TV Asia Pacific - ATF Edition

Selling to Asia Novela Trends Formats in India

ATF EDITION

MediaCorp’s Chang Long Jong Disney-ABC’s Rob Gilby www.tvasia.ws

asia pacific THE MAGAZINE OF ASIA-PACIFIC TELEVISION

DECEMBER 2009

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TV ASIA PACIFIC

P A N O R A M A

By Mansha Daswani

The Numbers Game The Media Development Authority (MDA) of Singapore heard from some upset football fans this summer, when SingTel’s upstart IPTV service, mioTV, outbid cable operator StarHub for English Premier League (EPL) rights.

For EPL fans currently subscribing to StarHub’s Sports Group tier, the choice is to sign up for a second pay-TV service—meaning a second set-top box, and a second bill—

by August 2010, when the mioTV deal takes effect, or trade in the cable package they’re used to. To appease potential subscribers, as well as the MDA, mioTV has already committed to not raising prices above what cable subscribers have been paying and says it will have completed its infrastructure rollout, ensuring nation-wide access, by the time the new EPL season starts.

StarHub, meanwhile—which is also losing ESPN and STAR Sports to mioTV—is hoping to keep subscribers by offering two new sports channels. A locally packaged 24-hour service and Eurosportnews, which is currently only available through the sports tier, will be available to all of StarHub’s basic-cable customers. The cable platform has also said that no early termination fees will be imposed on subscribers of its sports packages who cancel their service after July next year. And it is dropping the price of its Sports Group tier by more than 50 percent.

For Singapore, this is a new level of competition in the media sector, and it reflects the trends taking place across Asia. Almost 20 new pay-TV platforms have rolled out in the region in the last 12 months.The number of pay-TV homes in Asia now stands at 326 million, showing an increase of 26 million homes this year. Based on these numbers, subscription television in Asia Pacific reaches more homes than the rest of the world combined. Of the total subscription base, digital television accounts for about 35 percent.

Digitization is expected to continue on pace in the region, creating the space for new channels, on-demand services, interactivity, HD—all the bells and whistles that have become well entrenched in more mature media markets. Positive economic indicators, meanwhile, mean more disposable income for consumers, a bigger middle class and more people willing to pay for multiplatform television.

The rush for a slice of this expanding pie has intensified in the last month. Scripps Networks Interactive revealed plans to take Food Network to Southeast Asia in January 2010;Warner Bros.

Entertainment unveiled WarnerTV as a general-entertainment

channel for the Asian market; and Turner Broadcasting System said it would be rolling out truTV across Asia. Other companies are targeting specific high-growth territories in their expansion plans. CNBC Asia, for example, is partnering with SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System) for a co-branded 24hour business news network in Korea. And Indian media giant UTV has aligned with Bloomberg for its local business news channel UTVi, which has been rebranded as Bloomberg-UTV. Announcing the deal, Ronnie Screwvala, the chairman of UTV, said that the number of TV sets in India was growing by 14 million to 15 million a year.

But there is sobering news for companies eyeing billiondollar returns from their Asian businesses. Across the region, unlicensed platforms are pirating pay-TV signals and costing the industry $1.94 billion is lost revenues this year alone. CASBAA reports this is up on the $1.75 billion in revenue leakage last year.

Channel operators also took a hit this past year with the contraction in the ad market, but all signs point to a recovery in the region by early 2010.

Cautious optimism appears to be the current sentiment, and companies are making sure they have the right business plans in place to reap Asia’s potential rewards. Disney-ABC International Television Asia Pacific is pursuing innovative multiplatform deals to expand its business, as Rob Gilby explains in this edition of TV Asia Pacific.

MediaCorp, meanwhile, is using locally developed content in Singapore to take on its pay-TV competitors. The company’s deputy CEO for television, Chang Long Jong, says that exporting this content is a key priority for the company. Indeed, Singapore as a whole is keen to position itself as a provider of programming for the global market, as is its next-door neighbor, Malaysia.The Malay government’s efforts to develop the country’s production sector are explored later in this issue.

Singaporean and Malaysian contingents will be among those showcasing their new productions at the Asia TV Forum this month. In this issue we speak to several distributors from around the world who are finding new opportunities for a wide range of genres in Asia.We also take a look at the Indian market, where broadcasters are using imported format concepts to give themselves a competitive edge.

The number of pay-TV homes in Asia now

stands at 326 million...

Subscription television

in Asia Pacific reaches

more homes than the rest of the world combined.

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TV ASIA PACIFIC

VIEWPOINT

By Vivek Couto

Back on Track What a difference a year makes.The market for media consumption and advertising expenditure has yet to revert to optimal levels, but macro conditions have improved and the momentum in Asia’s growth story is back.

According to Media Partners Asia’s (MPA) latest analysis, media advertising revenues in Asia will fall by 4.8 percent this year but will rebound to almost 5 percent growth in 2010 and 6.7 percent growth in 2011.The economies of China, India and Indonesia are roaring back to something like top form, while Korea and parts of Southeast Asia are also recovering fast. In spite of a recent softening, the climate for financing has improved overall with buoyancy returning to equity markets, making it easier for domestic media owners to access capital in public markets rather than rely on still-conservative privateequity investors.

Having fallen by 5.5 percent in Asia so far this year, television advertising, including free-to-air and pay TV, will recover to 5.3-percent and 6-percent growth, respectively, in 2010 and 2011, with pay TV reverting to double-digit expansion in 2011.

In China, a post-Olympics, global-crisisdriven lull dominated much of the first half of 2009, but TV and especially provincial satellite-TV networks are growing at a clip again. In India,TV broadcasters have experienced a tougher time. However, ahead of the festive season and a stronger macro environment in 2010, yields and a level of pricing power is returning to the Indian market.

The future distribution of TV services in Asia remains anchored to pay TV and the digitization of networks, though increasingly the proliferation of broadband and the ascendancy of the Internet, especially in North Asia, are also having an impact. By the end of 2009,37 percent of pay-TV homes in the region will be powered by a set-top box while broadbandhousehold penetration will have exceeded 20 percent.

Most of these digital and broadband homes are in China, India, Korea, Japan, Australia and Malaysia. China’s emerging digital-cable marketplace does not count for many global media distributors because of the utility models of the industry and existing regulation on content distribution.In India,digital DTH remains a big story, with about 19 million gross subscribers expected by the end of this year, though profit visibility remains problematic. Cable digitization is expected to improve in India after a significant slowdown this year, as funding accelerates with the imminent IPOs of the two biggest cable operators.

Amid all these shifting trends, with the accent very much on nimble-minded local growth, the outlook for strategic global media investors has changed. Perhaps the most affected has been

News Corporation. Its move to decentralize its Asian operations from Hong Kong and focus on India means that James Murdoch (the chairman and CEO for Europe and Asia) now has a major driver of market value for News Corporation’s international operations—STAR India—to join its combination of pay-TV and print assets in Europe.

STAR’s India operations have been hit by a rising competitive intensity in the Hindi-language general-entertainment genre, where Colors has raised the stakes. STAR India remains a highly profitable business with growth exposure as it secures a national footprint with new regional entertainment channels.Analysts at MPA estimate that STAR India posted operating income of around $80 million in the last fiscal year, on sales close to $440 million. News Corporation is reallocating significant global resources and investment to India, a process it started in January of this year when it paid $235 million in cash and about $20 million in assumed net debt to take a controlling interest in four entertainment channels in southern India. In the future, more money will go into its movie venture, Fox Star Studios; its DTH venture Tata Sky; and the home-shopping joint venture with Korea’s CJ Group.

News Corporation has also finally decided to save costs and roll its Englishlanguage brands in Asia into FOX International Channels (FIC), a business better built for profitable growth in the English-language channel space than STAR ever was. FIC has laid the foundations of its pan-Asian business with decent money in Japan and Korea, both markets where STAR has failed to make much of an impression. Post-restructure, FIC will act as the distributor and ad-sales agent for STAR’s Indian and Chinese channels outside of Mainland China, India and Taiwan. Under Ward Platt and Zubin Gandevia, FIC Asia’s president and COO, respectively, the company is run as a fairly lean, mean machine, adept at driving margin growth on low-cost niche channels.

Absorbing STAR Movies, STAR World and Channel [V] may lead to a better regional advertising bounty and improved affiliate pricing and leverage in Southeast Asia and Greater China.

Elsewhere, expect more momentum and changes among global media in Asia.

Vivek Couto is the managing partner and a co-founder of MPA, an information-services group focused on media and related sectors in the Asia Pacific.

The economies of China, India and Indonesia are roaring back to

something like top form,

while Korea and parts of Southeast Asia are also recovering fast.

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TV ASIA PACIFIC

Al Jazeera Children’s Channel www.jcctv.net Saladin Animated TV Series

Highlights • A Look Onto • The Trail • Saladin Animated TV Series • Nan & Lili • Baaas

IN THIS ISSUE Asia’s Bright Future The growth of platforms in Asia is offering distributors more opportunities to sell a variety of genres

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A Passion for Asia Latin American distributors continue to find a demand for novelas

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India Dances to a Format Beat India’s entertainment channels are putting their own spin on international concepts to give themselves a competitive edge 32

Made in Malaysia

Interviews

36 38 42

Channel Profiles AXN Asia SBS Australia Asian Food Channel Hallmark Channel Asia

“Al Jazeera Children’s Channel and Baraem TV are dedicated to creating and providing quality programs.

”

—Malika Alouane

Caracol TV Internacional www.caracoltvinternacional.com

Highlights

The Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) has set its sights on developing Malaysia as a major content producer for the worldwide market 40

MediaCorp’s Chang Long Jong Disney-ABC’s Rob Gilby FremantleMedia’s Jon Penn

Al Jazeera Children’s Channel (JCC) is heading to ATF to “present [our] unique portfolio of programs for other broadcasters and distributors, as well as explore what other broadcasters and production companies have to offer in terms of children’s TV content,” according to Malika Alouane, the director of programming.

With Al Jazeera Children’s Channel, for kids 7 to 15, and with Baraem TV, for those up to the age of 7, the mandate is to provide content that “resonates with the needs of this target audience’s daily life,”Alouane says.There is the debate series A Look Onto, the game show The Trail and Saladin Animated TV Series, co-produced with the Multimedia Development Corporation of Malaysia. Targeting the younger 3-to-6 set, Baraem has Nan & Lili and the live-action Baaas.

