World Screen DISCOP Istanbul 2015

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THE MAGAZINE OF INTERNATIONAL MEDIA • FEBRUARY 2015

www.worldscreen.com

MIPTVEdition Edition DISCOP Istanbul

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CONTENTS

FEBRUARY 2015/DISCOP ISTANBUL EDITION DEPARTMENTS WORLD VIEW

Publisher Ricardo Seguin Guise Editor Anna Carugati

14

A note from the editor.

UPFRONTS

Executive Editor Mansha Daswani

16

Managing Editor Kristin Brzoznowski

New content on the market.

PROPERTY PROFILE

Associate Editor Joanna Padovano

24

Global Agency’s Broken Pieces.

EVENT PREVIEW

Editor, Spanish-Language Publications Elizabeth Bowen-Tombari

26

INTV in Jerusalem.

WORLD’S END

16

34

In the stars.

32

Associate Editor, Spanish-Language Publications Jessica Rodríguez Assistant Editor Joel Marino Contributing Editor Elizabeth Guider

SPOTLIGHT

22 ITV-INTER MEDYA’S CAN OKAN As president and CEO, Okan has been expanding the company’s presence outside of Turkey and steadily diversifying its offerings.

—Kristin Brzoznowski

SPECIAL REPORT

Special Projects Editor Bob Jenkins Production & Design Director Victor L. Cuevas Art Director Phyllis Q. Busell Online Director Simon Weaver

28 TURKISH DELIGHT A snapshot of Turkey’s vibrant TV business, which is creating, as well as importing, a diverse array of content.

—Kristin Brzoznowski

ONE-ON-ONE

Sales & Marketing Manager Faustyna Hariasz Sales & Marketing Coordinator Dana Mattison Sales & Marketing Assistant Erika Santana

32 DOGAN TV’S IRFAN SAHIN

Business Affairs Manager Terry Acunzo

The CEO of Dogan TV discusses the strategy for keeping the Turkish free-to-air broadcaster Kanal D in its market-leading position.

Senior Editor Kate Norris

—Mansha Daswani

Contributing Writers Steve Clarke Andy Fry Juliana Koranteng Jane Marlow Joanna Stephens Jay Stuart David Wood Copy Editors Maddy Kloss Kathleen Payne

Ricardo Seguin Guise President

WORLD SCREEN is published ten times per year: January, February, March, April, May, June/July, September, October, November and December.

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Anna Carugati Executive VP & Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development

28 THE LEADING ONLINE DAILY NEWS SERVICE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA INDUSTRY. For a free subscription, visit www.subscriptions.ws

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WORLD VIEW

BY ANNA CARUGATI

Coming Together “The more things change, the more they stay the same” is an often-cited adage that once could be applied to almost any aspect of life, though not so much anymore. For sure, technology has permanently altered our lives with computers, smartphones, online retailers and streaming services providing a multiplicity of conveniences.

We don’t use typewriters anymore; we do our writing, accounting, bookkeeping, travel plans and reservations, record keeping, ticket buying, bill paying and countless other tasks on computers. When was the last time you took a picture with an actual camera? Our smartphones do that for us, as well as a myriad of other functions. Bookstores and movierental outlets have gone out of business because of how Amazon and Netflix have redefined the ways we access our entertainment.

So, yes, while on the one hand we live with constant actual change, just look around the world and there are plenty of areas where the old adage applies all too well. So many situations—regrettably all of them bad, really bad—are not changing. Think of terrorism: from the Zealots of Antiquity to the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution to AlQaeda and ISIS, man’s inhumanity to man (yes, my fellow females, atrocities and acts of barbarism have been mainly committed by men) never seem to stop.

What about anti-Semitism? Were no lessons learned from the Holocaust? Is it possible there are still people who deny its occurrence? Apparently there are plenty such individuals—just look at what is happening in Europe and beyond.

The Cold War? We thought that was over, didn’t we? Didn’t the Soviet Union collapse along with the Berlin Wall, which took down with it ideological differences, animosities and territorial claims? Apparently not, if we consider what’s been happening in Ukraine. In fact, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not attend the ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz because he is at odds with the Polish government over Russia’s intervention in Ukraine.

Joel Fields, one of the showrunners of the TV series The Americans, told me that while doing research for the show, he found news footage of Russian soldiers telling American reporters, when the U.S. was about to attack Afghanistan after 9/11, “Don’t do it, don’t invade; it won’t end well.” The U.S. didn’t listen and they encountered many of the same problems the Russians experienced during their war in Afghanistan in the ’80s: brutally rugged terrain, networks of caves and shifting tribal loyalties among the populace.

Television is able

to address issues and bind together people…

in ways government policy never has.

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I hear it in my head: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Is it possible that we— people, government officials—over and over again can remain so stubbornly blind, deaf and dumb?

(And I mean dumb in the broadest sense of the word.) But because I try to be a glass-half-full kind of girl (here, too, I am stretching the definition of a word: girl), I’m always looking for signs of positive trends amidst the seemingly endless insanity that surrounds us. And there are plenty of indications of progress if you look at DISCOP Istanbul. This market serves Turkey, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and CIS—the Commonwealth of Independent States, which were formerly part of the Soviet Union. Many countries in these regions are experiencing economic and political difficulties.

And yet, given the power of television, even in these challenged areas, the desire for programming remains ardent.

