 10010, U.S.A. Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.worldscreen.com ©2012 WSN INC. Printed by Fry Communications No part of this publication can be used, reprinted, copied or stored in any medium without the publisher’s authorization. WORLD SCREEN is published seven times per year: January, April, May, June/July, October, November and December. Annual subscription price: Inside the U.S.: $70.00 Outside the U.S.: $120.00 Send checks, company information and address corrections to: WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, Suite 1207 New York, NY 10010, U.S.A.

NEW STEPS Producers are adapting toys, games and more for TV 120…INTERVIEWS POW!’s Stan Lee 124…Disney Junior’s Nancy Kanter 126…Studio 100’s Hans Bourlon and Gert

For a free subscription to our newsletters, please visit www.worldscreen.com.

Verhulst 128…FME’s Sander Schwartz 130 4

Ricardo Seguin Guise, President Anna Carugati, Executive VP & Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani, Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development

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world view

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR ANNA CARUGATI

Working Together In a recent visit to a newsstand, I found a copy of Bloomberg Businessweek magazine that was quite interesting. It was the second annual how-to issue and included tips and insights from executives across a number of industries. There seems to be a particular demand for advice these days, as so many people need to reinvent themselves and learn new skills in a tough job market.The issue was fascinating. Its eclectic mix of topics included “SetYour Employees Free,” by Netflix’s CEO, Reed Hastings; “Make Coffee at Home,” from Starbucks’ chairman and CEO, Howard Schultz;“Deal with Angry People,” from the Chicago Police Department’s Sergeant David Haynes;“Get People to Care,” from the World Wildlife Fund’s CEO, Carter Roberts; “Speed Through Airport Security,” from Michael Chertoff, the former Secretary of Homeland Security; and one that was of particular interest to me, “Work with Your Spouse,” from the artist Christo. One item that could have been included is SO MANY PRODUCERS “Make a Successful Co-Production,” since so many producers and broadcasters on both sides AND BROADCASTERS of the Atlantic are sharing the costs, risks and rewards of producing scripted drama. They are joining up out of necessity since so few broadON BOTH SIDES OF casters or producers can afford to finance high-end drama on their own.What everyone is THE ATLANTIC ARE striving for is what Josh Sapan, the president and CEO of AMC Networks, calls iconic shows. Series that elicit such passionate engagement that SHARING THE COSTS, viewers will seek them out on whatever platform is available, often bingeing on episode after on DVDs or, increasingly, digital platRISKS AND REWARDS episode forms, and then wanting to see what happens next so badly that they will turn to the linear OF PRODUCING channel to watch new episodes.We have a Q&A with Sapan in this issue, and one with Kevin Beggs and Sandra Stern of Lionsgate, the studio SCRIPTED DRAMA. that produces Mad Men, one of AMC’s iconic shows. AMC Networks is enriching all its networks with original series and many are co-productions. I have spoken with many production and commissioning executives about co-productions. First of all, the term “co-production” has many different meanings, everything from official treaties for the purpose of getting subsidy money to purely commercial arrangements among broadcasters, producers and distributors.The general consensus is that whatever the term, these partnerships will only grow in number, and the most successful ones are those that are creatively driven—where the most important aspect is the story and the character development of the series, not assuring that as many passports as possible are represented in the 6

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production (a German lead actor, a French director and an Italian director of photography). John Morayniss, the CEO of Entertainment One Television, is one of the leading experts on co-productions. We have an interview with him in this issue. I have learned from John and other television executives that hammering out the co-production deal and piecing together the financing, as detail-sensitive as that may be, is easier than the actual execution of a co-production. If North American and European producers and broadcasters want to work together, they need to learn more about the mechanics of producing in various countries. For example, a showrunner is a quintessential Hollywood figure. He or she is the creator and lead writer of a show, the boss, the one who calls the shots and holds the vision of the show. In Europe, the director is considered the boss on the set. In the U.S., the showrunner works with a “writers’ room,” a group of writers who generally all contribute to the subject matter of each episode and are assigned certain parts of the script, which the showrunner then rewrites. In Europe, the writers’ room does not exist. One person—for example, Julian Fellowes, the creator of Downton Abbey— writes each script in its entirety.This is one of the reasons that European series are usually short runs—six, eight, maybe ten episodes—as opposed to the 22 episodes per season that are customary in the United States. Distributors who are involved in co-productions want long-running series. Europeans tend to “block shoot” as opposed to shooting one episode at a time. Say a series has a number of scenes set in a villa in Tuscany.A European production will shoot all the scenes in the villa, regardless of their chronological order, because renting the villa once is more economical than renting multiple times, or building a set of a villa. North Americans shoot episode by episode, regardless of the locations, and have refined the process to the point that an episode of a prime-time drama is generally shot in eight days. While independent producers and broadcasters around the world continue to look for ways to work together, this month the American networks announce their fall schedules. Because of vertical integration, many of the shows they choose will come from sister Hollywood studios. Our main feature, by Elizabeth Guider, looks at the production and distribution strategies of the studios. Everyone, majors and independents, is looking for the elusive breakout hit. The Bloomberg Businessweek issue doesn’t address that how-to. They can add that to next year’s list.

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upfronts Bandeirantes Communication Group www.band.com.br/distribution • Threedom • It’s Too Late • Rich Women

The products that Band Contents Distribution is launching at the L.A. Screenings have all had “great impact and recognition in Brazil,” according to Elisa Ayub, the company’s director of international content. These offerings include the fashionable reality show Rich Women, which spotlights the luxurious lives of five super-wealthy females. It’s Too Late is a talk show hosted by Danilo Gentili, whom Ayub calls “one of the greatest humorists nowadays in Brazil.” She adds, “He interviews well-known celebrities in Brazil and abroad, including Edgar Vivar (known as Mr. Barriga from Mexico’s El Chavo del 8),Tony Kanaan (one of the greatest pilots from IZOD IndyCar races) and Anderson Silva (the mixed martial arts fighter called The Spider).” Band is also showcasing Threedom. “Band Contents Distribution is aware of buyers’ particularity and complexity and for this reason will bring innovation and diversity in our catalogue,” says Ayub.

“We truly feel that an

increasing number of clients recognize Band Contents Distribution as a digniﬁed content provider, able to reach all market needs.

”

—Elisa Ayub

It’s Too Late

Entertainment One www.eonetv.com

“Broadcasters trust eOne to provide them with what they need based on the broad range of programming we offer.”

• Saving Hope • The Firm • Hell on Wheels

Entertainment One (eOne) recently extended its first-look deal with producer Ilana Frank and her production company, Ilana C. Frank Films, for three more years. Frank is behind the new original drama series Saving Hope, which is set for NBC and CTV this June, as well as Rookie Blue, which eOne has sold to more than 200 territories. Saving Hope is at the top of the eOne drama slate alongside The Firm, adapted from John Grisham’s international best-selling novel. The AMC originals Hell on Wheels, set in post–Civil War America, and The Walking Dead, which takes place in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, cap off the drama highlights. There’s more than drama on offer from eOne, though. “Our overall slate is comprised of a variety of really strong, compelling programming: network drama and comedy series, family, TV movies, reality, factual and documentaries,” says Valerie Cabrera, the executive VP of eOne Television International.“We’re a one-stop shop—we’ve got it all!”

—Valerie Cabrera

Saving Hope

Video interviews with leading players in the media business, industry analysis and a recap of the week’s events—delivered to your inbox every Thursday. For a free subscription, please visit www.worldscreen.com

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Lionsgate www.lionsgate.com

“During the Screenings

• Anger Management • Boss • Nail Files

we are meeting with our longtime broadcast partners and also look forward to meeting new clients and forging new relationships.

This June, the new half-hour comedy Anger Management, starring Charlie Sheen and produced by Lionsgate Television, hits the air on FX.The show has already generated quite a bit of buzz ahead of its launch, given its high-profile leading man. Another Lionsgate show with a well-known lead, Boss, starring Kelsey Grammer, is currently in production on its second season. Jersey Shore producer SallyAnn Salsano and 495 Productions are behind the reality series Nail Files. “We continue to see dramatic increases in the demand for our flagship series Mad Men and Weeds,” says Peter Iacono, the managing director of international television at Lionsgate. “Mad Men, which recently had the premiere of its fifth season on AMC, continues to be one of television’s most talked about returning series.With its fourth consecutive Emmy Award win this past fall for outstanding drama series, the show tied the all-time record for Emmy wins in the category, a testament to the brilliance of the writing, cast and production team—we look forward to expanding its reach internationally.”

”

—Peter Iacono

Anger Management

Multicom Entertainment Group • Finding Hope • Documentary collections • Wobworld

Earlier this year, Irv Holender relaunched Multicom Entertainment Group, a distribution outfit originally formed in 1995. The company made its formal debut at this year’s NATPE, and is now headed to the L.A. Screenings with a raft of content to showcase. Holender, the chairman of Multicom, says he’s “expecting a robust market.” The highlights include Finding Hope, in which a 16-yearold is abducted and married into the cruel household of a polygamist cult leader. She escapes and finds herself lost and alone, in search of a safe place and living life as a runaway. There are also a number of documentaries in the catalogue, including one-hour biographies such as Madonna:The Name of the Game and The Passions of Howard Hughes; music performances from legendary acts such as Johnny Cash and Sammy Davis Jr.; and docs spotlighting, among other topics, the disco era, science fiction and the Bible. For the younger set, Multicom is offering Wobworld, a TV show complemented by a fully interactive website.Topics of science, health and life lessons are covered on both platforms.

Wobworld

Finding Hope

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RTVE www.rtve.es • Isabel • Love in Difﬁcult Times • Remember When…

“ [In Isabel,] one

of the most important periods of history is captured in 13 chapters.