46 47 48 50

Gabriela, Turns of Destiny

• The Mafia Dolls • The Swindler • Gabriela,Turns of Destiny

Caracol TV Internacional has seen an expansion of its Asian business this year, according to Alejandro Toro, the sales executive for Asia and Africa. He wants to maintain that momentum at ATF with The Mafia Dolls, about women in the drugtrafficking trade; The Swindler, about a successful con artist; and the romantic novela Gabriela,Turns of Destiny.“The Mafia Dolls and The Swindler are series of 55 and 40 episodes, respectively, and Gabriela is a classic romantic drama of 120 episodes, offering diversity to our clients in terms of number of episodes and story types,”Toro notes.“For example,Gabriela will appeal very well to buyers in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, where they seek long-running classic romantic dramas. [The Mafia Dolls and The Swindler] appeal in countries like Vietnam, China, India and the Middle East, where they are more accustomed to shorter dramas and they are a bit more open to different plot lines.”

“ We see that some countries, like Vietnam, are opening up a lot to Latin American dramas or telenovelas both as finished product and formats.

”

—Alejandro Toro

Get daily news on the Asia-Pacific region by visiting www.tvasia.ws

asia pacific

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Colors www.colorstv.in

Highlights • • • • •

Ricardo Seguin Guise

Publisher Anna Carugati

Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani

Editor Kristin Brzoznowski

Managing Editor Lauren M. Uda

Production and Design Director

Balika Vadhu Uttaran Na Aana Is Des Laado Bhagyavidhata Bigg Boss

Colors’ ascendancy to the top of the ratings table has been one of India’s biggest media stories of the last year. The joint venture of Viacom and Network18 hit first place within a few months of its launch.“It’s been a good one year for us,” says Rajesh Kamat,Colors’CEO.Colors has sprinkled its grid with reality shows like Bigg Boss, the local adaptation of Big Brother that is heading into season three; alongside daily serials like Balika Vadhu, which addresses the issue of child marriage.

Colors’ other programming highlights include Uttaran, Na Aana Is Des Laado and Bhagyavidhata.

Looking to the future, Kamat says,“We intend to launch in the U.S. soon, in the U.K. soon.The next milestone for us will be to get our international feeds in place.”

Balika Vadhu

“India is still predominantly a fiction market. They are the staple diet. But you can spruce [your schedule up] with some spicy elements, which are nonfiction or reality [shows].

”

—Rajesh Kamat

Simon Weaver

Online Director Phyllis Q. Busell

Art Director Tatiana Rozza

Sales and Marketing Director Kelly Quiroz

Sales and Marketing Manager Rae Matthew

Business Affairs Manager Cesar Suero

Sales and Marketing Assistant

Ricardo Seguin Guise

President Anna Carugati

Executive VP and Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani

VP of Content Strategy TV Asia Pacific © 2009 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website:

www.tvasia.ws

Deutsche Welle www.dw-world.de

Highlights • • • •

euromaxx drive it!

In Focus GLOBAL 3000

“We are looking to enhance

In March 2009, Deutsche Welle launched two feeds for Asia: DW-TV ASIA and DW-TV ASIA+, which offers viewers 18 hours of programming in English. “With this new channel, we are looking to enhance our relevance in the market and meet the changing needs of viewers throughout Asia,” says Petra Schneider, the director of distribution. “The schedule has an increased focus on lifestyle, culture and the arts and so far has been well received by our partners and viewers.” DW-TV ASIA, meanwhile, offers 16 hours of German-language programming.

“This is especially targeted to viewers from German-speaking countries living abroad, or to those interested in learning German.” The channels’ highlights include euromaxx, drive it!, In Focus and GLOBAL 3000.

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our relevance in the market and meet the changing needs of viewers throughout Asia.

”

—Petra Schneider

euromaxx

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Dori Media Group www.dorimedia.com

Highlights • • • • •

Money Time

Date Blind Money Time Mia: My Invisible Friend uMan Split

Home to some 4,450 hours of programming, Dori Media Group is promising variety with its portfolio for the ATF. Nadav Palti, the company’s president and CEO, sees strong potential for Date Blind, a contemporary novela based on a Spanish-language blog; the football-based Money Time; as well as Mia: My Invisible Friend and Split. Dori is also bringing to the market the cross-platform format uMan. “In the past years, Dori Media has managed to enlarge its catalogue so it now contains a varied combination of themes in the telenovela and daily drama field,” Palti notes.“Within that scope we have classical stories, romantic comedies and youth-oriented titles. Dori Media Group’s catalogue has it all—Ciega a Citas (Date Blind) is a romantic comedy; Split, Mia and Champs 12 are for younger audiences; uMan is a desirable 24/7 format, addressing teenagers; Money Time and Lalola are for general audiences.”

“Dori Media tries to produce a variety, so that buyers from all over the world can find the perfect product suiting their needs.

”

—Nadav Palti

Globo TV International www.globotvinternational.com

Highlights • India: A Love Story • The Spelling Game • Maysa • The Cleaning Lady • Globo DOC: Carnaval 2009

Globo TV International has been providing its telenovelas to Asian buyers for years and will certainly continue to do so, with its new offerings led by India: A Love Story. The Brazilian distributor has, however, considerably broadened its portfolio and is also heading to the ATF with game shows, comedies, mini-series and documentaries.“Most of our deals in Asia already [include] one or a few of these new contents in the catalogue,” says Raphael Corrêa Netto, the director of international sales.

On the format side, priorities include the game shows The Spelling Game and Xtreme Connection. On the drama front, there’s the eight-part Maysa, while in comedy Globo has a new season of The Cleaning Lady to offer.

Rounding out the portfolio are the 13-part Brazilian nature series Globo DOC and the three-part Globo DOC: Carnaval 2009.

“The market has started to understand that Globo has the potential to expand its quality content to different genres in order to fulfill [broadcasters’] programming needs and strategies.

”

—Raphael Corrêa Netto

Globo DOC: Carnaval 2009

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GMA Worldwide www.igma.tv

Highlights

Stairway to Heaven

• Darna • When All is Gone • All My Life • Until Forever • Stairway to Heaven

Filipino broadcaster GMA has been luring audiences with a mix of Japanese and Korean drama imports, telenovelas, adaptations of international game-show formats and, increasingly, its own local productions.“Even if the Philippines has not really been that affected by the global economic downturn, the amount of acquisitions has dropped since we are producing more and more local content,” says Roxanne Barcelona, the VP of GMA Worldwide. Darna is a fantasy about a young woman who must protect a powerful stone that could destroy the world. When All is Gone is a contemporary family drama. All My Life is a love story.Also available is Until Forever, in which a woman returns to the Philippines from the U.S. to discover that her father has passed away and the family hacienda is now owned by her childhood sweetheart. Rounding out the slate is Stairway to Heaven, based on the Korean drama of the same name from SBS.

“We are producing more and more local content.”

—Roxanne Barcelona

KBS Media global.kbsmedia.co.kr

Highlights • Iris • Hot Blood • Three Brothers

“We are going to expand our business by finding and exploring new opportunities such as co-production and merchandising.

”

The popularity of Korean dramas remains high in a number of Asian markets, and KBS Media is looking to further capitalize on this trend at the Asia TV Forum. Hyo-young Lee, the head of international sales at KBS Media, a division of the Korean broadcasting group, highlights shows like Iris. “With record-high production costs and overseas locations, this action-packed love story will attract both male and female audiences.”

Hot Blood focuses on a car salesman, while Three Brothers is a “typical family drama, which Asian viewers like the most,” Lee says. “You will be able to laugh with the unique three sons and three daughters-in-law, where conflicts and love revolve around them.”

Lee notes that KBS Media has been working to be “as flexible as possible” to support its clients in the current economy. “In most territories, the demand and the markets for our products are already back to normal. We expect the trend will continue to grow and expand.”

—Hyo-young Lee

Iris

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TV ASIA PACIFIC

Telefe International www.telefeinternational.com.ar

Highlights

Montecristo

• Botineras • Just in Time • Montecristo • The Successful Mr. and Mrs. Pells • Trick and Treat with the Magic Hands

Telefe International’s history in Asia began with its telenovela sales.Titles sold into the region include Montecristo, with the original version picked up in the Philippines and Malaysia, and a format in development in China. In the past few years, however, the company has ramped up its focus on the region, and has had fruitful results since. Michelle Wasserman, the head of international distribution, programming, formats and production services, says: “We now have more than ten different projects going on in the region, not only with the sale of finished product, but with formats, coproductions and, in some cases, working as consultants.”The company hopes to continue its success in Asia by shoring up sales on such titles as the romantic comedies Botineras and The Successful Mr. and Mrs. Pells.Telefe has a diversified slate to offer the region, with entertainment formats like Just in Time and the short-form Trick and Treat with the Magic Hands.

“We now have more than ten different projects going on in the region, not only with the sale of finished product, but with formats, co-productions and, in some cases, working as consultants.

”

—Michelle Wasserman

Televisa Internacional www.televisainternacional.tv

Highlights • • • •

Don’t Mess with an Angel Dear Enemy Down with the Beautiful Dare to Dream

With Asia’s economic recovery well under way, Televisa Internacional is projecting an increase in its business in the region, according to Arturo Casares, the director of sales for China. Some of the company’s top sellers in Asia, Casares says, have been Dumb Girls Don’t Go to Heaven as a format and the telenovela Dear Enemy as a finished product. Dear Enemy is a key focus for ATF, alongside novelas such as Don’t Mess with an Angel, Down with the Beautiful and Dare to Dream.“These titles are appealing to buyers in Asia because the themes go well with Asian values and they have had very good reception in every market we have sold them to,” Casares says.

Televisa is also bringing a host of other new novelas, such as Wild Heart, Chameleons, Love Spell, Burden of Guilt, For Love or Money and Teach Me How to Live.There are also unscripted formats available, such as 12 Hearts to the Altar and I’m Searching For....

“These titles are appealing to buyers in Asia because the themes go well with Asian values and they have had very good reception in every market we have sold them to.

”

—Arturo Casares

Dear Enemy

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Singapore.

Asia’s Bright Future

The growth of platforms in Asia is offering distributors more opportunities to sell a variety of genres.

By Kristin Brzoznowski

Asia’s economies are proving their resilience once again. The new forecasts from ZenithOptimedia predict that advertising spend in the region will increase over the next few years, growing 3.3 percent in 2010 to $107.4 billion, and a further 6.5 percent in 2011 to $114.5 billion.