According to the organizers of DISCOP Istanbul, the territories the conference targets account for 20 percent of the revenue of the global entertainment content business—a market share that has increased by 50 percent in the last five years. This year, DISCOP Istanbul, which will take place from February 24 to 26, will attract much more than program buyers. Entertainment brand licensors, agents, consumer-goods manufacturers and representatives from major retail chains and trade associations are coming together to buy and sell rights to content.

Thankfully, television is able to address issues and bind together people from different cultures in ways government policy never has. Take the huge success of Turkish dramas. Much has been said and written about the popularity of these series, but perhaps their appeal can simply be explained by the fact that they deal with family issues in a serious way. Their production values are certainly also a factor. The cost of an episode of a Turkish drama runs in the six-figure range (in U.S. dollars), some even reaching $1 million per episode. These series have sold all over the world, not only in neighboring countries, but also in Latin America, the land of the telenovela, and in Asia. In this issue, we look into the Turkish drama phenomenon as well as explore Turkey’s vibrant TV business, and our One-on-One interview is with Dogan TV’s Irfan Sahin. Television may not solve the world’s long-standing ills, but it can offer a way for us to understand each other better and see what unites us rather than what divides us.

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UPFRONTS

A+E Networks Marilyn / Gangland Undercover / UnREAL A+E Networks continues to highlight its new slate of scripted content under the recently launched A+E Studios International banner. This includes Marilyn, which spotlights the life of Hollywood star and sex symbol Marilyn Monroe. Other titles include Gangland Undercover, based on the true story of a man who worked covertly with law enforcement to bring some of America’s most dangerous biker gangs to justice, and UnREAL, a darkly comedic drama that gives a behind-thescenes look at the production of a dating competition program.

“We have been participating at DISCOP Istanbul for many years now as we are committed to increasing our presence in the Middle East and North Africa,” says Lorenzo Bertolotti, the company’s manager of international content sales for EMEA.

Gangland Undercover

UnREAL

all3media international The Algorithm / Are You Normal? / Bad Robots Is it possible for a computer to know your family better than you do? That is the central premise of The Algorithm, a game show that all3media international is presenting. Then there is the game-show format Are You Normal?, which sees contestants earn money as they attempt to answer the titular question.

“Turkish broadcasters are constantly demanding original and innovative studio-based game shows that [they can air] daily or weekly,” says Facundo Bailez, a format sales executive at all3media international. “Algorithm and Are You Normal? have all the necessary elements to engage audiences with everyday relatable subjects and themes through very entertaining game play.” The company is also offering up Bad Robots, a hiddencamera format.

“[DISCOP Istanbul] is the best place to see Turkish broadcasters and producers under one roof, and a great way of understanding the current trends in the territory.”

—Facundo Bailez The Algorithm

Caracol TV Internacional Emeralds, The Color of Ambition / Fugitives / Men Cry Too Caracol TV Internacional is making its fifth outing to DISCOP Istanbul with a slate of titles it believes will appeal to clients in Turkey, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Among its catalogue highlights is Emeralds, The Color of Ambition, about a family confronted with the emerald trade. “Emeralds is perfect for prime time,” says Berta Orozco, the company’s sales executive for Western Europe, Africa and the Middle East. “The quality of the production is extremely high and the story is very captivating, as you can see how ambition turns good characters into people without scruples.” Also on the slate are the romantic comedy Men Cry Too and the series Fugitives. “Fugitives could be easily adapted in Turkey or in Arabic countries,” Orozco says.

“It’s a thriller, but with a romantic story behind it.”

“Latin American content is always very well received [at DISCOP Istanbul].”

—Berta Orozco Emeralds, The Color of Ambition 16 World Screen 2/15

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CJ E&M Corporation Misaeng: Incomplete Life / Family Secrets / The Bunker CJ E&M Corporation is heading to DISCOP Istanbul with a number of scripted titles, including Misaeng: Incomplete Life, which centers on a young man who is having a hard time dealing with the monotony of his life. “Misaeng: Incomplete Life dominated the ratings in Korea in late 2014,” says Alex Oe, the director of international sales at CJ E&M. “It was also partially shot in Jordan. This was the first drama we shot in the region.” Other highlights from the company include Family Secrets, about a woman whose world crashes to the ground when her daughter is kidnapped, and The Bunker, a non-scripted format aimed at viewers who are interested in expanding their knowledge of cars.

“This is the first year we’re participating in DISCOP Istanbul…and we believe the time is right to explore more opportunities here.”

—Alex Oe Family Secrets

Global Agency Broken Pieces / A Part of Me / The Palace Global Agency, which has benefited from the booming Turkish drama market, is bringing to DISCOP Istanbul such series as Broken Pieces and A Part of Me. The drama A Part of Me tells the story of a surrogate mother’s fight to keep the baby she discovers is her own biological child. Broken Pieces features two women from different backgrounds whose babies are mistakenly switched at birth. Another new highlight from the Global Agency catalogue is The Palace, a drama series set in Egypt in the 19th century. “Many new markets are opening up for Turkish dramas, so I believe the business is going to be stable for many years to come,” says Izzet Pinto, the CEO of Global Agency.

“I think that 2015 will be the best year yet for distributors that sell Turkish dramas.”

—Izzet Pinto A Part of Me

ITV-Inter Medya Resurrection / Filinta / Black Money Love Two new period dramas have joined the ITV-Inter Medya catalogue recently through a distribution pact with the Turkish public broadcaster TRT. The period drama Resurrection is set at the dawn of the Ottoman Empire. Filinta takes place in Istanbul in the 19th century. These two series sit alongside an established slate from ITV-Inter Medya that includes Black Money Love, which is full of mystery and romance; Black Rose, about two brothers at war; and In Between, centered on a girl who comes from humble beginnings but has big dreams. Ahmet Ziyalar, the managing director of ITV-Inter Medya, believes that the “fascinating stories” at the heart of these Turkish dramas will propel their success in the international market.