Queen Isabella the Catholic has long been revered as one of the most important women in the history of Spain. Her story plays out on the small screen in the historical drama series Isabel, an offering from RTVE. Rodolfo Domínguez, the commercial director of RTVE, credits the prime-time series as having “a fastpaced narration, magnificent interpretation and a meticulous setting.” Also among the RTVE highlights is Love in Difficult Times, which Domínguez calls an “international star product.” The daily series features a cast that includes some of the biggest names in Spanish acting alongside a crop of fresh talent. “Painstaking, rigorous documentation went into this series, setting a new standard for the quality one expects from TVE fiction,” Domínguez adds. He also points to the success of Remember When… within the company’s catalogue. The series has now reached its 12th season. “These products are made with the highest quality,” says Domínguez.

”

—Rodolfo Domínguez

Isabel

Shine International www.shineinternational.com

“ This market we will be

• MasterChef • The Date Machine • The Battle For…

launching over 450 hours of allnew and returning prime-time programming, produced by an exceptional list of TV’s most successful network producers.

Produced in more than 35 countries worldwide, MasterChef leads off Shine International’s slate for the L.A. Screenings. “Our formats catalogue is packed with opportunities and includes the top-rated Scandinavian formats The Battle For…, Honey,You’re Getting Fat and The Truth About Us, which is currently in production in Latin America,” says Matt Vassallo, the company’sVP of international sales for the U.S., Canada and Latin America. Also offered in the way of formats is The Date Machine. There are 50 hours of fresh scripted programming, including new seasons of FX’s Archer, BBC America’s The Hour and, from The X-Files’ writer Frank Spotnitz, Hunted. “We’re very pleased with our growing drama slate, as this is a genre many distributors struggle to supply,”Vassallo says. He also points to the growing demand for big-brand reality and factual titles, noting Bravo’s Around the World in 80 Plates and Lifetime’s One Born Every Minute. “We expect to close some very interesting deals on factual titles with free-TV broadcasters, a great reflection of our 2012 lineup,” he adds.

”

—Matt Vassallo

MasterChef

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TV Film International www.tvﬁlmcl.com • Casper series & specials • La doña • Mujeres de lujo

Last year TV Film International added productions and formats from Chilevisión to its catalogue. This brought to the company’s slate the telenovela Mujeres de lujo, which has already garnered success in the U.S. Hispanic market, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Uruguay and the Dominican Republic, according to Juan Pablo Carpenter, the director and CEO of TV Film International. This year, the company is looking forward to showcasing four new productions: the telenovelas Infiltradas and La doña and the youth-skewed Gordis and Vampiras. In the way of animated fare, TV Film International represents a catalogue of titles featuring Casper, the friendly ghost. This includes classic Casper cartoons, a Christmas special and the series Casper’s Scare School, among others. Also on the animated slate are 3-2-1 Penguins, George of the Jungle, Twisted Whiskers and Cosmic Quantum Ray.

Casper

“ We believe Latin America will be

well poised [for good business] at the L.A. Screenings.

”

—Juan Pablo Carpenter

WWE www.wwe.com • Raw • SmackDown • WWE pay-per-view specials

The WWE brand is already widely known in Latin America, with flagship programming airing on key freeand pay-TV platforms throughout the region. WWE expanded its pay-per-view penetration from only being available in Mexico in 2009 to pan-regional coverage as of last year. Mobile, online, home-video and licensing businesses continue to develop and mature for WWE throughout the region. The WWE pay-per-view offerings feature emotional stories mixed with athleticism and larger-than-life confrontations, which are capped off by the annual WrestleMania event. WWE also offers two weekly live-event programs that bring viewers the action from matches in venues around the world: SmackDown and Raw. “Our overall goal is to reinforce the scope and size of the WWE business and attract new and upcoming players, across multiple platforms, with our extensive offering in TV, PPV, movies, digital and mobile,” says Ed Wells,WWE’s senior VP and managing director of international operations.

WrestleMania

Raw

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MAKING HEADLINES IN THE MEDIA INDUSTRY BY ANNA CARUGATI

in the news

eOne’s John Morayniss Entertainment One (eOne) Television is a leading creator, producer and distributor of high-quality programming. From The Firm and Hell on Wheels to The Walking Dead and the upcoming Saving Hope, eOne has sold original and third-party programming to broadcasters around the world, including major U.S. networks. CEO John Morayniss, who has acquired expertise in co-productions, talks about co-financing formulas and the advantages of being an independent studio.

WS: How important are co-productions nowadays? MORAYNISS: Television programming that arises

through partnerships with broadcasters, producers and distributors from multiple territories is something that will continue to grow. But in this new world order, we are seeing more of these partnerships coming together without qualifying under an official treaty co-production structure. In other words, creative decisions are being made based solely on what works for the show, not what works to access subsidies or other soft-dollar incentives. These “co-productions” are purely creativedriven, not regulatory-driven, not driven by the rules of a specific treaty where you have to have certain talent from certain countries with certain passports; it’s all about making sure that the best creative elements are driving the project. Those kinds of co-productions are very interesting to me because, as an independent, it’s a way to get projects triggered or well financed without necessarily relying on an initial U.S. sale. But, at the same time, we are not saddled with creative restrictions that may impede an ultimate sale in the U.S. at a later date. For example, Haven, on Syfy, for which the first commissioning broadcasters were actually the international Syfy channels, not the U.S. Syfy channel, or a show like The Firm, which was initially commissioned by the Sony AXN international channels and the U.S. broadcaster, NBC, was the last broadcaster in. In both cases, we received premium license fees from our international broadcast partners in exchange for more editorial input. However, in both cases, these international buyers wanted series that “felt American.” You are going to see more and more of those kinds of projects from us and from other independents. WS: eOne is quite flexible in the way it approaches

partners and constructs deals. MORAYNISS: The studios develop their own shows and

produce and finance them.They have production deals, they have pod deals and they will pick up distribution rights to third-party shows. Certainly we act and look like a studio in that respect, but we take an indie approach to how we construct such arrangements.We tend to be more flexible

dealmakers and offer our partners more upside and more control and autonomy. Decision-making also tends to be quicker.There is a growing list of independent studios that are infiltrating the U.S. market and operate like eOne in terms of offering the kind of flexibility that the major studios can’t. But most of them have their main base of operation outside North America. I think our significant U.S. and Canadian presence and our lengthy track record of getting (and keeping) shows on the air in the U.S. gives us an advantage over our competition. But what is also interesting is that indies are more open to partnering with their competitors. A prime example is eOne’s series on AMC Hell on Wheels, where we ended up entering into a distribution partnership with Endemol where we split territories. With the growth of independent studios in the television space, you are seeing more partnerships and more co-financing arrangements, gap deals, etc., that are similar to what has been employed in the independent film world. WS: Is it very important for you to always have a U.S. broadcaster attached to a project, or to be one of the first sales that you make on a given project? MORAYNISS: It’s very important to us but it’s not sacrosanct. In other words, we have a really strong Canadian development team at eOne in our Toronto office and we are developing shows for the Canadian marketplace with all of the broadcasters, and those shows are targeted and meant to be ultimately made for a Canadian audience. Then, of course, we are always looking at a global market. Whether a show is developed in the U.S. or in Canada, we’re always looking beyond that one market, but first and foremost a show has to make sense for the anchor channel that initially put the show into development. Do we want a U.S. sale? Of course we do, but it’s not necessary.There are some shows that we develop that are molded to only make sense if they have multiple markets involved, whether it’s because of the size of the budgets or the nature of the deals or whatever it is that requires us to seek multiple channel partners in multiple territories.

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Welcome to

America The major Hollywood studios continue to generate solid licensing fees from their broadcast clients and are now eagerly exploring opportunities with new platforms worldwide. By Elizabeth Guider 18

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ABC’s Modern Family, sold by Twentieth Century Fox.

orget the wow factor. When it comes to Hollywood’s international-television business, it’s the how factor that counts. As in how to maximize revenues from program sales when big-time broadcasters abroad are increasingly making their own first-rate (and highly rated) local shows, when so many hit American shows are getting long in the tooth, and when newcomers to the U.S. network schedules have not set the world on fire recently. Despite these and other challenges, the six Hollywood majors, who jointly account for the lion’s share of the program-sales business done abroad, have adroitly managed to lock in healthy license fees from their traditional broadcast clients and at the same time to get into bed, at first gingerly and now more eagerly,

with the SVOD platforms and niche players popping up around the globe. Overall revenues from the sale of TV shows and feature films abroad in 2011 will purportedly hit an alltime high of $8.5 billion, per sources that track the financial performance of the top U.S. content providers. The majors have pulled off this feat during a stubborn recession across much of Europe, which in turn has put downward pressure on television advertising and on programacquisition budgets. But even in as tough a market as Germany, where local shows are the mainstay of the schedules, the top commercial players RTL and ProSieben went up against each other recently in what was described as “frothy bidding” to wrest the latest multiyear package from Warner Bros. (ProSieben will get the deal back from RTL in 2013.) “During one of the worst financial downturns in Europe, we have renewed deals for high prices and for long terms in France, Spain, Italy, Australia and Scandinavia, as well as in Germany,” says Jeffrey Schlesinger, the president of Warner Bros. International Television, describing just how counterintuitive the international TV business is. Downturn or not, acquisitions are cost-effective and in some cases can help brand a channel. “Granted, we haven’t heard a lot of wows at the Screenings of late, but inarguably it’s been an unbelievably long run of global success for U.S. shows abroad,” adds Marion Edwards, the president of Twentieth Century Fox International Television. “If there’s not been a breakout drama in the last couple of years—and we can’t discount problems in Greece, Italy and elsewhere— we’ve been able to take advantage of new developments and platforms around the world. Five years ago they weren’t even there, but now Netflix, Amazon and all sorts of new players are changing the dynamics and opening up opportunities.” So, how do the big six Tinseltown players do it? The heads of the distribution divisions all put the accent in the same place. It’s about delivering quality series that can be nurtured into successes at home on the U.S. networks and that are targeted, promoted and made available astutely by the acquirer abroad. 5/12

