TV Asia Pacific 2011 Edition

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Top Buyers in Asia Kids’ Programming FIC’s Ward Platt FremantleMedia’s Ian Hogg FINAS’s Sri Kamaruddin Siaraf www.tvasia.ws

asia pacific THE MAGAZINE OF ASIA-PACIFIC MEDIA

DECEMBER 2011

ASIA TV FORUM EDITION

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ABC Commercial www.abccommercial.com.au • ABC News • Bananas in Pyjamas • Stay Tuned • The WotWots • Figaro Pho

Bananas in Pyjamas

ATF marks the first time that ABC Commercial is promoting digital content from ABC News, which provides audiences with independent news, current affairs and analysis. “ABC News is already sought by many international businesses, so we anticipate a number of new partnerships to be formed at ATF,” says David Bradley, the manager of digital business development at ABC Commercial.The company also holds the rights in Asia for the new Bananas in Pyjamas animated show, which is currently ABC’s lead performer on the Apple iTunes download-to-own platform in Australia. The WotWots has been a strong performer for both the subscription IPTV VOD and online download-to-own platforms in Australia. Also for the younger set is Figaro Pho, a short-form series for kids 3 to 9.

Stay Tuned, meanwhile, is an interactive music show that connects young fans with their favorite bands.

“We see great

opportunities to integrate ABC programming into IPTV, mobile and tablet content platforms across Asia.

”—David Bradley

BBC Worldwide www.bbcworldwide.com Dancing with the Stars Korea

• Top Gear Korea • Dancing with the Stars Korea • Planet Dinosaur • Frozen Planet • Earthflight

Asian audiences appreciate high-quality factual content and entertainment shows, says JoyceYeung, the senior VP and general manager for Asia at BBC Worldwide Sales and Distribution, adding that the company is bringing a lineup in both genres to ATF. On the roster are the Korean versions of Dancing with the Stars and Top Gear.“We’ve had a very successful year with format licensing,” Yeung says, noting that local productions are favored by audiences. Also on the company’s slate for ATF are Planet Dinosaur, which uses high-tech graphics to present the prehistoric era; Frozen Planet, which comes from the renowned BBC Natural History Unit; and the natural-history series Earthflight, which uses state-of-the-art technology to show the world as seen by birds. Yeung says a new venture for the company will be to explore opportunities for original production of factual content in the region.

IN THIS ISSUE Eyeing the Best

“We are keen to

continue to expand our digital presence so that content will be accessible to as wide an audience as possible.

”

—Joyce Yeung

Get daily news on the Asia-Pacific region

Pan-regionals and terrestrials alike are in the mood to stock up on content as they head to the Asia TV Forum

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Child’s Play Kids’ content sellers are finding new opportunities in Asia

Interviews FIC’s Ward Platt FremantleMedia’s Ian Hogg FINAS’s Sri Kamaruddin Siaraf

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Comarex www.comarex.tv • Trading Lives • Under a Red Sky • Empress • A Family Ordeal: Ready to Rumble • Within My Soul

Ricardo Seguin Guise

Publisher Mansha Daswani

Editor Kristin Brzoznowski

Managing Editor Marissa Graziadio

Editorial Assistant

Trading Lives

It has been a great year for Comarex’s business in the Asia Pacific, says Martha Contreras, the company’s sales director for Asia. Deals have been made in the region for the novelas Love Me Again and Trading Lives, both of which will be produced locally. “We have been able to close major deals for telenovelas with cable stations and producers within the Asia-Pacific region,” Contreras says.

She adds that the company’s formats have become quite popular in the region, “so therefore we are looking forward to working with new channels and seeing our products become a local hit.” On the slate for ATF are Empress, which already airs in more than 35 countries around the world; the drama Under a Red Sky; the comedy A Family Ordeal: Ready to Rumble; and Within My Soul.

“With great

stories, excellent production quality and a cast of international stars, Azteca’s new telenovelas stand out.

”

—Martha Contreras

Simon Weaver

Online Director Phyllis Q. Busell

Art Director Michelle Villas

Production & Design Director Cesar Suero

Sales & Marketing Director Terry Acunzo

Business Affairs Manager Vanessa Brand

Sales & Marketing Assistant

Ricardo Seguin Guise

President Anna Carugati

Executive VP & Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani

Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development TV Asia Pacific © 2011 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website:

www.tvasia.ws

Globo TV International www.globotvinternational.com • • • •

Cat’s Cradle Passione Extreme Planet GloboDOC

“Our portfolio has variety and we

continue investing in programs that were successful in Brazil.

”

Telenovelas are an important part of Globo TV International’s catalogue, with highlights such as Passione and Cat’s Cradle, according to Raphael Corrêa Netto, the head of international sales at the company. At the recent MIPCOM, the company launched Extreme Planet, which features a team of Brazilian journalists facing challenges that test ordinary men’s limits. Corrêa Netto says it caught programmers’ attention as a good choice for customers from different countries. Documentaries from the GloboDOC series also continue to be a success around the world. “This product is great for the Asian market, especially for Brazil’s good image within the international scenario, which increases the demand for the country’s detailed information,” Corrêa Netto says. “Our business has shown a good growth trajectory in Asia.”

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—Raphael Corrêa Netto GloboDOC

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Media Development Authority of Singapore www.mda.gov.sg Angel’s Gate

• Angel’s Gate

This fall, the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) streamlined its industry funding schemes from 46 to 5 with a total of $88 million set aside to help projects at various different levels. The grant schemes are focused on providing assistance for development, production, marketing, sourcing talent and growing innovative media enterprises. In announcing the revised grant schemes during a media industry briefing, Aubeck Kam, the CEO of the MDA, urged the industry to be prepared for the future, with a focus on being “360 ready.” He said, “We encourage you to conceive of projects that straddle traditional boundaries. A TV project could be developed alongside an interactive media dimension, for example.” Such is the case with the new 360-degree business-focused reality show Angel’s Gate, produced by Interactive SG and supported by the MDA. Using a mix of TV, online and mobile, Angel’s Gate offers aspiring entrepreneurs an unprecedented opportunity for exposure, allowing them to pitch their business ideas to a global audience and some of Asia’s biggest investors and venture capitalists.