As ad dollars begin to flow back into the market, programming budgets continue to open up.This bodes well for the distributors heading to the Asia Television Forum (ATF), which celebrates its tenth edition this year. Coming off of a rather upbeat MIPCOM, where a renewed sense of optimism was felt from both buyers and sellers, many companies have high hopes for wrapping up discussions already under way and also bringing new deals to the table at the Suntec in Singapore.

“MIPCOM saw a number of buyers confirming deals that were discussed much earlier in the year, so we are encouraged that buyers are starting to acquire programming for early 2010,” says Stephen Driscoll, the VP of international sales at ALL3MEDIA International. “Many buyers have run stocks down over the past 12 months and are prudently acquiring just enough programming to fill schedules for early 2010.”

Joanne Azzopardi, the VP of sales for Australasia at Beyond Distribution, shares a similarly positive sentiment. “ATF is a 36

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good market for us. It provides an opportunity for us to meet broadcasters who did not attend MIPCOM. We hope to finalize new deals at the market as well as follow up on interest from MIPCOM.” Beyond already has a solid track record established in Asia, Azzopardi points out, noting that the company’s business in the region has remained steady even through the downturn.

“Our programming works well in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore,Thailand and Vietnam, and it also works well for pan-regional broadcasters such as BBC, Discovery and Disney.”

The Sydney-based distributor recently sold a package of children’s content to Astro in Malaysia that included Kid Detectives and Lab Rats Challenge. Beyond is finalizing a pan-regional sale for the cooking series Chuck’s Day Off and a free-TV sale to Thaole Entertainment for the tween series Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide in Vietnam, and also has various renewals in discussion for Backyard Science.

Azzopardi expects interest to remain strong for Beyond’s educational children’s series as well as its lifestyle fare.“Kid Detectives is the follow-up series to Backyard Science, and kids’ edutainment sells very well in Asia. Kids love learning in a fun way.

“Good quality, aspirational lifestyle series appeal to Asian audiences,”Azzopardi continues.“What’s Good forYou is all about uncovering life’s little health mysteries. It’s a positive, entertaining health series, now into its third series, and has sold very well in Asia.” Beyond will also be offering up the doc JUMP!, which

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TV ASIA PACIFIC

Taking a thrill ride: The Magic Tree from TVP is a kids’ offering that’s both a series and a feature film.

follows five teams as they compete in the World Rope Skipping Championships. “The footage is amazing, and, again, it’s very positive and inspirational,” says Azzopardi.

Lifestyle series and documentaries are also at the top of the roster for ALL3MEDIA, which is highlighting such titles as Piers Morgan On…, Undercover Boss USA and World Kitchen.

“Undercover Boss is a very timely series about businesses improving during the current financial climate by sending bosses undercover in their own companies to see what they are really like,” explains Driscoll.“Audiences are going to relate to the characters and stories in this series.”

Piers Morgan On…, Driscoll continues, sees the reality show personality touring the world exploring luxury lifestyles, “which is a guilty pleasure for many of us. World Kitchen and Hairy Bikers are food series with appealing characters and travel. Wa$ted! USA is a hit show for Discovery’s Planet Green and has proven that it is possible to make a ‘green’ series which is first and foremost entertaining.”

India, Indonesia,Vietnam and Hong Kong.Angelika Newel, the head of distribution for Asia at the German outfit, notes in particular “an increase in the demand for programming that explains the global crisis, energy shortage and ways to overcome the crisis.Three of our new programs do just that.”

Profit at All Cost looks at what globalization really means.

Foresight spotlights creativity in research and science.

GLOBAL.ized sheds light on how local events can reverberate around the world.The company’s best-selling program has been euromaxx, which covers topics like architecture, design, fashion, gourmet food, sports and music, and is Eurocentric. Newel expects many of these titles to be attractive buys.“The Asian market is evolving daily,” she says.“More and more people are connected to the Western world through their work, personal relationships and interests. With this connection there is also an increasing demand for platforms that offer different perspectives, ideas,trends and developments from around the globe.These new programs offer viewers a range of current global issues and interesting topics from a European perspective—something that we think will be a real hit among audiences around the region.”

THE POWER OF CHOICE

A challenge for many distributors selling into Asia is that the region’s various markets differ so widely in tastes and preferences. To accommodate the broad scope of cultural interests, Telewizja Polska (TVP) is presenting a slate that covers a number of genres. “Our participation in ATF enables us to present the full range of TVP products,” says Marcin Oginski, the head of film licensing and program sales for the internationalrelations and trade department at the Polish company.The most popular genres for TVP in Asia, he says, are feature films, animation and documentaries.

The Magic Tree is both a series and a feature film, and is a “main target in children’s productions for the Asian market,” says Oginski. In animation, TVP is highlighting Polish Fairy

THE REAL DEAL

Driscoll has confidence in the appeal of these programs because of how the genres have sold in Asia in the past.“Business continues to be driven by documentaries and lifestyle programming,” he says. “I wouldn’t call anywhere in Asia a top market in the past 12 months; everyone has suffered from a mixture of reduced advertising revenue, currency fluctuations and/or reduced budgets. Thankfully, we have a very good catalogue and very good customers who continue to acquire the right programming for their schedules despite budget constraints.”

Deutsche Welle is another company that is looking to its factual slate to drum up sales, Waste not, want not: ALL3MEDIA has a host of lifestyle series to offer up, including Wa$ted USA, especially in markets such as which airs on Planet Green.

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Tales and Fantazy the Bear. From the interest generated by its doc catalogue, TVP has seen a particular appetite for art and music productions and topics revolving around World War II and religion. For ATF, the company is promoting Seven Gates of Jerusalem, Secrets of the Nile Valley and The Saga of the Ancient Forest.There is also Secrets of the Vatican, an HD production centered on the subject of the papacy. “There is a long list of titles in HD format,” Oginski points out.

TVP is not the only distributor to have taken note that HD is in demand in Asia. Globo TV International is also keen on increasing its high-definition offerings for the region, according to Raphael Corrêa Netto, the Brazilian distributor’s international sales director.

“Next year we are going to start to expand on the editing and delivery of HD content for Asia,” he says, noting that this push is part of a larger growth plan for increasing Globo’s presence in the region.The company established a strong history selling telenovelas around the world, but has now diversified its catalogue. Aside from a slate of entertainment formats, Globo has documentaries to offer buyers: Globo DOC and Globo DOC: Carnaval 2009.

Corrêa points out that a number of Globo’s deals in Asia already include one or more of these new categories. “With our partner in Korea, [we have] a multi-genre deal.We are [supplying] them with more than 1,000 hours each year, from novelas to documentaries, from comedy series to drama series. It supports our repositioning in the market.”

FINDING AN OPENING

Much like Globo, Telefe International has its roots in novela sales. The company used the genre to make inroads in the Philippines and Indonesia, and now has a variety of products on offer. The Argentine distributor has not only enlarged its catalogue—now including dating shows, entertainment and game-show formats—but it has also widened its focus on Asia as a whole. Michelle Wasserman, the head of international distribution, programming, formats and production services at Telefe International, has played a key role in the company’s expanded activities in the region.

“Around 2006, when I took over the international business, I traveled to Asia to explore and open up new relations.We [were in the region for more than] a month, and when I came back I took over the management of finished product and formats and co-productions. I put all these areas together and divided executives to manage the regions. One year ago, a new member of our team came on strictly to focus on Asia. And we’ve already started to develop a lot of productions since then. We now have more than ten different projects going on in the region, not only with the sale of finished product, but with formats, co-productions and, in some cases, working as consultants.”

Wasserman admits that many Asian broadcasters do have a penchant for homegrown content, which makes it more difficult to compete for time slots.

Telefe, however, has made use of platforms outside of traditional linear channels for getting its programming into Asia.The company has a deal in Korea that brings its entertainment clip series Trick and Treat with the Magic Hands to trains and hotels. In Malaysia,Telefe supplies movies to hotels, and in Japan, it has Internet deals in place for Don Juan and His Fair Lady, The Successful Mr. and Mrs. Pells and Forever Julia.

Deutsche Welle is also hoping to gain placement on other platforms to increase its exposure in the region.“We are looking to reach out to new partners, especially in the areas of new media and online platforms,” says Newel.

“We expect to see real growth in the next year in the area of IPTV, especially in markets like Indonesia, South Korea and China.”

TVP’s Oginski notes,“We have high hopes for VOD distribution, which is growing rapidly, together with the increased number of users of digital platforms and digital-cable subscribers.”

If the growth projections are correct, 2010 will likely see a range of new platforms launching in the region, which will be good news for content owners angling for a slice of the pie in this rapidly developing part of the world. ■

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A Passion for

Asia

Latin American distributors continue to find a demand for telenovelas across the region.

By Elizabeth Bowen-Tombari The anecdotes about Latin American telenovela stars being mobbed at airports in Indonesia and the Philippines are well known to those who have been chronicling the international trajectory of this programming staple.The genre has traveled across the globe, proving to be a popular solution for Asian broadcasters in the need of affordable, loyalty-generating shows.

A host of distributors from Latin America will be heading to Singapore this month for the Asia TV Forum looking to capitalize on the inroads already made with novela sales in the region.

“We’ve prioritized Asia, because we know that our products have always sold very well there,” says Ricardo Ehrsam, the general director for Europe and Asia at Televisa Internacional.

Televisa has found success selling formats and finished versions of its novelas, with China as one of its key markets. The company signed a deal with Hunan Satellite TV, Nesound and RCN to co-produce the Chinese version of La fea más bella (The Prettiest Ugly Girl). It also collaborated on the production of the local version of Dumb Women Don’t Go to Heaven, which airs on Dragon TV. “Our greatest success recently has been the local production of La fea

Globo’s India: A Love Story.

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which Palti refers to as a “new-vela.” He explains,“It contains all the basic elements of the traditional telenovela but with an edge—its story line is more updated and unique, its pace is faster, and the way it is shot and edited is innovative.We are sure it will surprise and entertain our clients in Asia just like it did with our European clients at MIPCOM.” Also available from Dori Media are Mia: My Invisible Friend, the vampire-themed Split, and Money Time.

“Dori Media is staying ‘fresh’ by offering its clients innovative formats and canned versions with an international appeal,” Palti continues.“As a rule, Dori Media tries to produce a variety of products, so that buyers from all over the world can find the perfect product suiting their needs.This is a big advantage of Dori Media—we produce for the international market and not for a specific local channel. Our productions are characterized by story lines that break boundaries, international-looking casts, unique editing and advanced shooting techniques.”