Even the majors’ definitions of what seems to be working best in foreign markets display similar characteristics, whether the genre is action, suspense, family, fantasy, romance or high concept: “Good strong episodic drama with strong central characters,” says Warner Bros.’ Schlesinger. “Big promotable hours with clear plots and relatively few characters,” adds Fox’s Edwards. A-LIST CREDENTIALS

Among the 85 or so current projects vying for a prime-time pickup for the 2012–13 fall season Stateside, a dozen have generated considerable buzz, and boast A-list talent attached in front of or behind the camera—or both. Kevin Williamson is hatching a drama about a serial killer with Kevin Bacon (Warner Bros.), Shonda Rhimes is doing a period piece set in 1890’s New York called Gilded Lilys (Disney), Shawn Ryan and Martin Campbell are readying a submarine suspense series called Last Resort (Sony), Bradley Whitford is top-lining a spy drama called The Asset (Fox), Dick Wolf is masterminding an action ensemble hour called Chicago Fire (NBCUniversal) and an offbeat cop show called Widow Detective comes from Carol Mendelsohn, starring John Corbett and Jennifer Beals (CBS Studios). Other über-producers in the thick of it this development cycle include Jerry Bruckheimer, J.J.Abrams, John Wells, Josh Schwartz and Greg Berlanti, who has three shows in contention. And those are just the dramas. No project is a shoe-in, however, and no name producer is guaranteed a slot. Even Hallelujah, a show from Marc Cherry, the force behind Desperate Housewives, was passed over at ABC. What gets greenlit depends on the specific needs of each network and the analysis of long-term value in any given piece of content. Still, barring the unforeseen, Warner Bros. is poised to surface yet again as the biggest supplier both of new comedies and of dramas to the five broadcast networks, boasting as it does first-look deals with a number of key creators around town. Schlesinger rattled

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off the names of several contenders on his lot that he suspects will go to series and will have international appeal. Among them, he notes, is one for The CW called The Selection, which he thinks captures the zeitgeist of the moment; he describes it as a cross between The Hunger Games and The Bachelor. Admittedly, with so many new outlets abroad and so much more production from every entity imaginable, nonfiction fare, original and formatted, is playing a growing role on schedules from Slovakia to Singapore. Nonetheless, it is still American drama that pulls in the biggest bucks for the studios, arguably 70 percent of the overall haul from the licensing of TV product. (Fees for feature films are not to be sniffed at, however. All told, American movies sold to foreign TV outlets, free, pay and what-have-you, still account for roughly half of the total $8.5 billion annual haul. Japan, Italy and Russia are particularly movie mad at the moment.) THE WOW FACTOR

As to the gripe from foreign buyers that nothing they’ve seen at the last three or four L.A. Screenings marathons in May have bowled them over, Armando Nuñez, the president of CBS Studios International, has a ready response: “[There’s] no sense in having a wow factor in a show that goes for only six episodes.” More important, he contends, is having what he calls “a formidable studio production operation” and “a highly successful network” for which most of that studio’s pickups are earmarked. (Thanks to the end of fin-syn rules, the networks, including CBS, now notably rely on product from their own sister production studios.) Nuñez’s portfolio has been the slow-burn success story of the decade in that both the tripartite CSI franchise and the NCIS duo have done more to solidify the American drama presence in prime time abroad than any other two shows, at least since the Disney-distributed combo of Desperate Housewives and Lost a decade ago.

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A hot beat: CBS Studios International’s crime procedural NCIS: Los Angeles recently received the green light for a fourth season from CBS.

“The thing about NCIS,” Nuñez adds, “is that it faced considerable skepticism initially among foreign buyers.” As a spinoff of the respectable but hardly breakout JAG (judged too military-oriented and too courtroom-centric by the European clientele), the show, starring Mark Harmon, was slotted only grudgingly by CBS at first. Its delicate balance of serious drama and whimsy, Nuñez says, helped it find its audience, turning the show into a hit in many major territories. EYE ON THE PRIZE

With a slate that includes three other hit CBS shows, Blue Bloods, Hawaii Five-0 and The Good Wife, CBS Studios International in 2011 surpassed the traditional top supplier to Europe, Warner Bros., with more hours aired in prime time (4,861) across 119 channels in 21 countries than its nearest rival.Warner Bros. was in second place with 3,891 hours, according to a recent report out of London entitled Imported Drama Series in Europe.

In short, it’s not essential for a buyer to be wowed by one or more contenders during the annual unveiling of new prime-time fare in order for the U.S. studios to actually go home with (or eventually amass) a winning hand. Some shows strengthen in their second or third season and are much preferable to something that seemed a slam dunk on first viewing but whose story line eventually sagged. As one analyst who focuses on the European market opines, “The smart program buyers are rarely drawn into bidding wars on the basis of a sexy pilot or hype in the press.They want to see and hear more about a series, they employ reps on the ground in L.A. for year-round intelligencegathering, and unless competition in their own market suddenly gets ferocious, they take their time in making choices.” The sad news is that most shows do not make it past the first year, which explains why most buyers do deals for multiple shows with various Hollywood suppliers. It also explains why those who have 20

the luxury of cherry-picking on the open market, like the British, tend to wait months to sign on the dotted line, until they’re convinced a new American show is headed in a propitious direction. The current season has already seen several highly touted dramas struggle or fall by the wayside, including FOX’s Terra Nova and Alcatraz, CBS’s A Gifted Man, ABC’s The River and Pan Am and NBC’s Prime Suspect and Awake. SOPHOMORE RUSH

Among those series that appear to be gathering steam heading into renewal season are Person of Interest on CBS, Grimm on NBC and Scandal on ABC. NBCUniversal reps recently dispatched several key cast members of another of its frosh crop, Smash, to London for a promotional blitz ahead of the musical drama’s debut on Sky Atlantic and other Continental European stations. During the promotional stunt in Europe, word came down that the series would be returning for a second season on NBC.

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Along with the abiding appeal of American drama abroad, other changes in global audience tastes have benefited Hollywood producers of late. One of them is a worldwide hunger to see talked-about material in the most timely fashion, a shift that all the Hollywood majors have hastened to address in their deal-making and partnerships. “One of the biggest changes is how the distribution of our content has quickened and how our partners are using new media to expand viewership,” says Ben Pyne, the president of global distribution at Disney Media Networks. Pyne says the studio is finding incremental value in shows by slicing their windows more narrowly, in some cases making hot-ticket items available abroad within 24 or 48 hours of the Stateside release, and in a few others staging the premieres abroad ahead of the U.S. debut. That’s what Disney did recently with Body of Proof and Missing. Like his counterparts at other studios, Pyne is also finding ways to boost the shelf life of series

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with services abroad like ABC TV On Demand and Disneytek, which allows for the downloading and viewing of full episodes after their first broadcast. For another thing, comedies, which for decades did not travel far beyond English-speaking territories, are catching on in the most unexpected of foreign climes.The rise in interest in “funny business” arguably started with NBCUniversal’s 30 Rock and The Office, but has since intensified and spread. Two and a Half Men is making them laugh on Germany’s Kabel Eins (in a second window, no less), Scandinavia is tittering over 2 Broke Girls and New Girl, and Happy Endings has found enthusiastic fans in far-flung parts of Europe. Part of the reason has to do with Internet-attuned, globalized tastes among the young set wherever they are and part has to do with the revitalized strength and diversity of sitcom story lines from ace writer-producers like Chuck Lorre, Steve Levitan, Ryan Murphy and Michael Patrick King. Not to mention the universal desire to laugh amid all the depressing economic news. BANKABLE LAUGHS

“It’s not unheard of for a topnotch laugher to pull in upwards of $1 million an episode from foreign [sales], a sum unheard of just five years ago,” says one analyst, who is not authorized to give out specific examples. That sum would include the cumulative fees coming in for second cycles of series on alternative platforms, which are enticing new viewers to the genre. “There are some wonderful new players out there with whom we are now doing business in sync with our traditional broadcast partners,” Fox’s Edwards

says. “In this new world, everything is open to negotiation, and things like exclusivity and early SVOD windows drive program prices higher.” And as American television has seen a proliferation of outlets that are increasingly niche-specific and narrowly targeted, new platforms abroad have followed a similar tra-

jectory. In so doing, these foreign outlets have become highly receptive to edgy, alternative, upmarket and/or challenging fare made for U.S. cable networks like AMC, FX and USA Network, as well as for the traditionally buzzed-about premium pay services HBO and Showtime.

To take one example, Sony Pictures Television has carved out a sizeable business abroad with such critical darlings as Breaking Bad, Justified, The Big C and Damages. “I think the trend started with FX’s The Shield, which arguably pioneered the antihero genre and found respectable, and receptive, audiences abroad,” says Keith LeGoy, the president of international distribution at Sony Pictures Television. “Our foreign partners are now finding different ways to skin the cat with such shows as these, which tend to instill compulsive viewing habits on the part of core audiences.” Similarly, Homeland, one of Showtime’s most provocative new series, is attracting a following abroad, becoming cult viewing, for example, on Sky in the U.K.The series is licensed by Fox internationally and is based on an Israeli format, another indication of just how porous the borders now are for good ideas, in both the fiction and nonfiction categories. If, indeed, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery—and also helps boost the overall value of a seemingly largely exploited commodity—a plethora of players in disparate territories are paying American creators the compliment, trying their hand at localized versions of Hollywood TV fare. CBS’s Everybody Loves Raymond, sold by Sony Pictures Television, is getting a Saudi makeover. In Asia, Fox’s 24 will be reimagined in India with Anil Kapoor in the Kiefer Sutherland role, and Disney’s reality juggernaut The Amazing Race has just clinched its ninth deal for a localized competition, this one in Vietnam and Serving up hits: While it’s often said that it’s hard for comedy to travel, shows such as Warner Bros.’ the Philippines. 2 Broke Girls have been delivering laughs in the U.S. and abroad. 5/12