“There are a lot

of opportunities for the media sector to exploit synergies across TV, film, music, animation, games, interactive media and publishing.

”

—Aubeck Kam

PGS Entertainment www.pgsentertainment.com • Marsupilami • The Jungle Bunch • One Minute Before • Leon • The Gees

One Minute Before

PGS Entertainment aims to open an office in the AsiaPacific region within the next 12 months, as it has done in the U.S. and Latin America, says Guillaume Soutter, the company’s head of international sales. “Our catalogue of rights is growing within the region and it is becoming more and more of a strategic place to us,” Soutter adds.

At this year’s ATF, PGS is highlighting the series Marsupilami, now returning in its third season, with deals already in place in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and India. “It is an evergreen character with great ratings in various parts of the world, showing its international appeal,” Soutter says. The Jungle Bunch, a family series, will be introduced for the first time. PGS is also looking for free-to-air opportunities for The Gees, which is set to launch on Cartoon Network Asia next year. Also a priority are Leon, a comedy that features an unlucky lion, and the young adult series One Minute Before.

“We aim to build stronger

relationships within the Asia-Pacific region than those already in place.

”

—Guillaume Soutter

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TPI www.tpiltd.com • • • • •

Cart Man’s Great Adventure Libya: The Path to Freedom Nature Wonders Global Treasures 7 Days

Cart Man’s Great Adventure

Asia has long been TPI’s second most active region after Europe, with business for factual content continuing to grow each year, says Ron Alexander, the president of TPI. The company is returning to ATF with new programs such as Cart Man’s Great Adventure and Libya: The Path to Freedom. “Promoting Cart Man’s Great Adventure is one of our main goals for ATF,” Alexander notes. “[It’s] an adventure story [that] has universal appeal. It is a story [of] a man from Japan with a passion to complete a most unusual adventure. TPI is particularly enthusiastic about the release.” TPI is also offering new episodes from the longrunning travel adventure series Nature Parks, Nature Wonders, Global Treasures and 7 Days. “[Our] overall objective [at ATF] is to meet with many of our existing customers regarding our new program offerings and also to meet many new players in the media industry,” Alexander says.

“We are always pleased to release films [that] tell

amazing stories of adventure, overcoming the odds, perseverance and the triumph of the human spirit.

”

—Ron Alexander

Turner International Asia Pacific www.turnercontentsolutions.com • The Amazing World of Gumball • Falling Skies • Bandini • Sakura Stories • Yes, Chef!

Falling Skies

Yes ,Chef!

It’s a mixed bag that will be on offer from Turner International Asia Pacific at ATF, with a diverse slate that includes The Amazing World of Gumball, a new Cartoon Network sitcom that fuses animation with live action. The company’s content has already had positive results in the region, with Falling Skies, a high-profile drama series from TNT, and Bandini, one the most successful Hindi-language drama series, from India’s Imagine TV. Grace Chan, the executive director of syndication at Turner International Asia Pacific, says there is a growing appetite for Indian content internationally.

“Our Hindi library from Imagine TV...will be our focus this year, and plans are under way for international promotion, beyond just Asia,” she adds. Other popular series from the Turner catalogue include the reality series Yes, Chef! from Korea’s QTV and Sakura Stories from Japan’s Tabi Channel.

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P A N O R A M A

By Mansha Daswani

New Media Conundrum As CASBAA kicked off in Hong Kong last month, one thing was clear; media companies operating across the Asia Pacific are grappling with the same multiplatform,TV everywhere concerns as their counterparts in the rest of the world.

In the region’s most developed markets, channels and platforms are coming to grips with how to offer content to consumers wherever they are. Authentication, apps, securing nonlinear rights and fighting the ever-present concern of piracy were very much on the table over the course of the conference for Asia’s multichannel players.

For platforms and channels alike, the biggest issue has been negotiations with content owners for rights that extend beyond a linear play, an issue that will likely be discussed at Singapore’s Sands Expo & Convention Center as buyers and sellers gather at the Asia TV Forum. Beyond the matter of negotiating fair value for online and mobile rights, content owners are rightly concerned about piracy in a part of the world where it has been difficult, at times, to convince consumers to pay for television programming. Indeed, multichannel penetration rates are still woefully low in many Asia-Pacific territories. To drive pay-TV penetration, and advertising, channels and operators are insisting on first-run, exclusive rights, and are increasingly eager to pick up shows for online distribution.

FOX International Channels (FIC) is anxious for an early mover advantage in the arena of online video players, launching an authenticated service for subscribers to its Fox Movies Premium channel in 2012.

ESPN STAR Sports has also unveiled an online player, and HBO Asia is reportedly set to bring HBO GO to the region next year. The theory is that by providing an easy-to-use platform for content through a cable or DTH operator, users will be less likely to seek that content out illegally. Similarly, channels across the region want to air imported content within weeks of the initial U.S. or U.K. broadcast, again to prevent viewers from finding that content on a pirate site.

As I write this column on a 16-hour flight from Hong Kong to New York, I can see one of my fellow passengers watching bootlegged copies of The CW and ABC shows, with Mandarin subtitles, on his iPad. Would he have downloaded those shows from a legitimate site had he been able to? As of now, iTunes Stores across Asia only allow users to download apps, not content. Netflix is currently focusing its international expansion efforts on Latin America and Europe; there’s no word yet from the over-the-top television service about plans for the Asia Pacific. Hulu, eyeing the high broadband penetration rates in

Asia, has already rolled out in Japan with a subscription service.

It is unclear how the platform will fare, though, given that payTV penetration in Japan still stands at just 23 percent, with platforms having been unable to crack the dominance held by the free-to-air terrestrials. It will be incumbent upon Hulu to secure access to content that consumers will actually want to pay for.