MARKET POTENTIAL

Finding an opening: Date Blind leads off the slate of new novelas that Dori Media Group is bringing to the ATF.

Another distributor that has Asia high up on its international priority list is Globo TV International. “We are very excited about Asia,” says Raphael Corrêa Netto, the international sales director for the company. “We still have a lot to do there, with our novelas and with our other content.”

In the region, Globo’s Brazilian novelas can be found on the air in ten markets, including Macau, East Timor, South Korea, Singapore and India. To expand Globo’s presence, Corrêa is looking at offering up high-definition content, which is key in more developed territories like Japan.

más bella in China,” Ehrsam says.“We have had three seasons in prime time with the local production of our format.”

Ehrsam adds that the Hunan TV local version will extend to a fifth season. The Chinese version of Dumb Women Don’t Go to Heaven, meanwhile, has begun its first season and will extend to a second and perhaps a third.

Elsewhere in Asia, Televisa has sold a number of novelas into the Philippines and Indonesia, among other markets. The company is hoping to drum up additional business at the ATF, with new novelas like Wild Heart, Chameleons, Love Spell and For Love or Money. “We have to be present in these conventions, understand what direction the market is moving in, and take into account that in spite of the crisis, opportunities exist,” Ehrsam says.

“At ATF, we are ready to make a big entry [into Asia], just like we did a year ago at the same market,” says Nadav Palti, the president and CEO of Dori Media Group. “Our clients’ expectations are high and we are diligently working to bring them the best products of the industry.”

Top sellers for Dori Media in the region have included Lalola, which Palti says helped the company “deepen its penetration in Asia. Contemporary romantic comedies are the preferred genre throughout Asia. Lalola became an instant hit with buyers from India, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Cambodia and China, among others. Laughter is truly universal; therefore this is the preferred genre for programmers and audiences alike.”

Dori Media’s other Asian successes include You Are the One, Amanda O, Juanita Is Single, Champs 12 and All tied up: Telefe’s The Successful Mr. and Mrs. Pells has already Ugly Duckling.Topping the ATF porfolio is Date Blind, premiered in the Philippines and Vietnam.

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Hear me out: Caracol productions that have been popular in Asia include Tu voz estéreo.

“We want to be in Japan,” Corrêa stresses.“We understand that we must have a) competitive content, and b) content shot and edited in HD.” Corrêa has high hopes for the company’s new novela release, India: A Love Story.Already a hit in Brazil, the show is one of Globo’s headline properties at the ATF. Jaipur, the capital city of the Indian state of Rajasthan, and Agra, home to the Taj Mahal, are among the backdrops for the telenovela, which stars Tony Ramos, Lima Duarte and Juliana Paes. Other titles that Globo will showcase at the ATF include The Favorite, Forbidden Desire, The Prophet and Pure Beauty.

Discussing Globo’s strategy for the region, Corrêa states, “We know that Asia can’t be treated as a whole.

We have to try to understand each of these markets, in order to make different offerings depending on the opportunities and the needs [of the broadcasters]. We are in ten countries already and we want to be in more.There is a lot of room to do more there.”

“For VVI, the deal with CCTV allowed us to establish ourselves in China as an important provider of telenovelas, both nationally and regionally, and on the other hand, we managed to introduce products from CCTV in Latin America,” explains César Díaz, the VP of sales for Venevision International.With a Chinese presence established, Díaz says, “other countries are starting to introduce our products. A good example is Vietnam, which, upon seeing the success we obtained with telenovelas in China, opened up the door for the sales of other products and services.”

Band Imagem International, meanwhile, is looking to use relationships forged in Brazil to assist its expansion in Asia.

María Leonor de Barros Saad, the international business director, notes that both NHK and CCTV have a presence in São Paulo and already have strong ties with Band.

SOME LIKE IT HOT?

For novela distributors doing business in Asia, offending cultural sensibilities can sometimes be a concern if a title in question is particularly steamy. “There are countries

A MATTER OF TRUST

Telefe International similarly sees plenty of growth ahead for the company’s novela business in Asia.“There is a potential,” explains Alejandro Parra, the director of Telefe International. But, he says, being patient is very important in territories like India or China, where negotiations can take longer than they would in other markets. “It’s due in part to the way business is done, and they look to develop trust with those they do business with.”

Telefe has certainly built that trust in a number of markets, selling series like Wild Angel and Luna salvaje into Indonesia and the Philippines, among other territories.

More recently, the original Argentinean version of the romantic comedy The Successful Mr. and Mrs. Pells premiered on GMA Network in the Philippines and VBC in Vietnam. Additionally, negotiations are under way for the show, an Endemol co-production, to air in Japan next year. On the format side, Wild Angel and The Roldans are in preproduction for Indonesia, and Parra notes that the company is exploring a Japanese version of Montecristo. At ATF, Telefe will also be showcasing Legacy of Passion and season three of the teen novela TeenAngels.

The Cisneros Group of Companies, the parent company of Venevision International (VVI), has spent the last few years working to make inroads in China, culminating in a deal with the state broadcaster, CCTV. The alliance sees the two companies promoting each other’s content in their respective markets.

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Feeling the heat: Televisa’s broad novela slate runs the gamut from contemporary fare to period pieces like Wild Heart.

12/09

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TV ASIA PACIFIC

Saying I do: Band is keen to boost its Asian business with Brazilian novelas like Simply Delicious.

[where] some telenovelas have to be edited, but the story, the essence of the telenovela, is accepted in any country,” said Marcel Vinay, the CEO of Comarex. “In the end it’s a love story that generally speaking has a happy ending.”

The level of censorship needed, Vinay says, is usually part of the negotiations with broadcasters, with the stipulation that the actual story line can’t be edited.

For Comarex, a driver of its Asian business has been formats, as well as completed versions of shows such as Catalina and Sebastián, Cuando seas mía and The Gardener’s Daughter. The company heads to the Asia TV Forum with Daniela, The Force of Destiny and Morena, among other Mexican novelas.

Another distribution company that has positioned itself as a key player in the provision of novelas to Asia is Caracol TV Internacional, thanks to the sale of shows like Love Her to Death; Luna, la heredera; and Tu voz estéreo.

“Exactly one year ago, Caracol TV Internacional took over the distribution of Caracol TV’s content so that it could have a stronger [presence] in these territories,” says Angélica Guerra, international VP of the company.

“During the last year we have attended numerous events and we have stepped up the marketing of our products in the region.”

For Guerra, an important selling point for Caracol’s novelas is that they “have added value; they are able to distinguish themselves because they offer family-oriented content that reaches the general public, and stories that 48

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are universal without omitting elements of love and drama.” Caracol TV Internacional is currently adapting a format in Asia and will be looking to strike other new deals at the ATF with Gabriela, Turns of Destiny and The Swindler.

RCTV International has been selling both completed versions and formats of its novelas, with a slate that includes My Sweet Fat Valentina, My Three Sisters, Secret Woman, My Cousin Ciela and The Lady.

Marc Paneque, the director of international sales for Asia, Western Europe, Africa, Australia and Oceania for RCTV International, says that the global reach of RCTV’s products “gives them an international dimension. We have established a solid relationship with many international networks throughout the years, and thanks to our team of producers, writers and directors [among others], our product has a special ingredient that is sought after abroad.”

Paneque adds that for the future, delivering highdefinition novelas to Asia broadcasters is a priority.

For all distributors selling their titles to Asia, gaining an understanding of the market is of the utmost importance.

As Xavier Aristimuño, the VP of sales and international business development for Asia at Telemundo Internacional, explains,“In [this region] doing business goes beyond buying and selling. It is a partnership, a relationship where trust and respect are a priority.” The ATF, he continues, presents “a great opportunity to strengthen our relationship with clients and continue developing business deals on the continent.”

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BBC Worldwide’s Jhalak Dikhla Jaa on SET.

India Dances to a Format Beat Indian entertainment channels are putting their own spin on international concepts to give themselves a competitive edge.

By Mansha Daswani

In a year when dwindling local-production budgets put a question mark over the health of the format business, India has emerged as one of the world’s most voracious buyers of international concepts. Indeed, over a period this summer it seemed as if all of the major players in India’s general-entertainment landscape were rushing to get their own versions of high-profile international formats on the air, from FremantleMedia’s Got Talent to ITV Studios Global Entertainment’s I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

“The receptiveness of viewers towards new fares and formats is at an all-time high,” says Sunil Lulla, the director of Real Global Broadcasting, which operates the unscripted entertainment channel Real. A joint venture of Turner International India and Alva Brothers Entertainment, Real launched into the already crowded Indian channel space 50

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earlier this year with Poker Face, based on a FremantleMedia game-show format and produced by the local outfit Miditech.“It is a power-packed, fun-filled show that makes ordinary people real heroes,” Lulla says. “The show was adapted by Real to the extent that we used Indian contestants, an Indian anchor (Sharman Joshi) and the questions were relevant to the Indian consumer—no other significant change has been made.”

Lulla notes that the format is perfect for family viewing, and the series premiered with more than 6.5 million viewers. “Viewers liked the concept as for the first time ever on Indian television, one Indian won Rs 1 crore ($212,000) in just a week.The concept of bluffing and keeping a poker face is unique and has never been seen before in India. Also, the contestants were from diverse backgrounds that represent the viewing audience. Last but not the least, the show’s short schedule format (each season runs for only seven days) was a fresh concept for the viewers.”

Lulla says that the channel is actively reviewing a host of other international formats, primarily in the adventure, makeover, reality and light-entertainment genres.

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Colors is another upstart channel that launched with format-based shows: “We went in with a strategy that nonfiction shows, [Endemol’s] Fear Factor and Big Brother, would get us the kind of buzz that we wanted,” says Rajesh Kamat, Colors’ CEO. “We had to get noticed and talked about first, and fiction typically takes you two to three months” to build a loyal following. “India is still predominantly a fiction market,” Kamat continues. “They are the staple diet.You can spruce [up your schedule] with some spicy elements, which are nonfiction or reality [shows]. Reality is something which you can really experiment with.”

SPICE FACTOR

Kamat, who established Endemol’s operations in India prior to taking the helm at Colors, notes that when bringing in an international format, it is crucial to “add the Indian curry flavor to it.” For Fear Factor, Colors lured a high-profile host— Bollywood star Akshay Kumar—and lined up models as the contestants. For Big Brother, meanwhile, which aired locally as Bigg Boss, “we went in with what we called newsmakers—a lot of them famous, a lot of them infamous—as [compared with the] international versions, which predominantly focus on common men. It gave our viewers a safety net—faces who were known, for both good and bad reasons.”