“Due to strong competition in the domestic market, the production quality of Turkish TV series has increased significantly.”

—Ahmet Ziyalar Resurrection 2/15 World Screen 17

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Kanal D Matter of Respect / War of the Roses / For My Son Matter of Respect, a Turkish remake of an Italian drama, is a top highlight from Kanal D’s scripted catalogue. “It’s one of our new titles that we are really proud to produce,” says Özlem Özsümbül, the head of sales and acquisitions for Kanal D. War of the Roses is a drama that incorporates romance into its story and has so far been one of the company’s most successful prime-time titles. For My Son, which began airing in January, presents its plot through a mix of genres. “It is a perfect [title] to reach different members of the family,” Özsümbül explains, adding that women will be attracted to the romance and men will enjoy the action, while the story’s comedy will appeal to everyone.

“Our content has no borders.”

—Özlem Özsümbül Matter of Respect

Rive Gauche Television I Almost Accidentally Killed Myself / Happily Never After / Born to Explore As a newcomer to DISCOP Istanbul, Rive Gauche Television is hoping to establish connections with some potential new clients at the event. The company will be showcasing such programs as I Almost Accidentally Killed Myself, which tells the tales of individuals who survived accidental self-inflicted injuries. “I Almost Accidentally Killed Myself is an incredibly intriguing and eye-opening series about miraculous stories of survival against all odds,” says Bryan Gabourie, the VP of international distribution at Rive Gauche Television. Other highlights include Happily Never After, which spotlights different cases of matrimonial murder, and Born to Explore, an adventure series that takes viewers across the seven continents.

“We see [DISCOP Istanbul] as a unique opportunity to not only visit our many clients in Turkey, but also gain access to broadcasters and producers throughout the region.”

—Bryan Gabourie Born to Explore

SDI Media Dubbing / Subtitling / Access services SDI Media offers clients a complete end-to-end localization solution for feature films, episodic TV series, interactive games, digital media and corporate needs. Along with dubbing, subtitling and other media solutions, SDI recently entered into the access-services market, including closed captioning. “To better serve our clients, SDI Media has developed proprietary technology enabling the use of voice writers, instead of the traditional stenographer-keyboard model,” explains Roy Dvorkin, the company’s senior VP of global business development and client services. “Our new voice-writer model not only provides a much easier method of scaling this service both locally and globally, it is also more cost efficient in creating live captions and hard-of-hearing subtitles.”

“Along with our expanded service offerings, SDI Media continues to increase its global footprint.”

—Roy Dvorkin SDI facilities 18 World Screen 2/15

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SPI International FightBox / DocuBox / FashionBox SPI International already has an established presence in Turkey and across the Middle East as a pay-TV operator and movie distributor. It has its own online service with Filmbox Live and provides VOD services within the region.

SPI offers its bouquet of Filmbox channels and thematic channels such as FightBox, DocuBox, FashionBox and MadScreen Box in the region as well. “SPI has already launched its booklet of channels on Arabsat and Turkcell,” says Veronika Kurdiová, the business development manager at SPI International. “Recently, one of SPI’s channels was placed on the Türksat satellite platform. Coming up, there will be new operators added and additional channels and platforms launched in the territory.”

“SPI is planning to launch additional channels and platforms, as well as concentrate on the 4K UHD business.”

—Veronika Kurdiová DocuBox channel

Televisa Internacional Night Shift / This Is Your Song / Trivia Crack The main focus for Televisa Internacional at DISCOP Istanbul is to promote its slate of entertainment formats. “There is a lot of interest in Televisa’s entertainment formats, and this is just the beginning,” says Mario Castro, the company’s director of sales for Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Among the highlights is Night Shift, which uses humor to spice up the late-night-show concept. Also on Televisa Internacional’s slate is the talent competition This Is Your Song, in which three celebrity captains guide teams of singers. Additionally, the company is offering Trivia Crack, an interactive quiz show that challenges contestants with questions on science, history, arts, sports, entertainment and geography.

“We are leaders around the world with our telenovelas and now we’re expanding Televisa’s presence with entertainment formats.”

—Mario Castro This Is Your Song

TVE Isabel / Victor Ros / El Prado, A Passion for Painting A third season of the historical fiction series Isabel is being presented by TVE to buyers at DISCOP Istanbul. “Isabel is one of the most successful Spanish series of all time, having sold to more than 50 countries, including a deal for the broadcast of the series on the Middle Eastern TV platform OSN,” says Raul Molina, a content sales executive at TVE. “The fact that series like Isabel can be seen in the Middle East is a great success for TVE. Our goal in 2015 is to strengthen and enhance our position in this market.” Also a highlight is the crime series Victor Ros, which follows a brilliant police detective in the late 19th century working in Madrid. In the way of factual highlights, the documentary El Prado, A Passion for Painting explores the collection at the Museo Nacional del Prado.

“Victor Ros is already engaging audiences in Spain.”

—Raul Molina Victor Ros 2/15 World Screen 19

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SPOTLIGHT

ITV-INTER MEDYA’S

By Kristin Brzoznowski

CAN OKAN The global success of Turkish drama has helped to fuel the growth of ITV-Inter Medya in recent years. Can Okan, the company’s president and CEO, says that the “Made in Turkey” stamp has become a symbol of quality internationally, and this has allowed ITV-Inter Medya to increase its business in diverse markets, from Latin America to Asia. Okan tells World Screen about where he sees future growth opportunities, including entering new territories and diversifying the company’s catalogue.