Despite the challenges ahead, channels, free and pay, appear to be optimistic about taking advantage of all these new technologies to reach audiences wherever they are. Ultimately, though, linear television is still the driving force in the Asia Pacific, and indications are that it’s a healthy market. Ward Platt, the president of FOX International Channels for the Asia Pacific and Middle East, told me in an interview for this issue about the opportunities still available across the region, from driving advertising gains at its BS channel in Japan to the potential of the premium channel market.

Distributors, meanwhile, are upbeat about the increased demand for content from channels and operators regionwide. Ian Hogg, CEO of FremantleMedia Asia Pacific, is seeing a greater uptake of international concepts from channels eager to up their local programming output, as he reveals in this issue. Also in this edition, we speak to Malaysian culture secretary general Dato’ Sri Kamaruddin Siaraf about how that country is positioning itself as a content creator and exporter on a global stage. This issue of TV Asia Pacific also looks at how companies from around the world plan to increase their sales of kids’ programs to Asian broadcasters at the ATF. Also on site in Singapore will be a number of Latin American distributors who are offering up much more than novelas as they work to expand their presence in this part of the world.

Whatever the genre, the challenge for the content business is figuring out appropriate windows across platforms and the valuation of nonlinear rights. And while executives in the Asia Pacific will certainly look to models that have worked in the West, all eyes will no doubt be on how consumers in highly penetrated broadband markets like Japan, Korea and Singapore embrace new-media-distribution models. As Richard Li, the founder of STAR TV and now TV, said in accepting his Lifetime Achievement Award at CASBAA, “This is an exciting era for our industry. Asia has a global importance that has not been seen for centuries.”

Channels and operators

are insisting on first-run, exclusive rights, and

are increasingly eager to pick up shows for online distribution.

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GMA’s Amaya.

Eyeing

By Mansha Daswani

the Best

B

roadcasters from across Asia will be heading to the Asia TV Forum in Singapore next month to firm up their 2012 schedules. All are faced with the task of finding the best content that will draw viewers—and advertisers—in an increasingly competitive landscape. The terrestrials are up against big pay-TV channels eager to spend to get content first and exclusively. And the major pan-regionals themselves are seeing new competitors and struggling with the complexities of multicountry, multiplatform deals.

“No one has cracked this new-media conundrum yet,” says Michael Dick, the head of acquisitions for the Asia Pacific at the pay-TV behemoth FOX International Channels (FIC), who buys for a portfolio that includes STAR World, FOX, FX and a bouquet of movie networks. Dick has been heavily involved with multiplatform buys in the past few months, anticipating the January 2012 debut of an online video service to accompany the Fox Movies Premium channel. Replacing STAR Movies in many markets, Fox Movies Premium will deliver blockbuster feature films as well as awards shows, live events, documentaries, and series and mini-series like Neverland and Treasure Island. The content will air on the linear channel and then on the authenticated online service.

Dick notes that it was strategically important for FIC to step into the online video player world ahead of its generalentertainment competitors. “If we don’t start attacking this now, we’re going to miss the boat and the windows are going 34

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Pan-regionals and terrestrials alike are in the mood to stock up on content as they head to the Asia TV Forum. to be gone and people will find this content elsewhere,” he says. “Or the markets will become so fragmented that it’s difficult for anyone to succeed.”

PAN-ASIAN FLAVOR

Dick is still doing traditional linear deals at the FIC portfolio of English-language, pan-regional basic-cable networks STAR World, FOX and FX. The female-skewing STAR World has found a niche with imported reality shows like Shine’s MasterChef and ITV Studios’ Hell’s Kitchen, as well as U.S. dramas such as Desperate Housewives and Castle. More maleskewing drama, like Terra Nova, has been faring well on FOX. FX, meanwhile, “can be the quirky channel,” Dick says, with a lineup that includes Mad Men and 30 Rock.

Across the board, the key is launching shows as soon as possible after the original U.S. transmission. “Asian audiences are becoming much more aware of what’s happening globally—they know about the shows, so you can’t delay them six months or nine months as we used to,” Dick says.

Shortening the window between the American and Asian rollouts should also stem piracy, he adds.

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Shifting into high gear: Korea’s CJ E&M signed up for its own version of BBC Worldwide’s Top Gear for its XTM channel.

Sony Pictures Television’s networks in Asia are, like FIC, strong supporters of imported drama, comedy and reality for a bouquet that includes AXN, AXN Beyond and SET, among others.Yan-Jong Wong,VP of programming for English content, says the group is “constantly on the lookout for highquality shows that are on brand with each of our channels.”

The flagship AXN offers a broad mix of imported dramas, reality and movies, as well as original series.AXN Beyond draws its slate of “feel-good” shows from the U.S. and the U.K.,Wong says.“Dramas, comedies, musicals, movies, reality and talk shows on the network are engaging, surprising, and driven by strong emotional connection with viewers.” Skewing female, SET delivers shows on “fashion, lifestyle, design, food, romance and celebrity gossip. Its programming lineup includes fun and

engaging drama series, trendy lifestyle reality shows and celebritydriven programs,” Wong continues.

Breakout hit acquisitions recently have included The Voice on AXN, which is on board for a second season of the NBC singing competition, and the TNT original Falling Skies on AXN Beyond.

UNIVERSAL APPEAL

The third major player in the pan-regional English-language entertainment space is Universal Networks International (UNI), whose bouquet includes Universal Channel, Syfy, DIVA Universal, E! and Style. “We are always on the lookout for quality content that fits the DNA of these brands, as our viewers have come to expect that they can tune in and find something that they like at all times,” says David Gunson, the VP of channels for Southeast Asia at UNI, pointing to the services’ “well-defined channel environments.”

Discussing recent important purchases, Gunson mentions Merlin, Covert Affairs, The Good Wife, Top Chef and Fairly Legal on DIVA Universal; Flashpoint and Law & Order: Criminal Intent on Universal Channel; Haven, Destination Truth and Sanctuary on Syfy; and Keeping Up with the Kardashians on Style. “We are investing in must-watch, first-run content on our bouquet of channel brands,” says Gunson on his acquisitions strategy. “For DIVA Universal, this includes highly successful dramas that are current, with strong leading ladies. For Universal Channel, our audience continues to love character-driven comedies and dramas as well as crime series.We are expanding our Syfy genre to incorporate ‘live’ web-driven talk shows that are current and up to date and are also looking for the latest imagination-driven content as well as original formats. For E!, we continue to acquire the latest reality programming and original formats that are all about entertainment and celebrities. Style has delivered on strong lifestyle and makeover shows to Asian audiences.”