High five: The unscripted entertainment channel Real launched with its own version of FremantleMedia’s Poker Face.

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Colors’ more recent format buy was FremantleMedia’s Got Talent, and the channel has also rolled out 100 Percent, based on an Argentine wrestling format. “We’re open to acquiring more formats,” Kamat says.“There are some we’re already in talks for.”

More established channels have also been turning to international formats. STAR Plus, for example—which is not new to the format market, having imported Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? more than a decade ago—has been refreshing its soap-heavy grid with unscripted fare like Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? and, more recently, Moment of Truth, a Shine International format in which contestants are asked revealing questions about their personal lives while attached to a lie detector. “We acquired Moment of Truth because it’s a very interesting format and fits in well with a founding principle of our country, ‘Satyamev Jayate,’ which means ‘Truth Alone Triumphs,’” says Keertan Adyanthaya, the general manager and executive VP of STAR India.

Sach Ka Saamna (Face the Truth), opened with a 4.6 television rating point (TVR). “This is the best opening that any nonfiction show has had in India in the last two years,” Adyanthaya asserts.

The show also caused a bit of a stir in India, as it has done elsewhere, with lawmakers questioning its effect on the country’s moral values. Another show that made quite a few headlines this year was I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! Broadcast on Sony Entertainment Television (SET), the ITV Studios Global Entertainment series placed a host of Indian celebrities in Malaysia’s Taman Negara rain forest, where they endured a range of physical challenges. In a country that tends to revere its celebs with an almost religious fervor, the series certainly caught the attention of audiences.

SET knows a fair bit about luring viewers with international formats.Among its successes has been its adaptation of BBC Worldwide’s Strictly Come Dancing—the channel has aired three seasons of the show, called Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, delivering audiences of more than 20 million, and has ordered a fourth season.

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Dance stars: India’s Got Talent is one of several format-based shows broadcast on Colors.

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for example, set up its production base in India earlier this year, following the success of Indian Idol, Got Talent and other local adaptations.

“India is a very exciting market for TV formats, and we’ve recently launched on-ground production operations in the country so that we can bring quality content to our Indian audiences,” says Patrick Schult, the CEO of FremantleMedia Asia. “We are establishing a strong, high caliber team there and are focused on growing the business into the future.”

Schult continues: “There is a keen appetite from the local broadcasters for the kind of quality content that is going to set them apart from the competition, help them draw in audiences and stand out to the advertisers in the market.

Many of the Indian TV networks are very in tune with worldwide television trends. They have seen the success of international TV brands in markets around the world, they appreciate the value of high-quality productions, and so they’ve looked to bring localized versions of these tried-andtested formats to their audiences.”

Schult expects to see a continued demand from Indian networks for concepts that are “edgy and different, like relationship and dating shows, for example. Given the confidence Indian broadcasters display in launching international formats, we see the trend towards localization and innovation continuing. The TV networks also value production quality.

They’re willing to invest in programs they believe in, and are also examining their scheduling strategy to draw in viewers.”

POWER PLAY

Feeling the heat: Moment of Truth aired on STAR Plus as Sach ka Saamna.

It’s not just the entertainment channels that are seeking out formats; Turner’s Indian kids’ channel Pogo has had tremendous success with its own versions of Hole in the Wall and All Star Athletic Games.The channel has been steadily increasing its original production output over the years, from 50 half hours in 2004 to more than 300 half hours this year. “To keep the momentum going and infuse variety, Pogo is always looking for great ideas from global formats that can be created for Indian children to view and enjoy,” says Krishna Desai, the director of programming for Cartoon Network and Pogo in India and South Asia.“The biggest advantage a successful format brings to the table is the reduction of development time as well as ensuring a higher probability of a successful show.”

When asked what he’s looking for, Desai responds, “Anything of global standards, off-center in attitude, safe and funny. Importantly, we look out for content that is engaging and entertaining without the overload of drama and tears that generally rule the reality shows on Indian air. This differentiation allows us to offer Pogo’s over 40 percent adult viewers true entertainment value with fun and happy content for our kid viewers.”

This appetite for formats from Indian channels is creating numerous new opportunities for distributors. FremantleMedia, 52

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Sony Pictures Television’s 2waytraffic has seen gains in its Indian business since the rollout of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? on STAR Plus. One of its more recent hits has been 10 Ka Dum, based on Power of 10, for SET.“We’re definitely seeing more demand,” says Ed Louwerse, the managing director of 2waytraffic International. “Broadcasters are trying to find dynamic new ideas and economical solutions to attract advertisers to their screens, and formats are great options.The arrival of new broadcasters such as Real and the particular success of Colors has energized the market.”

Louwerse adds, however, that to be successful in India, a format needs to be cost effective, have an international track record and be “adaptable and versatile, with significant ancillary and interactive exploitation. Thankfully, our catalogue satisfies all these criteria.”

James Ross, ITV Studios Global Entertainment’s regional director for Asia, is similarly upbeat about prospects for the Indian market. Ross notes that India was the first Asian territory to take a chance on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!, and he sees that broadcasters are willing to take risks on innovative new concepts. “People are starting to look at doing different things because everybody is a bit worn out with the singing and dancing shows. There’s also so many more networks in the market now that you have to have a point of differentiation.The great thing about the Indian market is that it’s very vibrant at the moment. After a long period in the doldrums in a way, where nobody was doing anything particularly exciting, you’ve got a few new channels coming along which have poked everyone else into having a bit of a rethink about what they’re doing.

That’s good for the industry.There’s a huge audience, the commercial television organizations are all vying with each other.All of that is good for the format business in India.”

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Wired for Growth

MediaCorp’s Chang Long Jong In the tech-savvy, mature media market of Singapore, MediaCorp remains a dominant force. With its wide portfolio of channels, the broadcaster has been catering to the island nation’s diverse Malay, Chinese, Indian and expat communities with a mix of locally developed and imported content. As deputy CEO, Chang Long Jong oversees all of MediaCorp’s television assets, including its recently restructured production business. He speaks to TV Asia Pacific about delivering quality content, embracing new technologies and positioning the company for the future.

By Mansha Daswani

TV ASIA PACIFIC: How do you serve diverse audiences

with your channels?

CHANG: MediaCorp operates seven television channels. Broadly speaking, the English-language Channel 5 and the Chineselanguage Channels 8 and U cater to mainstream viewers, and they collectively serve a majority of the television viewing audience. Each of these channels have their unique market positioning; Channel 8 caters to the majority of the Mandarinspeaking community, or what we term locally as the “heartlanders.” These “heartlanders” have an immediate affinity with local programs, and the channel attracts audiences with its large offering of local dramas, variety, game shows and magazine programs.The other Chinese channel, Channel U, differentiates itself with its more international mix of programs that attract the younger Singaporean, as well as Singapore’s burgeoning population of first-generation Chinese immigrants. Channel U positions itself as offering the best from Asia (Korea, Taiwan, China and Hong Kong), and in line with the lifestyles of its younger audience, its programs offer a greater level of online interactivity and engagement. Channel 5 serves the most multiracial audience, and it offers a good balance of local and acquired programs, including drama, variety and reality.

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Our new English-language channel okto, which was launched February last year, focuses on kids. Its daytime programming, which is a mix of local and acquired shows, commands 80 percent of the 4-to-12 market in Singapore. By night, the channel offers acquired documentary, factual, cultural programs for adults.

Our community channels Suria and Vasantham serve the local Malay and Indian community, respectively, with both local and acquired titles. Our news channel, Channel NewsAsia, serves the business community with news, current affairs and documentaries.

Results from the just-released Nielsen Media Index show that our channels continue to engage audiences despite the increasingly competitive landscape; on a weekly basis, MediaCorp’s channels reach more than 93 percent of the population.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: How has the Singaporean TV ad market held up in the current economy?

CHANG: Just like many other industries, the TV ad market was not spared by the downturn.The first half of the year was challenging; we registered a negative growth for ads. However, we had in place measures to manage costs.These measures, together with government initiatives to aid businesses, helped us stay on target, without needing to resort to drastic measures.The second half of the year has seen signs of recovery since July and August; the ad market is slowly but surely recovering, and we hope for a strong last quarter with the year-end festivities.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What role does local content play on the schedules?

CHANG: Local content plays a critical role for us; it is the key differentiating factor against pay-TV channels.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: You also import a lot of programming

from the international market.

CHANG: Channel U’s proposition is to offer the best selection

in Asia, and this strategy has proven successful, given the good performance of acquired content. For Channel 5, one of its rating drivers is U.S. movies, and its Blockbuster Sunday time belt consistently performs well. Channel 5 also brings in the latest U.S. series, such as FlashForward, Fringe and The Mentalist. And while the reality genre may be losing its appeal in the U.S., we still have faithful followers of series such as America’s Next Top Model, America’s Got Talent and American Idol.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: Singapore is a very mature market

technologically. Are you delivering additional content online or on mobiles?

CHANG: For the new generation of net-savvy TV viewers, we enhance our engagement with them via online-only offerings such as exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, blogging and forums.An example is our local travelogue Adventure Clicks, on Channel U. In their quest to produce a travelogue with a difference, the producers started a website to recruit three “travelers” to embark on a travelogue.Viewers were then involved in voting on the travelers’ destination and suggesting places to go within the different cities. Once the travelers started on their journeys, they blogged about their experiences, getting the audience to share their experiences in real time. Armed with tips and recommendations from their followers, the travelers then visited places of interest as recommended by the viewers.

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TV ASIA PACIFIC: You recently restructured your production business.Why was that important?

CHANG: We consolidated our international production unit to come under the umbrella of Caldecott Productions International (CPI) to exploit opportunities to develop content for the regional and international markets. CPI is driven by two main thrusts—developing the entertainment and the factual genres. In the entertainment genre, we want to develop variety, game shows and dramas that will do well regionally. One such example is our exclusive agreement with Just For Laughs (JFL) to co-produce and distribute JFL gags for the Asian market.We have in the pipeline game formats with Japanese and American partners. For the factual genre, we will continue to produce award-winning documentaries from Asia, by Asians, for the global market. Needless to say, the consolidation focused our international production strategy and helped us leverage the strengths of the producers, as well as create better synergy and productivity.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What is your strategy for exploiting your

library of content outside of Singapore?