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one on one osh Sapan, the president and CEO of AMC Networks, is widely considered a pioneer and innovator in the U.S. cable industry. In his many years at the company, formerly known as Rainbow Media Holdings, Sapan identified opportunities in the television landscape, spotting underserved audience segments, and then, with his programming teams, created channels that were destinations for avid fans of different types of programming: AMC for enthusiasts of classic American movies; IFC, the Independent Film Channel; Sundance Channel for aficionados of independent films; and WE tv for women. He also oversaw the development of Bravo, which was sold to NBC in 2002. One of Sapan’s most important accomplishments has been the use of groundbreaking original programs, such as Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead and Hell on Wheels, to transform AMC and propel it into the public’s awareness, consequently attracting advertisers and critical acclaim. In fact, AMC, whose tagline is “Story matters here,” is the only cable network in history to ever win the Emmy

Award for outstanding drama series four years in a row, thanks to Mad Men, which also garnered the Golden Globe Award for best television drama series for three consecutive years. Sapan has applied this original-series strategy to the other AMC Networks channels, enriching their offerings as well. IFC, with the tagline “Always on. Slightly off,” provides indie films, independent film news, interviews and filmfestival buzz, as well as the popular series Portlandia. Sundance Channel, another home for independent films, also offers blogs and original web content all focusing on independent culture, as well as original series like Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the upcoming Rectify. Families, both ordinary and celebrity, are the focus of WE tv, whose tagline is “Life as WE know it.” Among its original series are Braxton Family Values and Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best? Sapan is now taking this programming formula that centers on original programming and launching channels around the world. In addition to being widely distributed in North America, Sundance Channel is available throughout Europe and Asia. As Sapan explained in the question-and-answer session with World Screen’s group editorial director, Anna Carugati, following his keynote address at MIPTV, iconic series that create a lasting connection with viewers— keeping them coming back to see what happens next— make for a healthy channel business in the U.S. and internationally.

Josh Sapan AMC Networks

WS: How did original productions help change the perception of AMC within the advertising community and among cable operators? SAPAN: Advertisers found us quite attractive, perhaps for obvious reasons, which is the [ratings] numbers were good and inasmuch as they are interested in engagement and pay a premium for it, the [ratings] were quite attractive. What cable operators and satellite companies found was that people really cared—they really, really cared—what happened next [on our original series]. So the anticipation of the coming season of Mad Men or the coming season of The Walking Dead or what’s happening on Breaking Bad, really grew [to a very high level]. And it’s not to disparage or minimize other channels, that are, of course, important, but when there is long-arc drama that people become invested in and really care about, there’s a 22

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connection. Cable operators in the U.S. saw very particular value in that content. WS: Passionate engagement is the name

of the game. SAPAN: Right. WS: You have developed passionate engagement with viewers not only on AMC. Let’s take Sundance Channel in the U.S. as an example. How have original productions enriched that offering? SAPAN: Sundance Channel in the U.S. is focusing now on scripted drama.There are a number of [series] that are coming on the channel that we are actually very excited about. Some series are coproductions and some are wholly owned by us. We are doing a series called Rectify, which is executive produced by Mark Johnson, who does Breaking Bad, and we will own that show. Then we have a whole long list of co-

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productions. In combination with what I hope are the best-selected and curated independent films available, those scripted dramas will add heft and importance and connection to Sundance Channel. Sundance Channel Global has the benefit of—depending upon the window and the deal—all of the reservoir of content that comes from all of our channels. WS: Let’s look beyond the United States. How does AMC Networks distinguish itself in the global market? What is the competitive edge of the channels you are offering pay-TV platforms or cable operators around the world? SAPAN: In the United States—I hope this doesn’t sound like a brag—we are a big distributor of independent films. Probably, in terms of volume, the largest distributor.We have a pretty good sense of film and film programming, and particularly independent film programming, and we have the benefit of Robert Redford, who is quite involved with the Sundance Film Festival and is one of the great godfathers of independent film. Our film selection and curation is appropriate for each territory and country. Beyond that, television competes with alternative outlets. The web is going to continue to offer many, many, many options for people to get TV at their choice. These dramas that we are producing and acquiring will be consumed on a linear basis but also on an ondemand basis, and linear television will need to be driven by [shows] that really matter. We think that what Sundance Channel does globally matters, because the stories [of the series it airs] will continue and the material will be new and fresh.We hope that if I ask you the question “Do you have two or three favorite shows?” you have the right answer. But I would hope the answer would be, “They are stories that have a long arc and I really want to stay attendant to [them], and when I have

time on the plane when I’m traveling, I rack them up on my tablet and watch them.” So we think that really makes for a good channel. It really actually fundamentally helps drive the basics of the business. WS: AMC Networks has not been

in the global business that long— only three years? SAPAN: Right. WS: How did you decide that you wanted to branch out beyond the U.S., and what opportunities do you see in the global market? SAPAN: We decided to in part because of a business opportunity, but I would also describe it as an imperative, because in order to have productions that you can ultimately own, one needs scale, and the world is a bigger place than the U.S., to say it simply. We also thought that there was opportunity. While there are many, many channels in different countries, we hoped that we could offer something that had a unique contribution to the success of the cable operators’ business or the satellite companies’ business because [our channels] had this anticipation of what would come with dramas that were among the best developed. WS: And programming that isn’t

seen that much around the world. SAPAN: It actually significantly

isn’t, and so we’ve happily been met with very good success. We are in many countries now, on many platforms; it’s been a pretty fast-paced growth. We have a wonderful staff who is making it all happen, thank goodness! WS: Back in the ’90s, when you launched the four channels, the media landscape was much less developed than the one we live in today. How do you find opportunities in today’s landscape? SAPAN: It is undoubtedly more competitive. The pay-TV business has proven to be a great business both on the programmers’ side and 5/12

Heavy-hitters: Original series, including (top to bottom) Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Walking Dead, The Killing and Hell on Wheels, have been key to AMC’s success.

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one on one Internet on-demand viewing. But it seems that if you have enough juice behind the story you are telling, people will gather to have the immediate experience of what happens next. WS: Tell us how your video-on-

W WE THINK WE HAVE FOUND A WAY TO...

EMBRACE THE WEB AND UTILIZE IT BY ACTUALLY HAVING IT... FAMILIARIZE PEOPLE WITH DRAMAS, AND MAKE THEM WANT THE NEW EPISODES.

Sharing insight: Sapan delivered a Media Mastermind keynote address at the recent MIPTV, which was followed by a Q&A with World Screen’s group editorial director, Anna Carugati.

on the distribution side. On the distribution side you see names that you would not have thought likely getting into 100 million U.S. homes, and, of course, hundreds of millions across the globe. It’s purely competition.You need to be something different. You need to be something meaningful. You need to be something that matters and is not redundant and is not fungible. And you need to be something that is not available on the web because the web does have a sort of imperative—almost by its nature without anybody deciding— which is that it’s available and it can have a terribly [negative impact] on a paid system. We did see it in the recording music business, we did see it in newspapers and we see it affecting other businesses. To ignore it, I think, is at one’s own peril. We think we have found a way to specifically and particularly embrace the web and utilize it by actually having it drive to dramas, and familiarize people with dramas, and make them want 24

the new episodes that are coming on the networks. WS: Given the popularity of screening shows online, do linear channels have a healthy future? As off-television-set viewing continues to increase, what do linear channels have to do to remain relevant? SAPAN: It’s a really rich question and I don’t know that actually anybody entirely knows the answer. Certainly outside of our realm, in news and sports, live is live, and that, of course, is what it is. In the scripted arena, it’s interesting because we have had ratings success and have watched ratings go up in seasons four and five of Breaking Bad and Mad Men, respectively, which is an anti-television pattern. [Many series on broadcast television experience ratings declines in series four and five.] And so hopefully what it suggests is that there will be tons of ondemand viewing, both within a paid system—meaning through cable VOD or broadband VOD attached to a satellite—and there will be

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demand strategies have helped take little gems of independent movies, which perhaps don’t have a very long run in theaters, and expose them to broader audiences. SAPAN: In the U.S. we were the first company, I think, to offer movies on cable video on demand the same day that they were available in theaters, which was anathema to the exhibition community because they thought it would erode their business. For independent films, we had hoped and we conjectured, and it proved to be true, that the opposite was the case, that the films were small enough, they were often hidden gems, and putting them on VOD the very same day they went to theaters actually had a beneficial effect on both platforms. So we inaugurated video on demand the same day as the theater and we priced them pretty close. Other distribution companies joined in and they created pricing even higher than theatrical, sort of pre-theatrical, and it has worked really quite well. So we now see more revenue from nontheatrical in aggregate than we do from theatrical. In the U.S. the so-called cable VOD distribution platform has become a pretty significant platform, and big studios are now [getting involved] with it. We and other independent companies helped inaugurate it and it’s been a bit of a boon to independent film. WS: Is it nice to lead the way in

initiatives like that and in groundbreaking original programming? SAPAN: It’s nice when you are right; it’s horrible when you are wrong.We only talk about what we are right about; we don’t mention all the wrong things! But yes, it feels great when it goes your way.