LOCAL HEAVYWEIGHTS

The major Asian pan-regionals are posing stiff competition to free-to-air broadcasters in the bid for the first window on imported programming.

“Live or near-live content always gives the channel a great buzz,” says Joy Olby-Tan, the VP of acquisitions at MediaCorp’s English-language service Channel 5. “We air The X Factor USA day and date [with the U.S. broadcast]; the World Cup qualifier football matches featuring the Singapore team were also taken live.”

Also strong performers for the terrestrial broadcaster, OlbyTan continues, have been “good ole creature features, alongside series like Primeval and Undercover Boss.”

Channel 5 buys more than 2,000 hours every year, says OlbyTan, across the entertainment and sports genres.

In the Philippines, GMA Network has a similarly broad acquisitions remit, according to Roxanne Barcelona, the VP of GMA Worldwide. At the main channel GMA-7, “top-rating Korean dramas such as Baker King and Secret Garden still prove to be successful in evening prime time,” Barcelona says; they complement the network’s own collection of Filipino drama series. “Other successful acquisitions for this channel include natural-history documentary series such as Life, Planet Earth and Blue Planet, to name only a few, and renewals of longrunning Japanese animation such as Dragon Ball Z Kai, One Piece and Detective Conan.”

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Seung Ae Sohn, the head of acquisitions at CJ E&M’s broadcasting division. “CJ E&M is interested in all kinds of formats.

The key point would be how much we can localize the title appropriately for the Korean audience.”

The format deals complement the acquisition of more than 800 movie titles and a slew of dramas from the Hollywood studios, Sohn says.

Olby-Tan at Channel 5 in Singapore is also open to international format ideas, but notes that the concepts “need to have a strong intrinsic brand value. Because MediaCorp has an active and successful creative arm, it only makes sense that we buy IP and creative expertise that [are a] value-add to what we currently have.”

PARTNERING UP

Taking the stage: Chineselanguage drama, such as MediaCorp’s A Song to Remember, is in demand in a number of territories across the region.

At GMA News TV, meanwhile, the acquisitions focus is “timely documentaries on current global issues and events,” Barcelona says, including William & Kate: Inside the Royal Wedding and 9/11:The Day That Changed the World.

Overall, GMA spends about $5 million a year on acquired content, a 50-percent reduction on its spend from 2006, 2007 and 2008,“when we were still acquiring formats,” Barcelona says.

In Indonesia, the ANTV brand is synonymous with sports— particularly soccer—plus game shows and “reality drama,” says Gunawan, the program director at the terrestrial station.Top performers from the acquired slate have included the Curious George animated series, Chinese-language feature films and the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! series. Gunawan says that he’s looking for more game shows, Asian movies and factual entertainment, and is particularly keen to fill morning and kids’ programming slots, as well as access prime and prime time. He is also looking out for international formats in the game show and reality genres, with a focus on “cooking, dating, talent,” among other areas.

ACROSS BORDERS

The Korean entertainment conglomerate CJ Entertainment & Media (E&M), which operates 18 basic cable and satellite channels, has taken its first steps into format acquisitions with FremantleMedia’s Got Talent and BBC Worldwide’s Top Gear.

“The format market in Korea is gradually growing, and these two titles are quite meaningful for CJ E&M to enter the market safely and [plan] our strategy in the format business,” says 38

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Co-production, meanwhile, is an area that Channel 5 is looking into, Olby-Tan adds. “The genres need to fit into the channel’s mass entertainment positioning, the final broadcast language needs to be in English, and of course the business model needs to work for all parties.”

The Malaysian pay-TV platform Astro has been investing heavily in local programming to drive its subscription base.

“Our primary goal is to try and reduce our dependence on international content and formats for the local channels,” says Naresh Ramnath, the VP of content at the Malay customer business segment at Astro. “The content strategy is primarily driven by relevance and focuses on our subscribers’ need for differentiated and unique content.”

Ramnath continues, “Academy Fantasia [from Comarex] has been a great acquisition for us. Serasi Bersama, which is based on [2waytraffic’s] Mr. & Mrs., has done very well here.”

Ramnath will continue to look out for entertainment concepts that can be adapted to Malaysian tastes, but one of his core focuses now is factual fare. He is also “keen on identifying coproduction opportunities, especially in the factual and entertainment genres. For starters, we are looking for co-production partners in the ASEAN region, Middle East and China if a good opportunity arises.”

Also in the pay-TV space, AXN has been a pioneer in the rollout of pan-regional format adaptations, notably The Amazing Race and the upcoming Cash Cab. The channel brand is also commissioning adaptations of international formats for individual markets, such as India with Minute to Win It, with season two having premiered in October. A new development for AXN in Asia is signing on as a co-production partner on international projects, with AXN globally on board with The Firm.

The Entertainment One production, slated to roll out on NBC in the U.S. and Global in Canada, “will be a sophisticated, stylish and edge-of-your-seat drama,” Wong says.

Asked about her approach to co-productions, Wong notes, “We are constantly on the lookout for fresh and innovative ideas in production that can excite audiences and advertisers. The challenge is to be able to bring on board advertisers’ brands and products in a big way, without compromising the quality of the production and the entertainment experience for viewers.”

Heading into Asia TV Forum, Wong says, “We are certainly willing to invest in high-quality programs that are on brand with our channels in the market.” Drama series, movies and reality shows for broadcast in prime time are on Wong’s shopping list. “We see Asia Television Forum as an

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Back for more: The second season of The Walking Dead, distributed by Entertainment One, has rolled out on FOX International Channels in Asia, a co-production partner on the hit AMC series.

excellent opportunity to meet with some of the independent studios as well as a platform to tie up some of the ongoing acquisition negotiations for the year.”