WS: How has ITV-Inter Medya evolved since its

ucts, and I believe that the number of territories this content sells into will continue to grow very quickly.

WS: What markets are you concentrating on now

for further expansion?

OKAN: [We’re concentrating on] Russia, China and

India; those three territories have been quite tough, but with the new content that we recently started distributing, I believe that we will be able to enter into these markets. These are quite big markets and our main aim is to focus sales efforts on those territories.

inception?

OKAN: It started as a distribution company, buying con-

tent mainly from the United States and some European countries as well, and selling the content to broadcasters in Turkey. We then started distributing the same type of content in Central and Eastern Europe and the CIS countries. Later, driven by the popularity of Turkish content worldwide, we decided to expand into the worldwide market and started selling Turkish content into international territories. So far, our programming has reached almost 65 countries, and I expect this will go up to 90 by the end of this year.

WS: What has been the strategy for building the

business outside of Turkey?

OKAN: I always say that Turkish content is contagious.

Once you enter into one market—let’s say in the Balkan region, Bulgaria or Greece—then all the neighboring territories follow. So the international footprint grew quite fast.

We have now started selling our content in Indonesia and Malaysia, for example, which I believe will lead us to enter further into Singapore and the rest of the Asian markets.

We have also started doing business in Latin America. The number of territories we sell to across the region is growing every single day. After MIPCOM 2014, we closed a number of deals with countries such as Chile and Venezuela, and now we are in the final stages of closing deals in Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Argentina and the U.S. Hispanic market.

We are very happy with the results from selling Turkish prod-

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WS: While Turkish dramas are the bread and butter of the catalogue, are you finding new opportunities to diversify the company’s portfolio?

OKAN: We also still have a large number of feature films and some series that we handle in Eastern European markets, including Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. We acquired this content a couple of years ago from various American distributors.

Also, Construir TV came to us about two years ago with a slate of documentaries. We are now handling the rights for that content in a big part of the world. We recently closed a deal in Turkey and are in talks with broadcasters in countries such as Russia, Ukraine and China about the Construir content.

As for our Turkish content, the production quality is always really good; the stories are quite interesting and they are truly global. The shows reflect the lives of people everywhere around the world, so everyone finds something they can relate to in our content. I believe that’s where the success of this “Made in Turkey” content comes from.

We have recently done a couple of deals with producers as well as with the public broadcaster TRT to distribute a part of their content, including Resurrection (Dirilis Ertugrul), a historical drama about the birth of the Ottoman Empire, and Filinta, a big-budget period drama.

WS: Tell us about ITV-Inter Medya’s sister company.

OKAN: Our sister company, Fono Film, has the largest

and most modern post-production facility in Turkey. My brother runs this company, and I am involved with it. Fono Film recently partnered with TIMS Productions—the production company behind Magnificent Century, among other successful series— to produce feature films. The company produced and successfully released nine movies in less than a year, which are also handled in the international market

by ITV-Inter Medya. The latest movie from the company is Magi, a horror-thriller shot in English starring Michael Madsen, Stephen Baldwin and Brianne Davis, which will be released in May.

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PROPERTY PROFILE

BROKEN PIECES

By Kristin Brzoznowski

hen Endemol decided to expand its business into the booming Turkish TV market, it initially did so with an eye toward purely unscripted productions.

However, Endemol Turkey quickly took notice of the world’s fast-developing love affair with Turkish drama series and made the move into scripted production with Broken Pieces (Paramparca). The company entrusted Global Agency, which has established a reputation as a leading supplier of Turkish dramas, with the worldwide distribution rights for the series.

Global Agency launched Broken Pieces to the international market at MIPCOM 2014 as one of its major new projects, with a massive marketing campaign behind it. “We saw so much good interest in it [at MIPCOM] from at least 10 to 15 territories,” says Izzet Pinto, the CEO of Global Agency. “Now, we are closing deals for it almost every month.”

Broken Pieces debuted in early December on Star TV in Turkey and has been a runaway success. “It is by far the highest rated series of the year on Star TV,” says Pinto. “It is also one of the most talked-about series [on television in Turkey].”

The romantic drama features a story about making difficult choices, lives that are entwined and parents who are torn between the love for their children and following their own hearts. In it, two women from vastly different economic backgrounds give birth at the same hospital on the same day. Their babies are

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switched by mistake, and issues arise when the truth about the children finally comes to light. Adding to the drama is the love that blossoms between two members of these opposing families.

“The cast is strong and the story is absolutely amazing,” says Pinto. He credits much of Broken Pieces’s success to the A-list roster of talent that developed the project.

The series is penned by local hitmaker Ayfer Tunc, who is also behind the wildly successful Turkish drama 1001 Nights. It is directed by Cevdet Mercan, whose credits include popular Turkish productions such as Asi and Gönülcelen. Local stars Erkan Petekkaya and Nurgül Yesilkaya lead the cast. Pinto says that the series’ success has helped raise the profiles of these two actors.

Global Agency has already sold the project into the Middle East, Romania and Iraq for Kurdish rights. “We are also now closing deals in Latin America, the Middle East and Central and Eastern Europe,” says Pinto. “We are in negotiations with at least ten different territories.”