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on the record ionsgate Television Group’s production philosophy of less is more has certainly paid off. At its inception, with fewer resources available than at the major studios, Lionsgate chose to focus on a lower volume of shows, but ones of high quality and distinctive subject matter. This strategy has been rewarded with audience appreciation, critical acclaim and network renewals: the multiple–Emmy

WS: What has driven Lionsgate Television’s success? BEGGS: A lot of factors: timing, a little bit of luck, maybe a little bit of skill—and also, the company building that Jon Feltheimer and Michael Burns have undertaken from the day they got here has given the TV unit more ways to monetize our content. When we were a tiny little startup company, we had no distribution, no home entertainment, digital wasn’t a business; we were just really a production company that happened to be Canadian, and that was meaningful for a few networks that needed alternative financing models, like PAX and Fox Family and Lifetime. But happily, as original series [caught on] in basic cable, some players got into the game, USA Network and then TNT, and initially we couldn’t work on any other model. It was really out of necessity, less than an elective for us, although it looks very brilliant now! But at the time we couldn’t go to broadcast networks because we couldn’t afford it—we could never deficit a pilot or an episode based on their numbers or the whole company would collapse. So we didn’t pitch the networks.We went to cable and had some success. We got The Dead Zone off the ground at USA, and then Monk hit for them three weeks later and USA, the one that we know today, was born. On the back of that, a lot of people were wondering how you can do shows eco26

Kevin Beggs & Sandra Stern Lionsgate

Award–winning Mad Men scored its highest ratings ever in March with the premiere of its fifth season, Kelsey Grammer earned a Golden Globe for Boss, Weeds is in its eighth season and Nurse Jackie is in its fourth. Not a studio to shy away from the provocative or controversial, Lionsgate is now producing the series Anger Management, loosely based on the feature film and starring Charlie Sheen. Kevin Beggs, the president of Lionsgate Television Group, and Sandra Stern, the COO of Lionsgate Television, talk about pursuing quality and using alternative financing models.

quite similar—don’t get ahead of yourself, don’t go crazy. One of these shows will develop into something that makes money. We’re not about 30 or 40 projects, we’re about 4 or 5 a year that look good and backdoor pilots and things that we can sell. So we stuck to our knitting and Dead Zone worked.

nomically that look like broadcast quality, and we were one of the only ones doing it.Those models weren’t that interesting to all the other studios based on the much greater profitability of a network hit. So we played in the margins and even when Feltheimer came along, which was right when Dead Zone was getting going, the movie model and the TV model were World Screen

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WS: And this success continued with Weeds. BEGGS: Weeds was the first show in which we had more tools to work with. We had acquired Trimark, which had a home-video business that was quite substantial, and we had also started our own international distribution. Weeds was the test case. And if it worked on Weeds we’d keep doing it, and if it didn’t we’d say, “Scrap that.” Weeds took off and it was a success for Showtime, which had been in a pretty fallow period for series, and Bob [Greenblatt] had come, and this was one of his first originals that were on his watch. The world loved Weeds because it allowed people to laugh with and at Americans for their insane kind of schizophrenia about drugs. That was great for us, and it’s gone on to be a giant success, and one of its biggest revenue drivers has been home entertainment. Then Lionsgate acquired Artisan and we got even bigger in the homeentertainment space, and every step of the way, more assets have come in and we can help monetize them together.

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The man in charge: Kelsey Grammer scored this year’s Golden Globe Award for best actor in a drama series for his role in Boss, a Starz original that heads into its second season this fall.

If you skip all the way to [today]— we’ll come back to Mad Men—we have Charlie Sheen and Anger Management.That also was on the heels of a really shrewd acquisition of our friends at Debmar-Mercury, who pioneered this 10-90 model, which everyone is pretty enamored with when it works. It’s done very well for them, and Anger Management represented the first time that both their model and their unique distribution capabilities merged up with our creative team and production capabilities to do a show together, and that’s what we’re doing for FX. WS: Tell us about the 10-90 model. STERN: Debmar-Mercury are very,

very smart guys. They’re sellers. And so the notion of taking a big risk— investing in a pilot and hoping that pilot hits and then maybe you get six episodes or 13 episodes—never

worked for them. They’re syndication guys.They’re used to taking 100 episodes and selling them, and because they’re smart guys, they figured out a model to reduce risk and get a big chunk of episodes: taking risks up front but reducing risk down the line. So instead of doing a pilot, as one would ordinarily do for a network, they came up with the concept of doing what is essentially a ten-episode pilot, so you don’t have just one shot, you have ten episodes. WS: And you commit to ten from the get-go? STERN: We commit to ten, the network commits to ten from the get-go and there is no mystery; it is a for mula. We do ten episodes, the network commits to airing the ten episodes. And if those airings achieve a certain rating, the network must pick up 90 more. There was a little 5/12

twist on the Charlie Sheen Anger Management deal, which was very smart. The network felt that ten episodes might not be as reflective of success for the series as it is with a regular show, because Charlie is not only very well liked, but very controversial, and he’s going to be the subject of great interest.Their feeling was everybody was going to tune in for episode one, but they may not stay [for the rest]. So instead of the ten episodes having to achieve a certain ratings number, they threw out episodes one and two—in terms of the calculation, not in terms of the airing—and the number has to be achieved based on episodes three to ten. They wanted to make sure that it was not just a curiosity factor, that the numbers would hold, so the later episodes had to retain 80 percent of the viewership of the early episodes. So even if the number is through the

World Screen

roof, unless it continues to be through the roof, they don’t have to continue.The FX guys are very, very good, talented, creative guys. They wanted to make sure that they were not simply filling space on their network, but that they would have a show that would perform and continue to perform and hold an audience.We gave them a lot of research on Two and a Half Men, of how that show sustained, and that’s what we’re trying to duplicate for them. WS: Tell us a little about Anger

Management. BEGGS: We pitched it to Charlie.

We got a great showrunner in Bruce Helford, who did The Drew Carey Show and George Lopez. They saw eye to eye immediately.We have the amazing title that Joe Roth brought to the mix, along with his producing acumen. Anger Manage-

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on the record they think Mad Men at the same time. That’s great as a supplier because they really need you and you’re built into their marketing DNA, as opposed to “I’ve got 12 of these shows and I’m out after four seasons.” They’re in it for the long haul.We’re doing seven seasons together. STERN: One of the things that we like doing at Lionsgate is breaking in new networks.We like being the first in. Sometimes when you’re the first in you have the ability to shape your world a little bit better—you have a little bit more control over it; you get to work more closely with the network because you and your network partners are all rolling up your sleeves and trying to figure it out, so good relationships develop.

Green with envy: After a 17-month absence, Mad Men returned; its season five premiere garnered the show’s biggest audience yet, with 3.5 million viewers tuning in to AMC.

ment is based on the movie. It’s really basically just taking shades of the Jack Nicholson character and adding them to a character that is very Charlie-like. But it represents the next evolution for him past Two and a Half Men, personally, and also within the show, and that will come out, because he’s in anger management and needs as much or more counseling as his patients. So there’s a certain self-awareness; we think that’s relevant. And there’s a certain self-awareness that Charlie has that he’s been quite clear about, about the good, the bad and the mistakes that were made in between, and everyone loves a redemption story. WS: And what about the phenomenon that is Mad Men? STERN: When we first identified the project at AMC, it was a challenge. AMC was new to original series. Rob Sorcher, who was then the head creative guy at AMC, felt that originals were a way to build his network. He recognized that he was going to have to perhaps overpay a

bit. He was going to have to do provocative programming—he was going to have to make noise and convince people that it was worth making noise with him. So because we did not have the ability to shoot Mad Men in some place that provided tax credits—it was a condition of Matt Weiner’s deal that we shoot in Los Angeles so he could have as much of a normal family life as possible— the network paid extra.They gave us rights that we might not otherwise have had and we’ve done very, very well on that show with a large budget that was for us, at the time, 20 percent to 25 percent higher than we had ever spent before. But we were able to do that. We ultimately made a very nice Netflix deal because we had the right to do that. We made a very nice iTunes deal because we had the right to do that. WS: How has Mad Men been

received by international buyers? BEGGS: All the buyers who had ini-

tially seen or heard that we were getting involved were quite reluctant. 28

“Oh, this won’t work for us. No one cares about advertising. No one cares about America in the ’60s. It’s so quaint. It’s slow.”All those things were leveled at Mad Men in the first season, and then the awards started to roll in and then there was some rethinking:“Well, maybe…I do like it myself, I don’t know if my audience will like it but I’m willing to entertain that they might.” And so on and so forth. A few more Golden Globes and a few more Emmys and it has become a big international success for us. We wouldn’t have been able to take that swing on Mad Men had not Dead Zone worked, had not Weeds worked, had not [Trimark and Artisan] been in place, had we not seen with Weeds and Showtime, Dead Zone and USA, that being on the ground floor of a channel launching a rebrand around a show would be meaningful. Because being one of nine shows on another network might not have been as attractive for Mad Men. Mad Men represented the real launch of AMC’s original programming. People think AMC and

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WS: How have you looked for less expensive ways of producing, while maintaining quality on the screen? STERN: When we got an order for Wildfire from ABC Family, the business model was very challenging, but I had a cousin who was a communications director for Governor Bill Richardson. My cousin got me a meeting with him and we convinced the governor that it would be a good idea for the state of New Mexico to invest in its citizens by coming up with tax credits. He insisted as part of the tax-credit legislation that we put a training program in place so that the people of New Mexico who would get jobs could then keep jobs. He was very, very focused on job creation and we put that plan in place. It’s now thriving. Sony is producing Breaking Bad there and we did Crash in New Mexico. It’s a place we like very much. But it was a way for us to figure out how to get money to put on the screen so that we could afford to do a series that we very much wanted to do. Since then, most every other state has put tax benefits in place, and [they’ve] done very well for all of their people. But we try very hard to take shows to places where we can get soft money and we can then in turn take that money and put it on the screen.

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AT MIPCOM

MAKE A BIG SPLASH! Space Reservations . . September 11 Ad Materials . . . . . . . September 13

For more information, please contact Ricardo Guise (rguise@worldscreen.com)

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in focus

Telemundo’s Emilio Romano Emilio Romano, the president of Telemundo Media, stressed the role that original programming has played for the U.S. Hispanic broadcaster, during a One-on-One session at NATPE with World Screen ’s Anna Carugati. Romano, who assumed the post of president in the fall of last year, says Telemundo will remain committed to producing highquality telenovelas. They have been the pillars of the company’s growth strategy, attracting viewers, allowing for successful product-integration campaigns with advertisers, and fueling very successful international sales.