PREMIUM SELECTION

FIC Asia Pacific has output deals for movies and series with Twentieth Century Fox and Disney Media Distribution, but it is still picking up titles from other suppliers. “We are doing more and more deals now as we start to launch local feeds,” Dick says. “We try to find small packages for the local feeds to top them up and make them more locally relevant; movies that we may not have bought because they weren’t going to work pan-regionally but they would work in one or two territories. Fox Movies Premium, being new, we’re constantly buying some of these extra programs.

MIPCOM was one of the first times we went hell for leather to find what was out there. We’re following up with that now. For series, we get a lot of content though output deals. That’s a wave that comes and goes and we’re learning now what we’ll have and what we won’t have. A few shows are already [being cancelled, such as] The Playboy Club, so it’s finding shows to fill those slots.”

UNI’s Gunson says that he’s looking to fill slots in prime time and on weekends, with a focus on “smart and sassy dra40

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mas; fun-filled and glamorous reality series; inspiring makeover and home-improvement programming; and the latest mustwatch Syfy shows.” At ATF, meanwhile, Gunson is keen on finding some “quality Asian productions” that will work for the UNI portfolio.

Olby-Tan from Channel 5 needs “movies, scripted and non-scripted series, entertainment events” for prime time, but, she notes, “there are also untapped opportunities in non-primetime that we are open to exploring with enterprising parties.”

GMA’s Barcelona says she’ll use ATF to follow up on negotiations begun at MIPCOM. “We may even close some deals” at the Singapore event, Barcelona says. Her needs include animation for GMA-7’s daytime schedule and titles for a Korean drama slot that runs from 11 to 11:30 p.m.There are also weekend primetime slots for movies and natural history that require a constant supply of content.

ANTV’s Gunawan, meanwhile, is keeping his eye on new documentaries, reality, Asian movies, and animated series and features, particularly 3D CGI. Clearly, Asian buyers are ready to open up their checkbooks at ATF this year, which will be good news for the contingent of sellers from across the globe who will be descending upon the Sands Expo & Convention Center.

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By Mansha Daswani

Asia’s largest pay-TV channel operator, with almost 30 brands, is FOX International Channels (FIC), which is employing a variety of methods to further expand its reach. As Ward Platt, president for the Asia Pacific and the Middle East at FIC, tells TV Asia Pacific, the company is rolling out more feeds for English-language pan-regional brands like STAR World, FOX, FX and National Geographic Channel, among others; building local-entertainment brands like tvN; delving into the premium channel space; and, most recently, unveiling an online authenticated video player. The results have been increased viewership and strong ad-revenue gains region-wide. He tells TV Asia Pacific about his priorities for 2012.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What has been driving FIC’s success in Asia?

PLATT: When News Corp. invested in STAR TV back in the

early ’90s, that early mover advantage really helped to get a presence in these markets for some of our brands. But it’s more than that.We happen to be blessed with great brands in general.

And then getting a lot of support from News Corp. management [for] investing in and growing the business in Asia really helps.When we’ve wanted to launch new channels or invest in local production or acquire more rights, we’ve gotten a lot of support. That has been coming for ten-plus years. FOX International Channels as an organization has some 300 channels worldwide, of which 70something are operated here in Asia; having that scale really helps us.With scale, you can go into each market and actually hire a person to run that business [locally], hire good salespeople, good finance people, make investments in the local level that might not be possible if you only had one or two channels. A bit of luck probably helps along the way!

FOX International Channels’

Ward Platt

TV ASIA PACIFIC: You have a huge slate with several chan-

nels that are very well distributed. What’s the next stage of growth in terms of the expansion of the bouquet?

PLATT: We’re still working with operators to grow pay-TV penetration.We have many channels, so whether we’re trying to distribute them in basic tiers or extended basic tiers, there are a lot of the basics we need to do, [including] building local advertising markets in some of these markets which are still underdeveloped in that area. But we are also forward-looking.We have 15 brands in the region in high definition. It’s not just in the markets you’d imagine, like Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan—we’re also seeing a big uptake for HD in the Philippines,Vietnam, Indonesia.

We’re expanding even further online, merging the linear and nonlinear propositions. In some markets we rolled out a STAR Movies On Demand service through the set-top box last year.

We’re taking that a step further to give that catch-up on-demand service on the PC and tablet and mobile devices. If you can authenticate with your operator that you’re a subscriber to our STAR Movies service—in some cases we’re rebranding that to Fox Movies Premium—you can then go to a website and get access to those on-demand movies on your PC, and soon on your tablet. Rather than developing an independent digital strategy, it has to be an integrated digital strategy that complements our linear business rather than competes with it.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What opportunities do you see in the premium channel business?

PLATT: In a lot of parts of Asia, it hasn’t really succeeded.

Based on our learnings elsewhere, we realized we needed to make a new aggressive push in that space. In order to do that you need to have a pretty big bouquet of premium services.

We’ve got Fox Movies Premium. (In some places—in Taiwan and the Philippines—we’ll still have STAR Movies.)

We’ve got Fox Family Movies in many of our markets. We’ve got the HD versions of those channels. We’ve got the online player. When you combine these channels and their extensions, that starts to create enough value for the affiliates.

They’re pretty keen because they’re also looking to grow 42

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brands like FOX and STAR World, they may be 90-percent foreign content but they should always be 10- or 15-percent local content. In Asia, we’ve been quite advanced in creating a lot of local content for National Geographic Channel—we produce 50 to 60 hours a year in Asia. In Latin America and Europe, FIC has developed drama and other local productions more advanced than we are here in Asia. But in the last year we’ve been really pushing to ramp things up. STAR Chinese Channel in Taiwan produces about 1,500 hours a year of content already. It’s mostly variety, reality, game shows, a little bit of drama. It’s nice to have that base there because we’re already looking at ways to copy some of the things there and use that approach, which is relatively low cost and reasonable quality.We’re looking to introduce those types of productions onto our BS channel in Japan. And then we’re looking to greenlight some drama productions for a couple of markets.