CHANG: We have achieved considerable success in exporting

our Chinese content, especially our drama serials. We are actively distributing to China, Malaysia,Vietnam and Cambodia, and making inroads in distribution to North America.

Right now, we are looking to launch our own branded channels overseas, which exploits the long-tail strategy of appealing to niche audiences in the worldwide market. Plans are in place to launch a drama channel next year in North America, and an entertainment channel is in the pipeline.

Following the success of our time-belt management for Media Prima in Malaysia, we have launched a [programming block] in the Philippines on TV5; it is the first time a Filipino free-to-air channel has dedicated a time belt for foreign content.All content will be dubbed in Tagalog, and 520 hours of MediaCorp content has been scheduled in the first year of this collaboration.

With the centralization of our distribution unit, which sells all MediaCorp-produced content, we have been able to explore a lot more opportunities. We have begun looking to the North American, European and Middle Eastern markets.A new area of success and opportunity for us is in the kids’ genre; we have distributed to Astro in Malaysia, and are working on further collaboration and distribution in Malaysia.

Another [platform] that is delivering our content to the worldwide market is the Internet.Although the opening up of the online channel has brought its threats, it also offers an opportunity for us as content producers. We have syndicated our content to partners such as Baidu in China.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What other kinds of international oppor-

tunities are you pursuing?

CHANG: We are looking at market-specific co-productions.

Currently, we have a team that is developing content specifically for China and Malaysia.We want to continue to explore this strategy in other markets regionally.

Another area that has been opened up to us is the formation of the SMART Alliance, which is [made up of ] six regional broadcasters: ABS-CBN (Philippines), BBTV (Thailand), International Media Corporation (Vietnam), Media Nusantara Citra (Indonesia), Media Prima (Malaysia) and MediaCorp. We are working with alliance members to 12/09

develop co-productions of formats that will interest all the six markets.We hope that this will bear fruit next year, in the form of a game format or a reality program.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: Sports has been a big story these last few

months with StarHub losing English Premier League rights to mioTV. What role does sports play on your schedule?

CHANG: In terms of big-ticket sports telecasts such as the English Premier League, the high cost of acquiring broadcast rights effectively means that they will be in the hands of payTV operators. But that doesn’t mean we do not do sports at all.

We were one of the first few in the world to offer a full highdefinition channel for last year’s Beijing Olympics.We also play a national role in ensuring that major sports events that are directly relevant to Singaporean viewers—especially when Singapore is represented in the games—are broadcast.

There has been a high level of interest in next year’s World Cup, and we are working on bringing in the final few matches live.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What are your main goals for Media-

Corp’s TV businesses in 2010 and beyond?

CHANG: To ensure we recover in tandem with the economy

and be well-positioned to embark on the next level of growth.

As always, we will strive to be relevant to Singaporeans and find new ways to reach, entertain and enrich their lives. In line with our vision of becoming Asia’s top media company, we want to grow our business beyond Singapore, be it in distribution, time-belt management or content production.

A major development in Singapore which will have a big impact on us will be the launch of our national Next Generation Broadband Network (NGBN). Needless to say, the NGBN infrastructure will open up new windows of opportunity for us, and we are watching its development with a close eye to see how we can offer new services and create a greater level of enhancement and interactivity with our consumers.

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Family dynamic: Sayang Sayang is one of the locally developed shows airing on the Englishlanguage Channel 5.

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By Mansha Daswani

It’s been a busy few months for Disney-ABC International Television (DAIT) Asia Pacific, with a host of deals signed with broadcasters and platforms across the region. FOXTEL’s Fox 8 and W channels in Australia picked up ABC Family’s Make It or Break It and the TNT legal drama Raising the Bar, among other shows. Malaysia’s Media Prima Berhad signed up for a package of features, dramas— including FlashForward—and animated titles for its TV3, ntv7 and 8TV channels. In Indonesia, MNC, which operates RCTI, Global TV and TPI, also opted for a multi-genre package crossing DAIT’s entire portfolio. In addition, DAIT renewed its longstanding agreement with the pan-regional STAR World, and clinched a new movies and live-action-series deal with Zee in India. Rob Gilby, the senior VP and managing director of DAIT in the Asia Pacific, is leading the distribution of the studio’s content to traditional and new-media outlets. His remit also includes the distribution of Disney Channel and Playhouse Disney to platforms in Asia. He tells TV Asia Pacific about how DAIT is taking advantage of all the new opportunities emerging across the region.

Delivering Quality Content

Disney-ABC’s Rob Gilby

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TV ASIA PACIFIC: With all signs pointing to an ad recovery in Asia in early 2010, are you seeing that buyers are ready to start increasing their programming budgets again?

GILBY: Everyone is still a little cautious. However, we have seen some positive signs of recovery in some markets. Even though advertisers always take a little bit of time to come back, DAIT still sees great growth opportunities across Asia.Whether we are speaking with free-to-air broadcasters, pay-TV broadcasters or cable and satellite and IPTV platforms, they all want to maintain their competitive position and edge while retaining their relationships with consumers. And the best way to achieve this is to provide consumers the right shows, with the best content, stories and characters.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: Are you seeing more multiplatform deals

in Asia, with broadcasters picking up online catch-up or VOD rights to your programming?

GILBY: We see amazing growth potential and new business opportunities across the region fueled by the rapid evolution of digital technologies. We are actively pursuing digital media opportunities and some [of our] partners have moved quickly, some not quite as quickly. This year, though, across the board people have fully embraced new technology to the point they are entering into deals and asking, what else can we do?

DAIT has had great success with both catch-up TV and VOD deals across the region from Australia to Korea. Free-to-air and pay-TV broadcasters were some of the first to use catch-up TV. For example, we have done a variety of online catch-up deals with TVNZ,TVB and MediaCorp, to name a few.We believe free-to-air broadcasters can benefit from these new technologies.

ABC.com, with our ABC network in the U.S., is a great example of this. We have successfully demonstrated that these new technologies can help retain audiences. From our perspective, it’s additive and it does not have to cannibalize. In fact, we have evidence that the number of episodes people watch increases when they have the catch-up service. In addition, you reach different demographics and are able to get new audiences to connect with your shows. ABC’s average demographic is around 42, but ABC.com’s is around 28.This, in turn, broadens our relationship with advertisers. It’s these types of learnings and insights that we are sharing with our partners as they look to develop digitalmedia strategies to drive their business forward.

With the digitization of cable and DTH services on the rise, TV broadcasters in Asia are also looking beyond just linear channels and realizing the potential of subscription video-on-demand services. DAIT has done very well on a number of digital platforms, like IPTV, for transactional VOD. If you look at the forecasts for Asia’s pay-television platforms, one of the key trends that is going to happen over the next couple of years is the digitization of pay-television platforms. Looking at the region, a large majority of what we have is cable, but DTH is emerging very rapidly. In addition, analogue cable is converting in countries like China and Korea, with long-term potential in India.

Disney, as a company, has openly and aggressively embraced emerging technologies. We believe the consumer is king, but before you serve them you have to understand them. And by understanding how audiences in Asia use digital media, it gives us and our partners an opportunity to connect with consumers in new ways. We conducted a digital-media study last year in Australia, Hong Kong, Korea and Singapore.The study targeted digital natives and how they consume TV content, what devices

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they use, and their preferences.We found a number of interesting trends. Firstly, they want to choose what they watch and when they watch it. Secondly, there is a desire to own it and share it.The idea of sharing is all about the consumer’s excitement for their favorite TV show, its characters and how the story is developing. We are working with our partners to develop innovative digital-media business solutions that allow consumers in legitimate ways to enjoy their favorite content. For example, last year we announced a digital-media deal with mioTV in Singapore so that its viewers could have access to their favorite ABC prime-time series on demand 24 hours after the U.S. broadcast.Additionally, we are exploring potential opportunities for electronic sell-through for some of our titles.

In Asia Pacific,digital-media-platform adoption is at early stages in some markets, but in other markets we see quite advanced trends. So even though we approach different markets in different ways, the focus remains on working with our partners to provide consumers with the best entertainment experience.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What are some of the new programs you

are offering to your Asian clients?

GILBY: We are very focused on shows that have premises that

are different, compelling and really stand out.The hot show of the moment is FlashForward, which has been picked up in more than 100 countries worldwide.We also have Cougar Town, the comedy starring Courteney Cox, and the new drama Happy Town.We also have a couple of ABC Family shows: Make It or Break It and 10 Things I Hate About You, both incredibly successful in their target demographic of 18- to 35-year-olds.

Disney Channel has got the most phenomenal track record now, whether it’s series like Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place or the Disney Channel original movies. Also, with the successful launch in the U.S. and a number of European territories of Disney XD, which is an aspirational, boy-targeted channel [we have] Zeke and Luther and Skyrunners. On our movie slate, we’ve got A Christmas Carol coming with Jim

Carrey and Alice in Wonderland with Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. It’s a phenomenal slate of movies and TV series which we’re really proud of and excited about. Our clients also trust the brand and they trust the individual programming.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: In addition to program distribution, you

oversee the rollout of the Disney channels.What are the advantages of managing both sides of the business?

GILBY: It means that we can offer our business partners an incredibly compelling portfolio of content for audiences of all ages across Asia. It enables us to work more closely and collaboratively with our partners. We are not just selling shows. We are using our vast portfolio to work together with our partners to generate value and provide services that consumers want.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What are your priorities for the channels business in 2010?

GILBY: Over the last few years, we have significantly increased the reach of Disney Channel and Playhouse Disney in Asia Pacific.This has provided an important platform to launch and build hit properties such as Wizards of Waverley Place, J.O.N.A.S., Sonny with a Chance and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. In 2010, we will continue to work closely with platform partners across the region to support the growth of their subscriber base as well as introduce key new shows such as our latest animated series, Stitch, that was produced in Japan. We are also exploring the potential for Disney XD, an exciting multiplatform brand that hyper-targets boy. Last year we successfully launched Disney XD in the U.S. and Europe and it has been extremely well received by business partners and viewers alike.Another priority for us in 2010 will be to work with our partners to continue to build and expand our multiplatform strategy, providing multiple consumer touch points for our properties and brand.

Starting over: DAIT is offering up a number of new comedies this year, including Gary Unmarried.

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Blush of success: DAIT is rolling out the Courteney Cox comedy Cougar Town to Asian broadcasters.

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Les’ Copaques Production’s Geng: The Adventure Begins.