WS: In 2011 Telemundo had some significant ratings

increases. What were some of the shows and genres that drove that success? ROMANO: It’s all about the relevance that we put into creating the most compelling content for our core audience. 2011 was a banner year because we were able to capture the content that is delivering passion to the largest Hispanic audience in the U.S. We can produce prime-time programming, and we’ve done it for so many years.We delivered in 2011 La reina del sur, which was the most successful novela in Telemundo’s history. But the good thing about it is that during the last months of the year we saw all prime-time programming deliver consistently high ratings. And it’s not only the fact that we’re creating this very relevant programming, it’s the fact that we are creating it consistently, and that is really what’s driving the company going forward. We are very excited. We also premiered Relaciones peligrosas.

Globo on El clon, a very successful [coproduction]. Sony Pictures [was our partner] for Una Maid en Manhattan, which got rave reviews and wonderful ratings. For La reina del sur we had a partnership with Antena 3 in Spain. We’re looking constantly to partner with the best of breed, and this is clearly going to increase going forward. We’re very flexible as well. We don’t have a preconceived model.We’re there to make sure that we are partnered with the best content possible. WS: Telemundo Internacional has been very successful

at selling the novelas you produce. ROMANO: Telemundo Internacional is a cornerstone of our long-term strategy. Marcos Santana [the president of Telemundo Internacional] and his team have done a great job taking our programming to more than 100 countries. Our programs are being translated into more than 40 languages and they are beating the competition’s programming in prime time, every single night around the world. It’s really amazing what it has done. [International sales] is core to our strategy because it enhances our ability to create even better programming—we can amortize it through a larger platform. That will increase over time and [so will] the quality of our programming, and we will have more resources to invest. WS: You’re not only selling finished product, you’re selling formats, too. That’s a new business for you. ROMANO: Yes, we are recognizing that the success of our partners and our clients [does not depend] on just selling them canned product. We have to make sure they’re the most successful [programs] to be a win-win situation for us and for them. For that purpose, many of our partners want to customize their programming and bring in their own casting. So we bring the Telemundo Studios’ knowledge and work with [our clients] and adapt the stories in a very seamless way and have the most relevant local content. Dónde está Elisa? has been a very nice success. Going forward, we think formats are going to be an additional opportunity for us. WS: What have you learned about the effectiveness of

WS: Tell us about the success of

some of your co-productions, and is that a strategy you want to pursue in the future? ROMANO: Absolutely. Our strategy to be the most powerful producer of Spanish-language content for the world brings us to a position where we must keep partnering with the best producers that can help us bring the best stories, the best execution. A great example was with 30

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product placement and product integration? ROMANO: The fact that we [work] together with advertisers and that that we activate their products in different ways, not only the linear 15-second or 30-second commercial, but that we can bring the products and the brands alive by integrating them into our content, is just a natural evolution of the fact that we are producing our own content. We can do it not only on our variety shows but also in prime-time [novelas]. That has proven to be a very efficient way to create [awareness] and to make the cash register ring for the advertisers, which is really what drives our business. We’ve done it with huge

WSN_512_SPOTLIGHT_ROMANO_WSN_1007_TECH 4/30/12 6:09 PM Page 3

HIGHLIGHTING GAINS BY LEADING INDUSTRY PLAYERS BY ANNA CARUGATI

success with L’Oréal Paris in Una Maid en Manhattan.We also did it with Los Herederos del Monte with Toyota. And in Mi corazón insiste, we also had great integration with Chase Bank. We are constantly looking at product integration. One very important thing is that we are doing it in a way that does not change or alter or affect the quality of our product or the natural evolution of the story. WS: Speaking of advertising, given the size and the

prowess of the Hispanic community—what’s their purchasing power? ROMANO: One trillion dollars, and growing. WS: What have been your efforts to take some of the

clients who are still advertising in English in the general U.S. market and convincing them to come to Telemundo? ROMANO: [We want] to make sure that we bring the most compelling content to our viewers, because that is, at the end of the day, what is going to convince the advertisers that the only way they can deliver a powerful message to the Hispanic community is through Spanish media. We have data. We’ve worked with advertisers to show them the power [they have] when they deliver their messages through culturally and [language-relevant] methods instead of going to the general market and getting lost in a general-market type of strategy. We have made great progress in convincing advertisers that [the Hispanic market] is not going away. On the contrary, one out of every six people that lives in the United States is now of Hispanic origin. We represent 20 percent of the growth population. In 2050, one out of every three persons in the U.S. will be of Hispanic origin, so the numbers are just mind-boggling. We’re still getting half of what we deserve of the advertising pie.We should be getting around 8 percent; we’re still at 4 percent. So there is a way to go. We’re constantly convincing advertisers that there is no time to waste. If they really want to powerfully deliver the message to the Hispanic community, they must embrace Spanish media. WS: News is another way you connect with your

audience. ROMANO: Right.That is the core broadcast.When peo-

ple say broadcasting might be fading out, I think they are missing the fact that stations have a huge contentgeneration capability of local content. That’s the wonderful ability that a broadcast network like ours has. We cover in excess of 90 percent of the U.S. households with our own and affiliate stations that generate constant local programming that is relevant for the communities. Clearly our strategy is to make sure that we have the most relevant content and news…and bring to each community the service and information [they need] to empower them to make decisions.

WS: Telemundo has made two key deals for the men’s and the women’s World Cup soccer matches. Why are they so important for Telemundo? ROMANO: If there is anything in our industry that’s a game changer, it’s having the FIFA World Cup in our company. There’s a clear message here that Comcast and NBCUniversal have a commitment to making sure that Telemundo becomes number one. We are the leaders in our industry and the fact that we’re now going to be the home of the World Cup from 2015 to 2022, it’s just an amazing feat for us because we are consistently going to deliver the highest-rated content for the Hispanic world. I don’t need to explain to you what soccer means to us—it’s a religion, it’s a passion. We grow with it; we breathe it. The fact that viewers are going to be able to see it here is just amazing. WS: Will you provide coverage on the linear network as

well as online and on mobile? ROMANO: We say we are already training for the World

Cup and we have three years to get in shape! We’re going to surprise our audience by using the expertise of NBC Sports with coverage of the Olympics. By the way, don’t forget to tune in; we’re going to broadcast the Olympics on Telemundo during the summer. We’re going to provide linear coverage of the [World Cup] games, but we’re going to make sure that we bring the stories alive—the emotions, the struggles of every player. Sometimes we see the game and we’re all for winning but we forget that there are family struggles, personal struggles; there is a lot of emotion there. It’s a life-changing event for each player and we’re going to bring it in ways that our audience has never seen before. We’re going to provide digital coverage as well, to make sure they can see it anywhere they want. 5/12

World Screen

Rags and riches: Telemundo linked up with L'Oréal Paris to include product integration in its novela Una Maid en Manhattan.

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spotlight

Cisneros Group’s Adriana Cisneros Fans of popular TV shows nowadays want much more than simply new episodes of their favorite series. They want to be constantly connected to characters and story lines through online and mobile content. Adriana Cisneros, the vice chairman and director of strategy for the Cisneros Group of Companies (CGC), is a strong proponent of this new phenomenon of social TV. She talked about interactivity, the U.S. Hispanic market, popular novelas, product integration and the possibility of producing in English, with World Screen’s Anna Carugati, during a One-on-One session at NATPE.

WS: What have you learned about how

viewers want to enjoy programming today?

try that is very interactive. We rank third in the world in terms of penetration for Twitter; eighth for Facebook. So Venezuelans spend a lot of time online, a lot more time online than Americans do and than many Europeans or Asians do.That’s true for the rest of Latin America as well. In countries like Chile, where there’s higher Internet penetration, Facebook has 90 percent penetration. So what we’ve done is say, “This is an interesting phenomenon. How can we use it to really understand what’s going on?”We test out all of our social interactive strategies in Venezuela, through the programming that we’re producing there, so we have full control over the whole experience. It’s those lessons learned that we then take [when] we’re producing in the U.S. for the U.S. Hispanic population, and that strategy is proving correct. In Latin America we seem to be ahead of the curve in terms of pushing for interactivity and content, which is a really nice advantage to have.

CISNEROS: The viewer now wants a per-

sonalized experience—the whole social TV movement is a big part of that.While they’re watching TV they want to be able to interact with it.They want their friends to know what they’re thinking, what they’re doing regarding that program, and the implication of that change in behavior is great. It means that you can no longer just produce a show and put it on the air. It means that you have to create a whole world for that show so that its interactive presence is interesting. It goes beyond asking people to comment on a show through Facebook; it’s more about what material you can make attractive and sexy that will be complementary to what they’re seeing on the screen.We had a very interesting experience with the last program that we did inVenezuela, called La viuda joven. It was sort of a murder mystery show and the interactive strategy was there to drive the content itself. We kept releasing clues and original material that was going to help you as a viewer try to identify who the murderer had been. All these special clues would give you more insight into the program itself. So that’s how we’re doing things. It’s integrating social media, but also creating content that’s very specifically designed for interactivity. WS: Have you noticed that there are big differences between audience behavior in Venezuela, where your company has a network, and in other countries in Latin America or even within the Hispanic market in the U.S.? CISNEROS: We’re very fortunate that we have a very strong and creative office in Venezuela.Venezuela is a coun32

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WS: Over the years, it’s often been that the U.S. comes up

with trends that spread to other countries, but you’re taking things from Venezuela and bringing them to the U.S. CISNEROS: We are. I think Eva Luna was the great example of how we took those lessons learned from Venezuela and applied them here in the U.S. It’s a way of working in a more integrated fashion. Latin Americans and the U.S. Hispanic population are also very quick adopters of new technologies. The numbers are very interesting for us, so we’re thrilled to be able to have the tools to play in the digital field right now. Latin America in general has a 37-percent Internet penetration, versus 70 percent in the U.S. But between 2009 and 2010, that grew by 50 percent, versus 8 percent worldwide or 3 percent in the U.S., so obviously it’s growing very quickly.The number that is most interesting is that 100 percent of people in Latin America have access to mobile phones. So for anybody in the media world, Latin America has to be part of the strategy. In the U.S. Hispanic market it’s a little different. It’s within the U.S. so penetration is higher, but Hispanics are spending much more time online than the rest of the population and we’re doing a lot more transactions online. For the Spanish-speaking world, what was spent on advertising was about $2 billion last year, and we’re estimating that it’s going to go up to $4.5 billion in the next year or two, which is why we launched a digital advertising agency called RedMas that is there just to target the Spanish-speaking world through digital advertising. So it’s a really interesting time for us.