We don’t really believe in the concept of making pan-Asian productions. We’re much more into making productions for Malaysia or for the Philippines or Japan specifically. Trying to make a show that satisfies seven or eight countries in Asia is something I don’t think we would be successful at and I don’t think there are that many examples of that succeeding.

In a market like Japan, there’s only so far you can go with Hollywood content or international documentaries. If we really want to push the dial further, we need to be investing more in local productions. It’s expensive because local production costs a lot in Japan. But we have little choice but to find ways to do it. We’re prepared to take a couple of million dollars a year and just make bets with it. As we start to have some success, we’ll increase that number.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What are your goals for 2012?

PLATT: We really believe in building strong local businesses

Straight from the States: FIC’s pan-regional STAR World brand airs a number of American dramas and comedies just weeks after their U.S. transmission, including FOX’s New Girl.

their ARPU and launching more channels in basic doesn’t really help them make any more money. Launching premium, if it’s a compelling enough product, means they can earn probably 50 cents out of every dollar they collect and share that 50 cents with the program provider.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: Are you seeing growth in pan-regional

and local ad sales?

PLATT: We are seeing growth. The whole global economic

situation was a little worrying, but so far it’s been a good year.

We’ve seen growth at the local level, a lot of markets where we’ve only recently launched more local feeds or built up our ad sales team—like the Philippines, Indonesia, even Vietnam.

And then the more traditional markets: Australia had a bit of a tough go but it’s still tracking on our budget, Taiwan is a strong market, Japan has been very strong, oddly enough. We launched a free satellite business, a BS channel. Agencies and clients have been lining up to sponsor shows or buy slots.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: How much are you doing in terms of

local content creation?

PLATT: Within FIC, our [president and] CEO, Hernán López,

said about a year ago that one of the key goals is to create and own more content. And that’s at all levels—The Walking Dead, global things, [and] very local productions.We can have channels that are 100 percent full of local content [such as tvN]. Even 44

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in each and every market. Even FOX, STAR World and STAR Movies end up being better products that connect better with the audience if they [have] more people at the local level involved with creating and assembling them.

What’s exciting is we’re launching more feeds of existing channels, in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines. We have a deal with FOXTEL to launch FX in Australia. That’s a hard market to get into with new channels. It was a long, hard slog. We made a big investment and now we’re launching in March. It will have The Walking Dead exclusively and some great product from Sony, Twentieth Century Fox, CBS, BBC, quite a few different suppliers. That will be in HD. We launched this BS channel in Japan, which is a big focus. The BS channel is in more homes [than] our pay-TV channels. In markets like Thailand, we launched FOX last year into a nominal-cost, almost freeview tier that has 2.5 million households. All the other foreign players, including our other channels, are only in 400,000 homes. So we want to be in all ends of the spectrum, from free satellite in places to low-cost, entry-level tiers, all the way up to the high end.

We’re excited about the premium business. If we do it right, with the platform or even our competitor HBO, [we can] go out there together and create a really good premium-value proposition in a market where premium hasn’t succeeded.

We’ve got HD, the [online] player. If you’ve got enough tonnage, let’s say six to seven movie channels in a package and the price is affordable, maybe we can get in there and create 10-, 20-, 30-percent penetration. That’s huge found money for the platform and ultimately for us.

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Beyond’s Iconicles.

Kids’ content sellers are finding new opportunities in Asia in linear TV, online and off-screen.

Child’s Play

By Kristin Brzoznowski

While Asian animation continues to move from strength to strength, the proliferation of new channels and IPTV platforms has left the region ripe with opportunities for international kids’ distributors. The children’s programmers in the Asia Pacific have developed a penchant for high-quality animation, due in large part to the expertise found within their own countries, and animated imports are welcomed warmly.

With animated hits such as Milly, Molly and Get Squiggling! in its catalogue, Beyond Distribution’s children’s business in the Asia Pacific has been “very strong,” according to Joanne Azzopardi, the company’s VP of international sales for Australasia.

Beyond’s new series Iconicles, which combines 2D animation with innovative, state-of-the-art live action, is launching on ABC2 in Australia, while the animated series Wild Animal Baby Explorers is currently broadcast in Singapore, Hong Kong,Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, New Zealand and Indonesia.

“In Asia, animation in preferred over live action, [since it] is more relatable to children,” notes Azzopardi. “However, that said, our most successful series (Backyard Science) is a liveaction show.”

She adds, “Backyard Science is an evergreen property. It continues to be renewed throughout the region, including in Australia, and is currently Astro TVIQ’s number one show in Malaysia.We are also about to go into production on a second 46

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series of Lab Rats Challenge, which is commissioned by the Seven Network in Australia, with a presale to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.”

Azzopardi says the foundation of learning through entertainment is what has made these shows particularly attractive in the region, along with the fact that the series are “very well-produced and kids can have fun while learning. Science is a big draw card.”

SPELLING OUT SUCCESS

Another show with an educational angle, Super Why!, is among DHX Media’s best-selling titles in the region. The animated preschool series helps teach kids the fundamentals of reading through interactive storybook adventures. “English literacy remains a strong need in the territory,” says Craig McGillivray, the territory manager for Asia at DHX. Other top performers from the DHX catalogue include the preschool shows Animal Mechanicals and Franny’s Feet.

“Preschool has traditionally done well in the territory, but there is a strong need for animation comedy as well,” McGillivray says, pointing to the regional success of Kid vs Kat. Comedy and animation have also been a winning combination for PGS Entertainment, which has landed deals in the region for shows such as Marsupilami: Hoobah Hoobah Hop!, Leon

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and The Gees.“Marsupilami: Hoobah Hoobah Hop! is a great family comedy with an ecological message which has terrific appeal and has worked very well for Asian buyers,” says Guillaume Soutter, the company’s head of international sales. “As for Leon and The Gees, these short-form series have been working [amazingly well] for us within the region, as they can be easily exploited across all platforms and especially on TV, mobile or the Internet.” PGS is also gearing up to launch its new property The Jungle Bunch for the first time in Asia.