Made in

Malaysia The Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) has set its sights on developing Malaysia as a major content producer for the worldwide market.

By Mansha Daswani

at MIPCOM. Co-produced by MDeC and the Qatar-based Al Jazeera Children’s Channel (JCC),the show is a fictionalized tale about the youth of the Islamic hero Salah Ad-din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub (Saladin). Initiated more than two years ago in Malaysia as a CGI feature film, Saladin is now being developed into a series by JCC and MDeC for broadcast in 2010.

Partnerships like the one with JCC are vital for MDeC’s growth strategy, Othman says, and the organization has been working to help Malaysian outfits link up with channels and producers worldwide. MDeC also helps companies get projects off the ground with financial assistance. “We do fund projects, especially from first timers, who often happen to be more original than the people who have been doing it for years! New ideas are being funded under what we call the Intellectual Property Creation series.Winners of this competition are linked to the available government funding.”

Alongside the financial assistance comes an investment in skills, Othman continues.“When we invest in a production, we are investing in the training as well.This industry is more like a master-apprentice situation. You may graduate with first-class honors in 3-D modeling, but you need to get your hands dirty in actual production.”

Some of the productions that will be showcased at ATF include Animasia Studio’s ABC Monsters, Les’ Copaque Production’s 3-D feature-length film Geng:The Adventure Begins and Tripod Entertainment’s War of the Worlds: Goliath.

Othman recognizes that in Asia’s fast-growing media markets, there are plenty of other countries that are working to offer their animation and visual-effects skills to the world, including Singapore, India and China.“They have their strengths, but they also have their weaknesses, like everybody else,” Othman says.

“The pie in this industry is large enough for everyone to have a nice little slice. MSC is all about opening up [our content industry] to the world. In the creative industry alone, in this particular sector, almost 35 to 40 percent [of production companies] are actually joint ventures between Malaysians and other parts of the world. I see it not as a dog-eat-dog situation. It’s highly competitive, but everything boils down at the end of the day to the quality and to the deliverables.”

■

On a four-day visit to Paris last month, the Malaysian prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, made a side trip to Cannes to launch MSC Malaysia’s Creating Content for the World initiative at MIPCOM. Led by the government-backed Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), MSC Malaysia is positioning the country as a content hub.The strategy is two-pronged, according to Kamil Othman, MDeC’s VP. One is to encourage companies around the world to employ Malaysian animation and specialeffects companies on a work-for-hire basis, and the other is to provide Malaysian outfits with the tools they need to develop original IP that will travel around the globe. Both sides are crucial to the growth of Malaysia’s content industry, Othman notes.

“The people who are now producing original material have been exposed to world standards from the outsourcing jobs they have been doing in the last four or five years,” he says.“We can bid for all the major jobs around the world, or we can supply the world with content that is already [produced], particularly for the children’s category.”

MSC Malaysia’s highest-profile project so far has been Saladin, which was formally launched to the worldwide market 58

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MDeC’s Kamil Othman.

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Earlier this year, FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) named Jon Penn as its CEO for the Asia Pacific. The move was part of the company’s shift toward a more regional structure, with Penn overseeing program sales, home entertainment, consumer products, online and mobile initiatives, digital content, sponsorship and live events. Penn spoke to TV Asia Pacific about his plans for expanding FME’s brands in the region.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What is your overall strategy for FME’s Asia-Pacific business?

PENN: The strategy is to grow the properties we have across the region through our various business operations, to acquire and develop new properties, continue to grow our network of content partners, and develop our activity in key markets such as India, Japan and China.

One of the most exciting things about FME Asia Pacific is having this regional focus while remaining part of the bigger FME global community. This gives us a real competitive advantage in that we’re able to offer our clients a global one-stop shop but with invaluable local knowledge and expertise.

Global Brands, Local Reach

FremantleMedia’s Jon Penn

By Mansha Daswani

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What are the advantages of having a single

structure for TV distribution, home entertainment and licensing?

PENN: Along with the strength of our global network, this structure is what sets us apart from our competitors. It allows us to manage brands in the most effective way by taking advantage of opportunities very quickly where they exist within distribution, licensing and home entertainment around the world.We can optimize TV transmission dates and coordinate licensing campaigns and home-entertainment releases internationally where appropriate. Our approach is to manage brands for longevity. It’s one of the principles that FME is built on and has been a driving factor in our success globally.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What are some of your strongest markets

in terms of TV distribution, and where do you see opportunities for growth?

PENN: Australia and New Zealand are very well established distribution territories for FME, and we’re seeing healthy growth in other Asia-Pac territories. For instance, we’ve done numerous pan-regional deals where programming such as Grand Designs, Jamie’s American Road Trip and Project Runway are available. TV shows such as The Adventures of Merlin, American Idol and The Strip are proving popular with Chinese audiences, and our Original Productions shows—produced by Thom Beers—have found 60

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buyers in Vietnam. We’d like to make more inroads in India, China, Korea and Japan across all our business operations.

China and India have the right combination of high economic growth, young populations and engagement with media—particularly mobile and digital media. Our goal in these markets is to grow our activity across all divisions and to establish more relationships with producers, commercial partners and broadcasters.

Earlier this year, we launched a joint venture with a leading production company in China called Asian Union. The JV is called Vision Ventures Media and is dedicated to increasing the trade of factual programs to and from China.Through this venture we’ve launched a syndicated channel called Vision, consisting of factual programming supplied by FME. Launched in January 2009, it is already airing in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Fujian.

India is a really vibrant, exciting media-and-entertainment market.We have growing businesses there in TV and licensing, driven from the presence of two of our major entertainment formats—Indian Idol and India’s Got Talent. We expect to do a lot more over the next few years here.

Japan is the world’s second-largest economy, so is obviously a very important area for us.TV has been good for us with sales of The Adventures of Merlin and Live from Abbey Road, but the rest of the business needs to be further developed.We’re continually looking for the right partners who are aligned with our business strategies and innovative ideas as we move forward.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: Last year FME partnered with Singapore’s MDA for Kylie Kwong: My China. Are you looking to develop other similar partnerships to develop a catalogue of Asian content?

PENN: Absolutely. One of our strengths is in partnering with the best producers and content owners around the world. For instance, in Singapore we’re working with companies including Ochre, Verite and IFS. Third-party Asian content is high on our priority list.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What are your main priorities for 2010?

PENN: In 12 to 18 months’ time, I’d like to be able to look at

a list of local partners—on-screen talent, producers, government, etc.—who FME is working with to develop great projects across all genres. We’ve started that list already with our partnership with the MDA, where we’ve committed to investing in multimedia TV projects by Singapore-based producers.

Similarly, we represent a number of successful Australian dramas such as The Strip and Satisfaction, both of which are doing really well internationally.We have a track record of working with the best production partners globally, and one of my goals is to continue that in Asia Pacific.

I’d like to grow our licensing programs across all our brands and continue our acquisition of third-party rights. We were recently appointed as official licensing agent for CBS Consumer Products across Asia.

We’ve had great success in Australia with a project called Road Tour, which was produced exclusively for MySpace.com, and doing more digital media projects throughout Asia Pac is one of our objectives.

In home entertainment, we have a very strong business and work with some great partners, including Roadshow Entertainment in Australia and New Zealand. Again, growing this business in other territories is a key objective.

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CHANNEL PROFILE

By Kristin Brzoznowski

PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: Known as the “Heart of

Action and Adventure,” AXN delivers top-rated drama series, blockbuster films, adventure-reality and first-run lifestyle sports programs from around the world. These offerings air alongside a selection of original programming “to provide viewers with an unparalleled entertainment experience to get stuck in,” says Yan-Jong Wong, the VP of AXN Asia.

The general-entertainment channel, which programs its prime-time hours from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., targets adults ages 18 to 44. There’s around a 90:10 ratio for acquired versus original content for the channel’s slate, Wong explains.

“AXN buys top-rated U.S. drama series of the crime, investigative, action and adventure genre, as well as popular reality series and Hollywood and Asian blockbuster movies.

Programs are acquired from all major studios and independent producers.”

AXN has made its mark as the only regional service in Asia to show the latest seasons of all three series in the CSI franchise. The ninth-season premiere of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation this year was the most-watched program in its time slot among international channels in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Other top-performing drama series are House and Damages, which was a recent acquisition. In September, AXN’s ratings-winning programming mix brought in the channel’s highest monthly ratings in the last three years in Malaysia. The month was headlined by the TV premiere of superhero blockbuster movie Spider-Man 3; new street magic special David Blaine:What is Magic? from the world-

class illusion and endurance artist on tour in America; as well as the latest seasons of the CSI franchise.

There are some notable originals in the schedule as well.

“Over the years, AXN has produced three seasons of The Amazing Race Asia, the highly acclaimed Asian adaptation of the reality series The Amazing Race,” Wong says. “Equally popular are the lifestyle infotainment series Sony Style, entertainment news magazine eBuzz and glossy men’s show The Duke.”

This past summer saw the lastest series of Breaking the Magician’s Code: Magic’s Biggest Secrets Revealed join the network, and also marked major milestones such as the 100th episode of House and CSI: NY and 200th episode of CSI. A fifth season of Numb3rs just wrapped up, alongside a seventh season of CSI: Miami.

UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS: AXN Asia’s latest original production is the three-part TV special magic show Cyril: Simply Magic.The program features Cyril, a noted magician who made his name on the streets of Japan and on the Internet as the world’s first “Cyber-Magician,” in his first international TV magic show on AXN.

AXN Asia TERRITORIES: Available throughout Asia in territories such as Taiwan,

India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Japan and South Korea, as well as in hotels and VIP compounds in China.

LAUNCH DATE: September 1997 OWNERSHIP: Sony Pictures Entertainment DISTRIBUTION: In Asia, the channel is seen in more than 82 million house-

holds across 23 countries pan-regionally, including 40 million households on a time-block basis in China.

SENIOR MANAGEMENT: Senior VP & General Manager, SPE Networks—Asia: Ricky Ow Senior VP, Channels Management & Finance, SPE Networks—Asia: Ang Hui Keng VP: Yan-Jong Wong VP, Affiliate Sales & Marketing: Voo Chih Yeong VP, Advertising Sales & Marketing: Jack Lim CONTACT EMAIL: spena_adsales@spe.sony.com WEBSITE: www.axn-asia.com

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Stacking the deck: The latest original production from AXN Asia is Cyril: Simply Magic, featuring the famed street magician.