Global Agency has high hopes that Broken Pieces will follow in the footsteps of some of its most successful Turkish dramas to date. “Our best-selling series, Magnificent Century, has reached 62 countries,” Pinto notes. “I expect to reach that same number with Broken Pieces. I believe it will enter almost every market that 1001 Nights and Magnificent Century entered.”

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Photo: Noam Chen for the Israel Ministry of Tourism

EVENT PREVIEW

INNOVATION IN TELEVISION

By Kristin Brzoznowski

eshet Media Group is gearing up to host its third annual international conference on Innovation in Television (INTV). Held in Israel March 15 and 16—and hosted by Avi Nir, Keshet’s CEO, and Nir Barkat, the mayor of Jerusalem—this year’s INTV will feature an assembly of luminaries from the media industry and top creatives leading the charge in today’s shifting television landscape. The conference’s focus on innovation is quite fitting for Keshet, the company behind such groundbreaking, globally successful formats as Prisoners of War, which was the basis for Homeland, and MICE, which spawned NBC’s Allegiance.

“Innovation is very much inherent in Keshet’s DNA,” says Alon Shtruzman, the CEO of Keshet International. “Three years ago, we aimed to create a unique platform that encouraged creative discussions on various aspects of the constantly changing TV world. It’s rewarding to see ideas that were born at INTV come to life.”

This year’s INTV kicks off with the local premiere of USA Network’s upcoming major event series Dig, which was produced by Universal Cable Productions and developed by Keshet. The premiere will host Emmy-winning showrunner and writer Gideon Raff (Prisoners of War, Homeland), who co-created the series with Tim Kring (Heroes), as well as Golden Globe-nominated actor Jason Isaacs (Awake, the Harry Potter franchise), who stars in the series.

The event will also hold a special session with the renowned journalist and author Ari Shavit and HBO CEO and Chairman Richard Plepler focused on connections between docudrama and politics. A separate side session will see selected startups pitching to TV professionals.

“This session will be hosted in cooperation with the Jerusalem Development Authority, and we expect great networking and inspiration from these young entrepreneurs,” says Shtruzman.

A number of high-profile speakers have been confirmed for INTV, including Peter Fincham, the director of television at ITV; Andrea Wong, the president of international production at Sony Pictures Television; Susan

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Lyne, the president of BBG Ventures at AOL and former CEO of the AOL Brand Group; and the Golden Globewinning writers Sarah Treem and Hagai Levi (The Affair, In Treatment). Among those taking part in the PromaxBDA creative clinic—a collaboration between PromaxBDA and Keshet Media Group—are Bruce Tuchman, the president of AMC Global and Sundance Channel Global; Stephen Friedman, the president of MTV; Jacob Shwirtz, the chief social media officer at Endemol Beyond USA; and Rick Rosen, board member and head of television at WME. Also on the roster for INTV is filmmaker Porter Erisman, who wrote, directed and produced Crocodile in the Yangtze, an awardwinning independent documentary film about the eight years he spent at China’s Alibaba Group.

“Since INTV’s inception, we’ve been fortunate enough to have attracted great speakers who cover all aspects of television innovation,” says Shtruzman. “With each year, we find that the conference’s professional, focused and unique concentration becomes easier and clearer to convey. The conference has a unique glow to it; it takes place in the historical atmosphere of Jerusalem, which presents a beautiful and culturally rich backdrop to host this event focused on innovation.”

Around 700 delegates are expected to attend the event, with attendees hailing from Europe, the U.S. and Israel, among other countries. Shtruzman comments that the two-day event draws professionals from around the world “who live and breathe television.”

He adds, “We’re hoping the delegates take with them great connections that they make in between the sessions, as well as a new outlook on the quickly evolving landscape of television. Additionally, last year we took the delegation of speakers to meet with former Israeli President Shimon Peres, brought them on unique tours of Jerusalem and hosted a dinner at the mayor’s house, which are all extremely special events that can only take place on the ground in Israel. We want to offer our delegates a truly immersive experience, and hope that they bring great memories and business contacts back with them from the conference.”

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TURKISH D Kristin Brzoznowski explores Turkey’s vibrant TV business, which

Global Agency’s Blind Taste.

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is

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H DELIGHT

h

is creating, as well as importing, a diverse array of content. urkey’s economy has been on a rapid growth trajectory over the last few years, as has its TV business. Audiences have become accustomed to watching highquality series, buoyed by healthy production budgets and fierce competition between local broadcasters. The result is a strong domestic TV sector in Turkey and a viable business for international distributors looking to sell programming into the country.

Notably, Turkey’s prowess in drama production has put the country in the spotlight on a global stage. The Turkish drama boom began around six years ago, with many in the industry pointing to the success of Silver (Gümüs ) in the Middle East, followed by 1001 Nights penetrating Central and Eastern Europe, as spurring the trend.

Izzet Pinto, the CEO of Istanbulbased Global Agency, which represents 1001 Nights internationally, recalls that Bulgaria was the first market to purchase the drama, followed by Greece. Serbia, Croatia and Macedonia came next. Pinto says that since then, there has been a “domino effect” in markets airing Turkish dramas.

“Every year new markets are opening up,” he says. “For example, this year Asia is opening, including territories such as Vietnam, China and Indonesia. On the other hand, Turkish dramas are really booming in Latin America. It started with Chile, and now Colombia, Peru, Argentina and even Brazil [are buying Turkish dramas].”

Ahmet Ziyalar, the managing director of ITV-Inter Medya, says that sales for Turkish drama series have been strongest in the Middle East and North Africa, as

T

well as in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. “Our new booming markets are Latin America, Southeast Asian territories and CIS countries,” he notes.