“Business has been really good for PGS within the region,” Soutter reports. “We have hit some great sales with [panregional cable channels] and local stations and are eager to expand throughout more territories.”

Carole Brin, the head of international TV sales and acquisitions at Cyber Group Studios, says, “Our business has been growing in this area since the beginning of [our] very first production, Ozie Boo!” The Ozie Boo! brand—both the original series and the latest iteration, Ozie Boo! Save the Planet—has been airing in Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and a host of other Asian territories. “Tales of Tatonka, which is still in production, is already following the same footsteps across the whole region,” Brin adds. “Both of these programs are the perfect mix for the Asian market, as they are high-quality 3D animation, skewing for younger kids, and introducing them, through cute animals, to strong, evergreen values about life, friendship and family.” Brin is anticipating a high level of interest for the new preschool shows Patch Pillows and Zou, which Cyber Group is now introducing to the Asian market, because they possess those same qualities. Indeed, Zou has already been pre-bought

by Disney in Australia and New Zealand, Japan and Southeast Asia.

“The biggest growth [in the region] is definitely taking place in South Korea, with the multiplication of channels, due to the explosion of IPTV channels and VOD platforms,” Brin says of Cyber Group’s key Asian territories. “We have recently seen quite a lot of activity in Australia and New Zealand, as well as in all the major Asian territories and the Indian subcontinent.”

ASIAN ASPIRATIONS

A swinging success: PGS’s Marsupilami: Hoobah Hoobah Hop! has been a hit with Asian buyers, given its evergreen appeal and ecological message.

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Brin lists China as a market the company is keen to crack. “We are now specifically targeting China and looking to expand our activities in association with some of the major Chinese producers and broadcasters, on programs fit for China as well as the rest of the world,” she says.

For PGS’s Soutter, “the territories that have been developing most in the past years are for sure Indonesia and Malaysia. Our aim for the medium term will be to expand growth in Thailand and Singapore.”

Beyond’s Azzopardi also cites Malaysia as a key territory, noting that the market “has a very strong appetite for our type of children’s content. All our latest children’s series are broadcast into Malaysia, including Toybox; Lab Rats Challenge; Milly, Molly; Kid Detectives; Wild Animal Baby Explorers; Get Squiggling!; and Backyard Science.”

Azzopardi says she’s taken note of the region’s growing appetite for digital, especially when it comes to extending kids’ content onto new platforms. “Broadcasters are increasingly looking at World Screen

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The chase is on: DHX has sold Kid vs Kat into Asia, reporting high interest in animated comedies.

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ways to make their channels and content more accessible to children and more interactive,” she says. “Online extensions of the series are important. Asia is a very tech-savvy region, especially in markets like Korea and Japan.”

PGS is also ready to ride the digital wave, says Soutter. “The main opportunity for the upcoming years will be the exploitation of our content on mobile and Internet platforms, as we have read the statistics that the Asian market will become the largest market in the world for all platforms by 2015.”

The region also holds much potential for rolling out consumer products based on popular kids’ brands, says Cyber Group’s Brin. “Asia is a strong market as far as merchandising is concerned. We really believe in Zou being a hit in the whole region, and we have already been approached by several licensing and publishing companies to work on the property on a pan-Asian level.”

BORDER PATROL

The way of the land: Tales of Tatonka from Cyber Group features high-quality 3D animation, which is in demand in the Asia Pacific.

However, working on a pan-Asian level isn’t always the easiest route to take. The territories within the Asia-Pacific market can vary widely in terms of their sensibilities, tastes and preferences, making it more difficult for shows to cross borders. “A title can do very well in one part of Asia and struggle in another,”says DHX’s McGillivray. “This poses a challenge, while at the same time it is what makes the region so dynamic.”

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The region poses a number of other challenges when it comes to importing shows from the international market as well.“Many Asian buyers are looking for strong action animation series for boys, and the level of violence that may be accepted by some of the broadcasters could never be shown in Europe,” notes Cyber Group’s Brin. “This is an issue, as we are trying to sell programs globally and would not tailor to this target.”

“In Asia, Japanese animation is still very popular and broadcasters do allocate a lot of their acquisitions budget to purchasing this style of children’s content,” says Beyond’s Azzopardi of the hurdles she’s encountered. “We then also have to compete with locally produced content and with countries exporting their locally produced children’s content within the region.”

Azzopardi continues, “For Beyond, besides our straight sales of canned children’s content, the opportunities lie in formats of our productions within the region.” She says this would help build out already successful brands in the Asia Pacific, such as Backyard Science. “I would love to see a local version of this series on air in Asia,” she adds.

“Selling programs into the Asia-Pacific region also means producing original content driven by the culture of the region,” agrees Cyber Group’s Brin. “We are currently developing a couple of Asian culturally led concepts, which can in turn find their places in other regions. This is a very exciting challenge, as it takes us into uncharted territories and helps make us grow as a global provider of entertainment for children.”

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It’s been a strong year for FremantleMedia’s Asian business. Its meghit The X Factor premiered in China and India, while Got Talent rolled out in Vietnam, Thailand and South Korea, in addition to being renewed in China, India and the Philippines. All told, the company had more than 45 formats in production across Asia this year. At the helm of the Asia-Pacific business as CEO is Ian Hogg. Based in Sydney, Hogg took on oversight for the entire region after successfully running FremantleMedia’s thriving Australian business. He tells TV Asia Pacific about his plans for further growth across the Asia Pacific.

FremantleMedia’s

Ian Hogg

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What was the strategy behind consolidating FremantleMedia’s Australian and Asian businesses?

HOGG: In Australia we have a mature business and a dominant position in the marketplace; we’ve got the biggest brands in the country and the best show-makers. Our shows in Australia are all about excellence and in Asia sometimes it’s less about excellence and more about execution; working in some places, it is quite challenging to get the top content that you’d really like to get out. So we’d like to have everyone working a little more closely together, and see if we can improve our production work flows.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: Where are your current production bases?