WSN_512_SPOTLIGHT_CISNEROS_WSN_1007_TECH 5/1/12 12:21 PM Page 3

A LOOK AT INNOVATION IN THE TELEVISION INDUSTRY BY ANNA CARUGATI

WS: What opportunities do you see in the U.S. Hispanic market? CISNEROS: The U.S. Hispanic market is 55 million strong, and we at Cisneros really believe that we understand what this market is about. It’s not about the race that we are; it’s not about the color of the skin. It’s not even about the language that we speak; it’s about the culture that we have created for ourselves here. And that’s what we cater to.We’re going to continue producing content for Univision, which are great partners. Our content does very well on their screen. We were the first ones that were able to give them the ability to do product integration to tap into the U.S. Hispanic population, which was a very successful idea, and it’s something that we’re going to continue doing closely with them. We’re also looking to evolve from that a bit. We’re considering very seriously starting to produce content in English that will appeal to the general population, but also have a hook into the U.S. Hispanic population.

CISNEROS: Yes. We sold our first soap [around] 1960. It

WS: Producing in English also helps you reach young His-

are scared of China. It’s big and it’s far away and it’s complicated, but you can’t think like that. It’s not whether you want to work in China or not, it’s a matter of how you’re going to integrate China into your daily life. We’ve been working with them for about a decade with our content; it does well there. The latest venture is for documentaries and a cultural exchange experience that they’re interested in. But [the Miss Venezuela contest], for example, recently aired on CCTV and it had very high ratings. I would like to be the one that organizes Miss China, but we’ll see if we can get there.

panics who are bicultural and bilingual. CISNEROS: Exactly.When people approach me to understand this phenomenon of the U.S. Hispanic market, they say, “What do you do? Is it Spanish? Is it English? Is it Spanglish?” And I say, Listen, you have to be OK with the fact that it’s all of that. Don’t try to come up with a very narrow-minded formula. It’s an evolving population and I like the idea that I should be producing in Spanish for the days that I prefer to see TV in Spanish and in English for the days that I prefer to see TV in English. That’s the way that you have to go about it. We can’t be too strict about the way that we define Hispanics. WS: Tell us about your partnership with Univision. CISNEROS: Our relationship with Univision is very

interesting. We went from being the founders of Univision—my father and Emilio Azcárraga, Sr., and Jerry Perenchio were the three guys that decided to create this channel for the U.S. Hispanic market. Then we sold Univision a couple of years back but we still produced content for them and we’ve always been content providers for Univision. It’s great to be partners with them; they’re the leading Hispanic channel in the U.S. by far. It looks like we’re going to have competition now from [Rupert] Murdoch, with the announcement of MundoFox, but competition is good. The novelas that we produce do extremely well in prime time.We also do the best programming that they have with talk shows and variety shows. WS: So you see the relationship with Univision continuing? CISNEROS: Absolutely. WS: Looking beyond U.S. borders,Venevisión program-

ming is being sold around the world?

was a long time ago, when we were just the Venezuelan media network.That’s pretty cool, I think, and we always had a lot of success. Having our content do well internationally always pushes us. We have this tension between either doing content that’s very localized or doing content that is very international, and you don’t want to do either too much, because you don’t want to dilute the effect that it could have. So we’re always pushing ourselves to find the formula, to really have a feeling for what’s going on worldwide. [To know] what the consumer wants to be watching on TV, how they’re going to react to certain story lines, and even [how they are going to react to] the way that we’re dressing our actresses and the way that we’re writing our scripts. It has forced us to always be a very international-thinking media company from the get-go. WS: Tell us about China. CISNEROS: China is important. I think a lot of people

WS: You mentioned product integra-

tion. Do you think there will be more of it as the 30-second spot is challenged by audience fragmentation? CISNEROS: Product integration is definitely the way to go for both traditional programming on TV and very much so for digital content. In Eva Luna, the way that we approached product integration was very advanced, and that will continue to evolve. It’s seamless product integration, because we control the whole sequence of events to produce a show.We have the ability to introduce and integrate products in a very smart way. Advertisers are finally realizing the potential of the U.S. Hispanic market and we want to give them the best. 5/12

World Screen

Embracing new audiences: The Venevision Productions novela El Talismán, produced in collaboration with Univision Studios, drew in record viewership with its premiere.

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market trends

A LOOK AT THE BUSINESS OF INTERNATIONAL MEDIA BY ELIZABETH BOWEN-TOMBARI

revenues and the actual profits from five years ago to today, we have actually doubled them. And the reason why that has happened has to do with two main revenue lines.The most important one still is finished product. In Latin America, by far, the sale of finished product provides the biggest source of revenue, and actually it is still the biggest source if you put the revenues of Televisa Internacional all together, although finished product is the most mature business in the Televisa Internacional plan. The areas where we have growth in the international arena is in the sale of formats as well as in co-productions.That’s where we see a really important upside and that is where we see it in the future of Televisa Internacional.The deal we signed with Sony is exactly about that. WS: What do you consider to be the core strengths of Televisa? BASTÓN: I believe it has to do with great financial discipline.We are a company that really makes the best possible use of its resources and we look after our money and our investments very carefully. This gives us great peace of mind.We are a financially sound company.This gives us the possibility to invest in the areas [where] we know we are better than anyone else in the Spanishspeaking world, and that is the production of content. And since we know what our strengths are, that is what we concentrate on. This is what gives consistency to our successes.The great network of alliances that we have built over many years and [which is] strong enough in the medium and long term in some cases, gives us the peace of mind to have options when we make decisions about what to produce and how to invest our money.This is an extremely important part of our success.

Televisa’s

José Bastón

The Televisa Group started 2012 with a raft of important announcements. It signed an exclusive deal with Sony Pictures Television to co-produce telenovelas both as formats and as finished products. Televisa and Nickelodeon agreed to produce a U.S. adaptation of the Mexican telenovela Alcanzar una estrella, which will air on Nick at Nite as Reach for a Star. Sony is also participating in this production. Finally, Televisa and Lionsgate, already partners in the joint venture Pantelion Films, will be producing Englishlanguage fare for the U.S. market. José Bastón, the president of television and content for the Televisa Group, talks about the importance of co-productions and the international market.

WS: How important are co-productions? BASTÓN: Co-productions have to do with different

languages and different markets. In the United States we have a very important deal with Lionsgate where we are already in development of preproduction of some properties that are basically either novelas or formats that we have developed in Mexico to be produced in English for the Anglo market of the United States. And the deal with Sony is basically for the European and Asian markets.

WS: What is your strategy for serving the U.S. His-

panic market? BASTÓN: The U.S. Hispanic market is by far the most

important international market for the television and content-distribution businesses at Televisa. We are very well positioned because of the great results of our content in this market. But not just that, we know that the potential of this market is amazing, so we are concentrating an important part of our resources on the U.S. Hispanic market and we know that Univision will be an amazing line of revenues in the growth of our company. WS: Where do you see opportunities for international

expansion? BASTÓN: Televisa Internacional no doubt has had an

amazing success and great growth. If you compare the 34

World Screen

WS: Televisa is active not only in free TV, but also in pay TV. Where do you see the future of television, especially in relationship to new media? BASTÓN: Without doubt, the free-TV business will continue to be the most important. We also see it as the business with the least potential for growth. Where we see important growth in the next five years is in pay TV and on the international side of the business. I believe that every new distribution platform [even the digital ones] provides new opportunities for producers of quality content. I therefore see the future in terms of producing content that can be adapted to any platform.

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american network scorecard Source: The Nielsen Company, September 19, 2011, to April 22, 2012 A rating point represents 1,147,000 TV households; shares are the percentage of sets tuned to a particular program or station. Courtesy of ABC.

Rank Program

Network

Distributor

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 15 15 18 19 20 21 22 22 24 25 25 25 28 29 29 31 31 33 34 35 36 36 38 38 40 40 40 40 44 44 46 46 46 46 46

CBS ABC FOX FOX ABC CBS CBS NBC CBS CBS CBS CBS CBS CBS ABC CBS CBS ABC CBS CBS CBS FOX FOX CBS CBS CBS ABC CBS ABC ABC CBS CBS CBS ABC CBS CBS CBS FOX NBC CBS FOX ABC ABC FOX ABC NBC ABC NBC CBS ABC

CBS Studios Intl. BBC Worldwide FremantleMedia Enterprises FremantleMedia Enterprises BBC Worldwide CBS Studios Intl. Warner Bros. Talpa Dist. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Disney Media Distribution CBS Studios Intl. CBS Studios Intl. Twentieth Century Fox CBS Studios Intl. Sony Pictures Television Disney Media Distribution CBS Studios Intl. CBS Studios Intl. CBS Studios Intl. FremantleMedia Enterprises FremantleMedia Enterprises Warner Bros. CBS Studios Intl. Warner Bros. Disney Media Distribution CBS Studios Intl. Disney Media Distribution Disney Media Distribution CBS Studios Intl. CBS Studios Intl. Disney Media Distribution Disney Media Distribution ALL3MEDIA Intl. Sony Pictures Television Twentieth Century Fox Twentieth Century Fox NBCUniversal Disney Media Distribution Twentieth Century Fox Disney Media Distribution Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Disney Media Distribution Talpa Dist. Disney Media Distribution Warner Bros. CBS Studios Intl. Disney Media Distribution