SO MUCH DRAMA The Turkish drama trend has even made its way to the lucrative U.S. market, where a number of major American broadcasters have licensed remake rights and several pilots are in production (including one for the Global Agency-repped Game of Silence,

by NBC).

Ziyalar lists the “fascinating stories” that play out in Turkish dramas as one of the main motives for their international success. He also notes that many of these series reflect modern Turkish culture, which blends Eastern and Western traditions. This, in turn, allows not only viewers in Turkey but also those around the world to find something that is relatable to them.

Pinto highlights the “good story lines, terrific acting, big budgets and high production quality” as key selling points.

“Turkish dramas are also known to be quite slow in their pace, meaning that if you miss an episode, you can easily catch up,” he says. “They are not very fast-moving, and families like this style [of storytelling].”

Pinto says that international buyers are also enjoying this slower style in how the stories unfold and aren’t necessarily increasing the action or speeding up the pacing for their local markets.

However, some global buyers are making adjustments in the episode lengths they air. “The original episodic lengths of Turkish

2/15 World Screen 29

dramas start from 90 minutes and go up to 140 minutes,” says ITVInter Medya’s Ziyalar. “There is no set standard [for running time].

TV channels change the length of their drama slots almost every week, so we are re-editing them into 45-minute episodes for the international market.”

Kanal D has also been busy exporting Turkish dramas around the world and is reacting to the demands of the global marketplace by offering what it calls “mini drama series,” which contain 13 episodes. This is a smaller episode count than typical Turkish drama productions, and Özlem Özsümbül, the company’s head of sales and acquisitions, believes the offering will help Kanal D enter into previously uncharted territories. “Mini dramas are an innovative option for us to reach out to new buyers,” she says.

LOVE AFFAIRS While Latin America is becoming increasingly receptive to Turkish dramas, the love affair goes both ways. Many distributors from the LatAm region are seeing interest rising from Turkish buyers for importing telenovelas. Among those capitalizing on this trend is Caracol TV Internacional. The company has already made inroads into Turkey and is looking to expand its presence there in 2015, says Berta Orozco, the company’s sales executive for Western Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

“We have been collaborating for a few years with some production companies and consultants that are helping us understand the needs of the market a bit more,” Orozco says. “Our main goal will be to take these relationships a

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“Turkish audiences also love the high-quality production values of BBC documentaries,” she continues, “especially with natural history and the new filming techniques that are used to give fresh insight into the natural world.”

GETTING REAL

ITV-Inter Medya’s catalogue boasts a number of Turkish dramas, including Black Rose. bit further with new productions and adaptations.”

Orozco points out that Turkish dramas and Latin American telenovelas share some common themes that make them appealing to both cultures. She says that Caracol has received a lot of interest from Turkish producers for telenovelas that have a touch of humor or feature stories that the whole family can watch together.

“Turkish telenovelas have very dramatic stories and tend to work best when broadcast in prime time, but there are other slots where channels need more lighthearted content, and I think that might be the perfect fit for Caracol’s productions,” says Orozco.

She notes that the average prime-time slot in Turkey is around 90 minutes, yet Caracol’s productions are typically one commercial hour (around 45 minutes). Therefore, Orozco says, broadcasters have the ability to stack two episodes together to fill the running time.

While Caracol TV Internacional has primarily focused on sales for its ready-made productions, Turkish buyers are show-

ing a strong appetite for scripted novela formats as well. Orozco has also seen more interest coming from the Turkish market for entertainment formats. At DISCOP Istanbul, Caracol TV Internacional is promoting new format titles such as the entertainment series TV Maniacs and the reality format The Challenge.

BBC Worldwide is doing healthy business in Turkey with its formats as well, according to Natasha Hussain, the company’s VP and general manager for the Middle East and Mediterranean region. This includes a local treatment of the popular entertainment format The Great British Bake Off, which is airing on Turkey’s TV8.

Hussain says that the company has also seen continued success with its drama slate in Turkey, including the global brands Doctor Who and Sherlock, both of which are on CNBC-e. Also in the way of drama, The Musketeers, Intruders and Doctor Who were sold to NTV. “Turkish audiences love shows that are creative and inventive with strong storytelling, and this is why our scripted content works so well,” says Hussain.

BBC Worldwide recently sold more than 100 hours of naturalhistory programming to the Turkish public broadcaster TRT. The high-quality factual and naturalhistory programs Hidden Kingdoms, Deadly 60 and Penguins: Spy in the Huddle from the company’s catalogue also continue to be top draws in Turkey.

Formats—notably in the genres of entertainment, game shows and reality—have proven successful for ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE) in Turkey. Jennifer Ebell, the company’s VP of sales for Southeast EMEA, says that the desire for local format productions has fueled the demand for fresh ideas in addition to triedand-tested concepts.

ITVS GE has also sold quite a few of its dramas into Turkey, including a package that featured Poirot and Murdoch Mysteries to Digiturk. There are ongoing discussions with Turkish buyers regarding the newly launched drama series Aquarius, starring David Duchovny; the Nordic thriller Jordskott; and the period piece Poldark.

The scripted-format business is offering some new opportunities as well, says Ebell. “Local drama is huge in Turkey, but there’s also a market for foreign drama remakes, as we have seen with the Turkish versions of Desperate Housewives, The O.C., Gossip Girl, etc.,” she notes.

“Scripted programming is a key genre for ITVS GE, so the opportunity in Turkey is definitely there.”