TV ASIA PACIFIC

PROGRAMMING STRATEGY:

Digging deep: Costa’s Garden Odyssey, an SBS original, is a magazinestyle series about gardening and ecology.

Primarily funded by the Australian federal government, and permitted to carry a limited amount of advertising, SBS is unique in the diverse nature of its programming and the audiences it serves.

SBS radio and television services broadcast in more languages than any other network in the world, reflecting the vast array of cultures represented in Australia.

SBS Television alone carries programs in more than 60 languages across the main channel, SBS One, and the digital-only channel, SBS Two, which launched this summer. Programs in languages other than English comprise more than half of the SBS Television schedule.

SBS was established to help define, foster and celebrate Australia’s cultural diversity in accordance with its Charter obligation to “provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect Australia’s multicultural society.”

Matt Campbell, SBS’s director of content for TV and online, notes that each week more than 7 million Australians watch SBS’s mix of Australian-produced and international programs, drawn from more than 400 national and international sources.

“It is one of the most challenging and rewarding programming jobs in Australia,” says Campbell.“Our aim is to celebrate difference and promote understanding through creative and quality programming that is inclusive and diverse.”

Campbell points out, in particular, Australian productions such as First Australians, which chronicles the birth of Australia

and the collision of two cultures, black and white, and the original Australian drama East West 101, now in its second season, which portrays a multicultural detective crime squad based in Sydney’s western suburbs.

Other recent original productions from SBS include The Circuit, Who Do You Think You Are?, Costa’s Garden Odyssey and Carla Cametti PD. Top Gear Australia has been a big hit as well.

SBS is also home to a range of sports content, including football.Already home to Australia’s most extensive free-to-air football lineup, SBS is “well advanced,” Campbell says, in its plans to broadcast the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Quality imports do consistently well for the channel, including Top Gear, Entourage, South Park and the perennially popular Inspector Rex. Further recent COUNTRY: Australia acquisitions include Mad Men, Heston’s Feasts, Trawlermen and Flight of the LAUNCH DATE: SBS One (1980), SBS Two (June 2009) Conchords.

OWNERSHIP: Special Broadcasting Service Corporation In terms of acquisitions, Campbell says, “SBS is interested in male-skewed edgy DISTRIBUTION: SBS One reaches 99 percent of Australian comedy and animation; new food and homes; SBS Two (a digital-only channel) reaches 53 percent lifestyle programs that have an internaof Australian homes. tional flavor; hard-hitting EnglishSENIOR MANAGEMENT: language dramas for post-10 p.m. time Managing Director: Shaun Brown slots; quirky entertainment shows, which do particularly well on Saturday nights, Director, Content, TV & Online: Matt Campbell and high-end documentaries across sciHead, Programming: Jane Roscoe ence, history and politics.”

SBS Television

Manager, Production & Development: Denise Eriksen National Manager, Content Sales & Distribution: Sharon Ramsay-Luck CONTACT EMAIL: comments@sbs.com.au WEBSITE: www.sbs.com.au

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UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS: Big Love launches into season three, and other series include Heston’s Feasts, The Killing, John Adams, Inspector Rex in Rome, Dead Set and Trawlermen (seasons three and four).

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By Kristin Brzoznowski

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CHANNEL PROFILE Asian Food Channel TERRITORIES: Available in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia,

Brunei, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Thailand.

LAUNCH DATE: July 2005 OWNERSHIP: Privately held in Asia

By Kristin Brzoznowski

Cooking up controversy: The original production Palm Oil: Good Fat, Bad Fat spotlights the oftencontroversial cooking ingredient.

PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: As the first

DISTRIBUTION: The channel reaches more than 4 million house-

and only pan-regional food network in Asia, holds via cable/satellite and IPTV in selected territories.

Asian Food Channel (AFC) has established SENIOR MANAGEMENT: a strong following of more than 20 million “avid foodies” throughout the seven territoCo-founder & Managing Director: Maria Brown ries where it is currently available. Maria Co-founder & Managing Director: Hian Goh Brown, co-founder and managing director Manager, Acquisitions & Programming: Steven Murphy of AFC, says of its offerings: “Our 24-hour food channel provides viewers with an CONTACT EMAIL: info@asianfoodchannel.com insight into the top tables, top chefs and tanWEBSITE: www.asianfoodchannel.com talizing cuisines from around the world and the region. It is a one-stop shop for top food personalities, including Chef Wan, Jamie Oliver, Martin Yan, Asia.AFC recently launched an original production initiative to Nigella Lawson and many more. Over the years we’ve learned tailor its content for a diverse Asian audience.“Food is a univera lot about our viewers in Asia—they love to travel, they’re not sal need, but for Asians it’s more than just a need, it’s a passion,” afraid of exploring and they want to learn from around the says Brown. “AFC’s slate of original productions seeks to tap world—so everyday we seek to bring them the world on a into this passion by telling stories and presenting content that plate!” speaks to the soul of Asian cuisine, and examines the issues that Brown says that AFC strives to be original and imagina- are relevant to this part of the world.” tive, and not just copy the good work that other established Its first original program was a documentary on the oftenchannels have done before. “AFC’s goal is to bring the best controversial ingredient palm oil, which is used in millions of food programming from around the region and the world kitchens throughout Asia and is an economic powerhouse and deliver a healthy and intelligent mix of content. Quality throughout much of Southeast Asia. Brown explains: “We felt to us is key, it is important that we have a good mix of sub- that so much had been said and written about this subject that genres, as food channels do not live by cookery alone.” AFC the facts had somehow got lost. We were proud to be able to features a mix of reality, social documentaries, travel, and, of take a food subject so close to the heart of Asia and create a course, cooking. compelling HD documentary that is now available for worldThe programming is a combination of original and acquired wide distribution.” The channel’s latest in-house production, content from across the English-speaking world and throughout One Night in Singapore: Daniel Boulud, features internationally renowned New York culinary talent chef Daniel Boulud during his first visit to Southeast Asia.

“Our highest rating programs are our self-produced programs,” Brown points out. “Palm Oil: Good Fat, Bad Fat, for example, cleaned the table, if we can use that pun, in terms of ratings when we aired it on the channel.”

Also popular for AFC is the Red Hot Wednesdays block. “We are always on the lookout for solid personality-driven programs to live in that block,” Brown adds.

UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS: One Night in Singapore: Daniel Boulud, an AFC original production, is set for its world premiere.

The documentary features the renowned chef as he prepares a gala dinner at the iconic Fullerton Hotel.

In Taste with Jason, Malaysian host Jason Yeoh goes in search of the best food and specialties Malaysia has to offer.The show not only looks at food, but also examines the people behind the food and the stories behind some of their most popular dishes.

There’s also Hunger for the Wild 2, in which chefs Steve Logan and Al Brown are back for a second season on a search for some of New Zealand’s freshest foods.

Filipino hosts chef Bruce Lim and Angel Aquino explore the many islands of the Philippines on a quest for the freshest food and the most beautiful locales in Tablescapes: Life on a Plate.

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CHANNEL PROFILE

By Kristin Brzoznowski

Holding court: CBS Studios’ The Good Wife launches on Hallmark Channel in 2010.

PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: Operated by Universal Networks International, Hallmark Channel offers a variety of English-language TERRITORIES: Available in entertainment anchored in real-life situations.

The entertainment channel is female-focused, some 22 countries across targeting modern women aged 25 to 49. the Asia-Pacific region, “Women all around the world, who want to including Australia, China, look good, feel great and live on their own Taiwan, Indonesia and the terms—Hallmark Channel understands what Philippines. they want,” says Karen Johnston, the programLAUNCH DATE: July 1998 ming director of Universal Networks International in the Asia Pacific. “Modern OWNERSHIP: Universal Networks International women with diverse interests and life responsiDISTRIBUTION: 17 million homes across the Asia Pacific via bilities are drawn to Hallmark Channel’s discable and satellite. tinct offering of contemporary television dramas with stories and situations that clearly SENIOR MANAGEMENT: strike a chord with them.”

Managing Director, Universal Networks International (Asia Hallmark Channel, which touts the mantra Pacific): Raymund Miranda “Live life, love life,” showcases programs such VP, Commercial & Network Development, Universal Networks as first-run dramas, inspirational talk shows, unscripted lifestyle programs that celebrate International (Asia Pacific): Christopher Williams the human spirit and iconic TV series and Creative Director, Universal Networks International movies. It’s prime-time hours are between 7 p.m.

(Asia Pacific): Natalie Gee and 12 a.m.

“Inspirational and intelligent quality programs Programming Director, Universal Networks International have great appeal and viewership,” says Johnston.

(Asia Pacific): Karen Johnston “Hallmark Channel is always on the look out CONTACT EMAIL: info.asia@nbcuni.com for such programs in all genres, from dramas and WEBSITE: www.hallmarkchannel.tv talk shows to unscripted series.”

First-run dramas on the channel include Army Wives, Merlin, The Starter Wife and American Dreams. Further series include The Nanny and Without a Trace. brate the human spirit, like The Biggest Loser, are strong perThe Oprah Winfrey Show has been a perennial top-rating formers. Hallmark Channel recently took on the rights for series as well, with the latest seasons being shown exclusively all eight seasons of the U.S. version of the show. Another top on Hallmark Channel. Lifestyle reality programs that cele- performer for the channel is Merlin.

Hallmark Channel is full steam ahead with its first local production: the inaugural pan-Asian edition of NBC’s hit unscripted weight-loss series The Biggest Loser. In The Biggest Loser Asia, overweight contestants from all across Asia are led by two fitness trainers to dramatically change their unhealthy lifestyle habits to lose weight and gain back their health and ultimately, their lives.

The Biggest Loser Asia is hosted by the Malaysian TV personality, actress and singer Sarimah Ibrahim. She is joined by two fitness trainers—Dave Nuku from Wellington, New Zealand, and Australian-Chinese Kristy Curtis—to literally ‘cut the fat’ in Asia. A total of 30 contestants are participating, with the winner to receive a cash prize of $100,000. The show made its debut on November 24, airing every Tuesday at 9 p.m.

Hallmark Channel

UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS: The hit British drama

Merlin returns to screens for a second season in December. For 2010, The Good Wife will launch first and exclusively in Asia only on Hallmark Channel.

One of the highest rated shows in the U.S., where it airs on CBS,The Good Wife stars Julianna Margulies (E.R.), Chris Noth (Law & Order, Sex and the City) and Archie Panjabi (Bend It Like Beckham, The Constant Gardener).

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12/09

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