NCIS Dancing with the Stars American Idol (Wednesday) American Idol (Thursday) Dancing with the Stars: Results NCIS: Los Angeles The Big Bang Theory The Voice Two and a Half Men The Mentalist Person of Interest Criminal Minds 60 Minutes CSI Modern Family Blue Bloods Unforgettable Castle The Good Wife Survivor: South Pacific Hawaii Five-0 The X Factor (Wednesday) The X Factor (Thursday) Mike & Molly ¡Rob! 2 Broke Girls Grey’s Anatomy CSI: Miami Once Upon a Time Desperate Housewives Survivor: One World CSI: NY Amazing Race 19 Body of Proof Undercover Boss Rules of Engagement How I Met Your Mother Touch Smash Amazing Race 20 Terra Nova Missing The Bachelor Alcatraz Revenge The Voice: Results Last Man Standing Harry’s Law A Gifted Man Private Practice

Average Share 12.1/19 12.0/18 11.7/19 11.1/18 10.6/16 10.1/15 9.7/16 9.6/15 9.4/14 9.2/15 8.8/14 8.6/13 8.5/14 8.1/13 7.9/12 7.9/14 7.9/13 7.8/13 7.7/12 7.6/12 7.5/12 7.4/12 7.4/12 7.3/11 7.2/11 7.2/11 7.2/11 7.1/12 6.9/10 6.9/10 6.8/11 6.8/12 6.7/10 6.6/11 6.5/11 6.2/10 6.2/10 6.1/10 6.1/10 6.0/9 6.0/9 6.0/10 6.0/9 5.8/9 5.8/10 5.7/9 5.7/9 5.7/9 5.7/10 5.7/9

Kids

Teens

M18–49

F18–49

M25–54

F25–54

M50+

F50+

1.1 1.7 3.3 3.1 1.3 0.8 1.4 3.0 1.1 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.6 1.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 1.4 0.6 2.4 2.4 0.7 1.0 1.0 0.9 0.6 1.9 0.9 1.3 0.6 1.2 0.4 0.9 0.8 0.9 1.2 0.7 1.2 1.3 0.6 0.8 0.7 0.5 1.5 1.0 0.3 0.5 0.5

1.7 1.6 4.1 3.8 1.4 1.5 2.5 4.1 2.5 1.4 1.4 1.6 0.9 1.2 3.0 0.7 0.9 1.2 0.7 2.1 1.4 3.0 3.0 1.4 1.6 1.9 1.1 0.9 2.6 1.5 1.8 0.7 1.6 0.7 0.9 1.3 1.6 2.0 1.5 1.4 2.5 0.7 1.3 1.4 0.8 1.9 1.3 0.5 0.6 0.6

3.6 2.0 4.8 4.3 1.9 3.2 5.3 4.8 5.3 2.7 3.2 2.8 2.7 2.6 4.8 1.6 2.0 2.0 1.7 3.5 2.9 3.5 3.3 3.3 3.5 4.0 2.0 2.0 2.8 2.1 3.0 1.5 2.7 1.3 2.2 3.1 4.0 2.4 2.0 2.4 4.0 1.3 1.4 3.4 1.8 2.4 2.4 1.1 1.0 1.3

4.5 5.1 8.0 7.2 4.5 3.8 5.9 8.2 5.6 3.7 3.5 4.8 2.3 3.9 6.5 2.5 3.0 3.6 3.1 4.5 3.7 5.3 5.1 4.5 3.9 5.0 6.2 3.0 5.4 5.1 3.9 3.9 3.8 2.8 2.8 3.5 4.5 3.6 4.6 3.5 3.2 2.4 4.4 3.4 4.0 4.9 3.0 1.7 1.7 4.8

5.0 2.6 6.3 5.6 2.5 4.3 6.8 5.5 6.3 3.8 4.4 3.7 3.8 3.5 5.5 2.3 2.8 2.6 2.4 4.7 3.8 4.2 4.0 4.4 4.7 5.1 2.4 2.6 3.4 2.7 4.2 2.0 3.6 1.8 3.1 4.3 4.6 3.0 2.4 3.3 4.6 1.8 1.8 4.0 2.2 3.0 3.0 1.6 1.4 1.6

6.2 7.3 9.8 9.0 6.4 5.2 7.4 8.9 6.9 5.0 4.9 6.0 3.4 5.0 7.3 3.7 4.2 5.0 4.5 5.9 4.8 6.2 6.1 5.7 5.1 5.9 7.2 4.1 6.3 6.2 5.1 3.4 5.1 4.0 3.8 4.6 5.0 4.6 5.3 4.6 3.8 3.4 5.2 4.1 4.9 5.6 4.0 2.5 2.6 5.8

12.6 7.6 7.8 7.4 6.9 10.4 7.7 5.1 7.5 9.1 9.3 6.7 10.0 6.9 3.8 7.9 7.6 5.7 6.4 6.1 6.6 4.4 4.5 5.8 6.6 5.2 2.7 5.9 4.1 3.6 6.0 6.2 5.0 4.9 5.8 5.6 3.8 4.3 3.1 4.7 5.0 5.3 2.4 5.0 3.2 2.9 4.4 5.6 4.9 1.8

15.1 18.2 11.6 11.2 15.9 12.2 8.2 7.4 7.8 11.3 10.0 9.4 10.2 9.4 5.5 11.1 9.8 10.3 10.2 7.4 7.8 6.6 6.8 6.9 6.8 5.3 6.8 8.8 6.3 6.9 6.8 9.3 7.4 8.9 7.8 5.6 4.0 6.4 5.7 6.6 4.1 8.1 6.6 4.6 6.0 4.6 6.0 8.3 8.5 5.7

For a complete list of the top U.S. network shows, visit www.worldscreen.com.

5/12

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world’s end

IN THE STARS

Almost every national constitution forbids the establishment of an official state religion. But this secular bent doesn’t stop people from looking to the heavens for answers to life’s most troublesome questions: Will I succeed? Will I find love? Will I get drunk with Hillary Clinton? Every day, papers and magazines

Mel Gibson

Jennifer Love Hewitt

Alec Baldwin

Angelina Jolie

Mel Gibson

Alec Baldwin

Global distinction: Fallen Hollywood heavyweight. Sign: Capricorn (b. January 3, 1956) Significant date: April 13, 2012 Noteworthy activity: Gibson’s in-the-works film about

Global distinction: Hot-tempered Hollywood star. Sign: Aries (b. April 3, 1958) Significant date: April 12, 2012 Noteworthy activity: A frequent Twitter user, the 30

sight occasionally prove prophetic.

Jewish hero Judah Maccabaeus is shelved. The project faced heavy opposition from Jewish groups, who were outraged by the actor’s previous anti-Semitic comments, and screenwriter Joe Eszterhas pulled out after making new claims that Gibson “hates Jews.” Eszterhas says he has a recording of the actor on a vile rant, caught on tape by Eszterhas’s 15-year-old son. Horoscope: “You stand to generate a high level of income, if you desire. You need to control your anger and impulses to get the maximum possible progress this year.” (indastro.com)

Rock star unleashes a series of tweets that indicate he’s not pleased with the show’s network, NBC. His Twitter tirade included attacking the Today show for staking out his apartment. “I think I’m leaving NBC just in time,” read one tweet, implying that his days at the network may be numbered. Horoscope: “Aries will act first, and think about the consequences later. Aries is prone to emotional outbursts and short-lived, but frequent, flares of temper.You will need to do quite a bit of adjusting in order to harmonize with others on a daily basis.” (cafeastrology.com)

But rather than poring over charts

Jennifer Love Hewitt

Angelina Jolie

Global distinction: Voluptuous TV actress. Sign: Pisces (b. February 21, 1979) Significant date: April 9, 2012 Noteworthy activity: In the ads for her new

Global distinction: Actress, humanitarian, director. Sign: Gemini (b. June 4, 1975) Significant date: April 13, 2012 Noteworthy activity: The mother of six, who’s been

Lifetime show The Client List, Hewitt appears in bosom-baring lingerie. However, newer spots for the series reduce the size of her breasts and cover more of her cleavage. Even before the first episode aired, Hewitt said she was hearing conservative backlash over the show’s racy plot line. Horoscope: “Make the most of a lucky streak by putting yourself out there. Experiment with seeing yourself in a dynamic new light, this is your self image for the year.” (astrology.about.com)

together with Brad Pitt since 2005, is photographed wearing a big rock on her ring finger. Pitt’s rep later confirms the engagement. The pair previously said they would not marry until it was legal for all couples to wed. Horoscope: “In keeping with the Gemini extrovert side, if you think you have fallen in love with someone, you should not waste a second in telling that person that you love him/her.” (ask-oracle.com)

worldwide print horoscopes—projections for people born in a specific month, based on the positions of the stars and planets. While many people rely on these daily, weekly or monthly messages for guidance in their lives, some readers skip over them entirely. The editors of WS recognize that these little pearls of random fore-

of the zodiac to predict world events, our staff prefers to use past horoscopes in an attempt to legitimate the science. As you can see here, had some of these media figures remembered to consult their horoscopes on significant days, they could have avoided a few surprises.

Kelsey Grammer Hillary Clinton Global distinction: Former first lady turned politico. Sign: Scorpio (b. October 26, 1947) Significant date: April 15, 2012 Noteworthy activity: While in Cartagena, Colombia,

for the sixth Summit of the Americas, the Secretary of State is spotted at the nightlife hot spot Café Havana. Photos are snapped of her drinking beer from the bottle and doing the rumba after midnight. Horoscope: “You’re serious about work, but sometimes, you simply must let your hair down a bit and get out there and have some fun.” (gotohoroscope.com) 154

World Screen

Global distinction: Award-winning TV actor. Sign: Pisces (b. February 21, 1955) Significant date: April 15, 2012 Noteworthy activity: The 57-year-old Boss star is spotted

at a tattoo parlor getting his very first ink. Currently on his fourth marriage, Grammer gets the first name of his new 32-year-old wife, whom he married in February just 15 days after his last divorce, tattooed on his waistline.The tattoo reportedly cost $60, the cheapest the store offers. Horoscope: “Pisces act impulsively and change their mind quickly. Use this self-awareness to avoid a potential downfall.” (horoscopes.syl.com)

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