Ebell does acknowledge that selling formats in Turkey can be a bit challenging, since the local market is “very competitive and Turkish broadcasters are cautious about making long-term commitments. There’s an abundance of distributors, producers

Caracol TV Internacional is highlighting the drama series The Cartel for Turkish buyers.

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BBC Worldwide has done brisk business in Turkey with its high-end factual programming, including the landmark natural-history series Hidden Kingdoms. and in-house production teams vying for the next open spot in the schedule.”

Indeed, Global Agency has a number of formats that have been successful in their native Turkey and have since gone out to the international market. The company’s best-selling Turkish format is the daily strip Shopping Monsters, which has aired more than 600 episodes on Kanal D in Turkey and has been licensed to such broadcasters as RTL 5 in the Netherlands and M6 in France.

Other top-selling Turkish formats for Global Agency are Perfect Bride, a wedding format, and the singing competition Keep Your Light Shining. There has also been recent sales success for the

cooking format Blind Taste and the reality format Fashion Icon.

“Unscripted formats are really booming,” says Pinto. “In the past, 10 percent of our revenue was coming from formats, and now it’s 30 percent. My goal is to have a 50:50 balance of revenues from formats and ready-made drama.”

COMPETITIVE EDGE While this may be good news for Turkish content companies such as Global Agency, the competition from the thriving local production business is cited by many distributors as one of the greatest challenges in doing business in the country. Most free-to-air channels’ schedules are dominated by local productions, especially with the

ever-more-powerful Turkish drama in prime time. “Pay-TV providers need to offer something different in order to attract a fresh audience, and that is where foreign content finds its niche,” says ITVS GE’s Ebell, noting that this is where the company has landed a good amount of its programming sales in Turkey.

ITV-Inter Medya’s Ziyalar credits the strong competition in the domestic market for raising the production quality of Turkish TV series, “which allows them to be competitive in the international arena and win public interest worldwide.” He believes that this competition will “carry the quality of Turkish dramas to Hollywood production standards in the near future.”

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Global Agency’s Pinto adds, “In Turkey, we have eight major channels, which is huge; in many countries there are only three or four. The competition is so high when you have eight channels, and that helps budgets be bigger and projects be better.” Add to this the stable advertising market in Turkey and the investments get even greater.

Given the rising budgets and soaring production quality of Turkish content, the local market is poised to continue to flourish.

International distributors looking to shore up slots in the country must come armed with innovative, high-quality propositions in order to compete, and many have already risen to the challenge.

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ONE-ON-ONE

he vibrancy of the Turkish content sector has been making headlines lately, with recent reports noting that programming exports from the country are bringing in more than $200 million annually. All eyes will be on Turkey in the run up to MIPCOM, where it will be fêted as this year’s Country of Honour. But Turkey’s emergence as a content hotspot has been years in the making. Among the companies that have been laying the groundwork for the country’s rising international profile is Dogan TV, led by CEO Irfan Sahin.

A division of the Turkish conglomerate Dogan, which has interests ranging from publishing to financial services, energy, retail, manufacturing and more, Dogan TV operates the marketleading free-to-air broadcaster Kanal D. The channel has been responsible for some of Turkey’s biggest global hits, including Gümüs, which scored a reported 85 million viewers across the Middle East for its finale in 2008, and Fatmagül. Dogan TV also operates the pay-TV generalentertainment channel TV2, as well as CNN Türk. Its assets also include the platform D-Smart and the production outfit D Productions.

Continuing to drive the export of Dogan TV’s original content around the world is one of Sahin’s top priorities for 2015. He is also firmly focused on making sure that Dogan TV continues to raise the bar in terms of production quality, and that it adapts quickly to changing media consumption trends in the Turkish market. He tells World Screen about his plans for keeping Kanal D at the forefront of the Turkish media business.

IRFAN SAHIN Dogan TV

By Mansha Daswani

WS: In addition to the nationwide freeto-air channel Kanal D, you operate TV2 as a general-entertainment service on pay-TV platforms. How are you serving Turkish audiences with these two assets? Do they target different demographics and interests?

SAHIN: Our main targeting strategy for Kanal D is based on covering a wide range of the total population in Turkey.

Turkish society does not consist of a single group; rather, we see many different and fragmented subgroups. It is not incorrect to say that we have a heterogeneous societal structure. Considering this, Kanal D, as a mainstream channel, constructs its audience-targeting approach to build a close connection and attachment between every member of an average Turkish family and our TV content. What I mean by “average Turkish family” is that we think of a Turkish family as having five members: a mother, a father, two children and a grandparent. This point of view lies at the core of our targeting strategy— our ultimate goal is to cover the entire population of Turkey.

The majority of TV2’s audience comes from the AB socioeconomic segment. Most of these viewers can be characterized as having urban lifestyles.

Thanks to a programming structure that includes quality local and foreign content, [TV2 mainly targets] this niche audience segment, whose tastes, perceptions and expectations differ from the mainstream.

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Kanal D has been exporting a number of its successful drama series into international territories and looks to ramp up this business segment in 2015 with launches such as For My Son. WS: What’s driving the continued success of Kanal D in the competitive Turkish market?

SAHIN: Kanal D has very strong and well-appreciated brand equity in the eyes of both Turkish [viewers] and advertisers. Due to the power of the Kanal D brand and its [reputation], we are always ahead of the others. In addition to its brand equity, Kanal D also brings different and diversified social groups together with content that appeals to a broad range of audiences. According to research figures by Ipsos KMG, Kanal D is over and over the [leading] brand by far in the TV category. More importantly, in 2012, among all brands from 22 categories, including very powerful and multinational ones, Kanal D was ranked eighth. This shows the power of the Kanal D brand not only in the TV category, but among all brands.