HOGG: Singapore is the head office and we’ve built around

that with production assets in India, Indonesia and China. And then over and above that we run a licensing business out of Singapore, so we work with production partners in the region to make our shows. We keep a very tight grip on any production that we work with third parties on. There are certain things in our formats that are sacrosanct.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: How do you maintain that production quality standard that FremantleMedia is known for? What do you look for in partners?

HOGG: Obviously you’re looking for good show-makers.

You’re looking for people with shared values. Ultimately, I don’t think it’s any different to life, frankly. People with whom you associate are people you have something in common with and you have shared values and shared goals and shared ambitions. I’ve got a Diet Coke in front of me at the moment that tastes the same in New York or in Sydney or in Shanghai, just like a McDonald’s burger does.

Some of those great global brands, it just amazes me how their quality control can be so precise right around the world. And so to a certain extent we can draw courage from them and strive to make shows that are on format but give the format and their broadcasters the opportunity to breathe, such that the shows are localized.There’s nothing worse than bringing in a rigid format if it doesn’t work in a particular country.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: In what markets do you see opportuni-

ties to expand your operations?

HOGG: I don’t think we’re going to be rushing to open more

offices everywhere just for the sake of opening offices. We do a lot of business out of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Korea, Japan. We’re very active in pretty much every territory in the region.You don’t necessarily need to go to the expense of creating production hubs. When you get into these markets you want to make sure that you’re organized as best you 12/11

can be.We have a whole group of flying producers, people who monitor the quality of our shows right around the region— they’re based out of Singapore and they’re constantly on airplanes going from territory to territory working with our production offices or local partners to make sure the shows are what we want them to be.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: Do you see room to expand your scripted-

drama business?

HOGG: Very much so. We’re doing our first scripted drama

in India. We do a lot of drama in Australia. We have great drama expertise. The shiny floor shows, The X Factors and the Got Talents and the Idols, tend to get more recognition only because they tend to translate into multiple territories. The region and the people within it obviously like dramas, so we’d like to think we can make a few more than what we’re making now.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: FremantleMedia has had some hit for-

mats out of Japan. Do you see other markets in Asia becoming sources for ideas that will travel globally?

HOGG: Absolutely. I’m sure the day will come soon where Asian ideas will translate onto the world’s stage.

More and more, the world is becoming a smaller place, and as Asian economies start to power up the world economy, we are absolutely going to see ideas translating back.

I really think it’s going to be Asia’s century—that’s just a pure numbers game. The idea that [there are Asian concepts] we think we can push back into our pipeline excites us because it’s untapped at the moment and there’s great potential there.

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By Mansha Daswani

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By Mansha Daswani

Under the auspices of the Malaysian government, FINAS has been leading the charge to raise the profile of Malaysian content on a global stage.

Heading the organization’s delegation to the Asia TV Forum this year is Dato’ Sri Kamaruddin Siaraf, secretary general of the Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture, who was also on hand at MIPCOM in October. At the market in Cannes, FINAS was present with some 70 companies, twice as many as at MIPCOM 2010, and it announced 16 deals worth more than $70 million.

Siaraf spoke to TV Asia Pacific about why the Malaysian government has made a commitment to support the content sector, and about his goals for the business in the next year.

FINAS’s

Sri Kamaruddin Siaraf

TV ASIA PACIFIC: How was MIPCOM for FINAS? SIARAF: The participation of Malaysia from 2000 until now,

we went from having a teeny booth to having a pavilion. [In the past] we were coming just as a buyer for our TV stations.

I’m very proud to tell you that this time the number of our sellers coming to MIPCOM was more than the number of buyers. Looking at the number of people coming to our booth, the potential is unlimited in my mind. It’s up to us now to make sure that we are moving forward. As far as the government is concerned, they have given me my [mandate].

This year you must make $15 million [from the sale of Malaysian IP]. By 2020 we are expecting our industry to be [worth] over 1 billion ringgit [$317 million].

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What are the challenges being faced by

the Malaysian content business?

SIARAF: You have to be competitive in order to survive in

this market, so that is one challenge. Another thing, being new players in the industry, [many of these companies] have no capital, so the industry needs help from the government, in terms of incentives, grants, as well as interest-free loans.

We have to also consider human resources. We have a special committee chaired by our deputy prime minister to look into this—to make sure that human resources are being developed according to the needs of the industry.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What are the advantages that Malaysia

offers international companies that are looking for coproducers or content?

SIARAF: Co-production is one of our focuses now. As far as technology advancement in this area, we are quite on a par with other parts of the world. We have state-of-the-art technology in FINAS for post-production and for CGI. With assistance from the government, we are able to make the costs reasonably low compared to other parts of the world.We have 52

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enough universities and creatives produced by these universities annually to supply the labor, to supply the skill and the manpower for this industry. And the cost of living in Malaysia is comparatively cheaper than other parts of Asia. Another thing is political stability. So the level of confidence for potential investors into Malaysia definitely will be higher compared to what they are doing in other parts of Asia.The government of Malaysia, we don’t want to play the full front role anymore.

We would like to be the supporting actor or a facilitator for partners to come to Malaysia. Whatever assistance we can give, we will give.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: Do you think that the ethnic diversity of the country helps in fostering relationships with partners from around the world?

SIARAF: Yes. That is the beauty. That is the asset of the country—the multiethnicity that we have in Malaysia— Malay, Chinese, Indian and 30 other small ethnic groups.

The beauty of our natural resources is also an asset. In my mind, without this multiethnicity we are nothing more than what Vietnam is offering, what Thailand is offering.

Our ability to live together in harmony is a very important asset that I think all investors are looking for. We are ready to receive all the potential investors for co-production.

We are also providing our country as a film location.We have got what we call the heritage of the world. So I really hope that all international filmmakers can look into Malaysia for them to shoot films in the country and they can be assured that we are trying to give the best of our [talent] to assist them, to make their investment worth their while.

The government will give our best incentives available in the country. With the abundance of natural resources and natural beauty and the right kind of people, and an Englishspeaking population, I believe Malaysia is the best location to film in.

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