WS: How is the Turkish ad market performing? How are you maintaining your share of the ad pie?

SAHIN: Taking ad spend budgetary parameters into account, the Turkish ad market could be seen as having the lowest ad spend budget per person in comparison to other markets.

Also, there are almost no barri-

ers to entry into the Turkish TV market. This has resulted in there being too many TV channels. [Even though] this is the general outlook for the medium, the Turkish ad market promises a flourishing future for the TV business. TV takes more than half of the ad spend budget in Turkey and it never takes below 50 percent of the total share of the market. Considering these figures, we can see Turkey as one of the countries where TV ad spend has the biggest portion of the total advertising market budget. Another point: according to the PwC Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2014–2018 report, Turkey is among nine high-growth markets powering global entertainment and media revenue. This also shows the capacity of the Turkish market waiting to be utilized. To talk about Kanal D in this context, we have maintained our success as the number one TV channel in Turkey for the last ten years.

WS: How are you encouraging creativity and innovation in your original programming department?

SAHIN: Our philosophy takes its roots from understanding the emotional world of a common

Turkish man or woman on the street who is 30 years old, has an average of seven years of education and also has many hopes, expectations, fears, loves, hates and sorrows. Our stories are a combination of this knowledge with traditional Turkish values.

WS: How is Kanal D’s international content sales division doing, and what are your goals for this segment in 2015?

SAHIN: Up until now, we have sold our TV series into more than 90 countries. Last year we successfully accomplished our goal of creating new markets for our content in Latin America, including Chile and Uruguay; European countries like France, Estonia and Latvia; and countries in Asia. For the coming year, we are planning to go one step further—North America, Africa and the Far East will be in our scope for 2015.

WS: What are the major challenges facing Turkey’s media sector in 2015?

SAHIN: Digitalization has started to penetrate the market—the visible [signs] increase day by day, especially in a country like Turkey where young age groups make up a significant proportion

2/15 World Screen 33

of the total population and the median age is around 30. To understand the effects of digital convergence clearly, we should look at the changing habits and behavior patterns in a society like Turkey, which quickly adapts to the global standards of technology use and has rapidly become digitalized. This can be counted as one of the major challenges. But, thanks to the Turkish audience, the average time a person spends watching TV in Turkey is about 4 hours per day— this is still above the European average and is not declining.

Another challenge to be mentioned is that co-production strategies with other parties will be required to maintain the sustainability [of the production sector]. Lastly, new and emerging markets for the TV industry should definitely be found or created somehow.

WS: What growth opportunities do you see for Dogan TV in the next 12 to 18 months?

SAHIN: Our major goal is to grow in the content business, where we have much potential waiting to be utilized. We are heading toward being both a content producer and distributor at the same time, having all rights to the content.

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WORLD’S END

IN THE STARS Almost every national constitution forbids the establishment of an official state religion. But this secular bent doesn’t stop people from looking to the heavens for answers to life’s most troublesome questions: Will I succeed?

Will I find love? Will Matt LeBlanc curse me out?

Rashida Jones

Kevin Spacey

Naya Rivera

Jamie Dornan

ARCHIE PANJABI

NAYA RIVERA

half Puerto Rican, sets the Internet buzzing after dropping a controversial theory about hygiene habits while guest-hosting The View. “I have to say, I have a theory about showering, [which] is that I think that white people shower a lot more than ethnics,” the Glee star says. “I feel like showering more than once a day or every day is such a white people thing.”

Horoscope: “Even an unintentional insult can still sting, so be careful of your sharp tongue.” (horoscopespot.net)

that these little pearls of random

sion to leave The Good Wife came after an intense onscreen kiss with her The Fall co-star Gillian Anderson.

“When I was kissing her, Allan Cubitt, the show’s creator and director, had to say, ‘Archie, can you hold back?’ because Gillian was supposed to take me by complete surprise. I didn’t think that I was very forward in [the scene], but obviously after a while a character starts to affect you,” she told Radio Times, referring to her bisexual Good Wife character Kalinda Sharma. “I thought, ‘OK, I think it’s time to go now,’” she says of her exit.

Horoscope: “It’s only by being true to who you are that you can recognize truth in the world.” (sheknows.com)

foresight occasionally prove pro-

RASHIDA JONES

Every day, papers and magazines worldwide print horoscopes—projections for people born in a specific month, based on the positions of the stars and planets. While many people rely on these daily, weekly or monthly messages for guidance in their lives, some readers skip over them entirely.

The editors of WS recognize

phetic. But rather than poring over charts of the zodiac to predict world events, our staff prefers to use past horoscopes in an attempt to legitimize the science.

As you can see here, had some of these media figures remembered to consult their horoscopes on significant dates, they could have avoided a few surprises.

Global distinction: The Good Wife star.

Sign: Gemini (b. May 31, 1972) Significant date: January 19, 2015 Noteworthy activity: The actress claims that her deci-

Global distinction: Parks and Recreation funny lady.

Sign: Pisces (b. February 25, 1976) Significant date: January 25, 2015 Noteworthy activity: While on the red carpet of the SAG

Global distinction: Glee gal.

Sign: Capricorn (b. January 12, 1987) Significant date: January 13, 2015 Noteworthy activity: The actress and singer, who is

MATT LEBLANC

Global distinction: Friends alum.

Sign: Leo (b. July 25, 1967) Significant date: January 13, 2015 Noteworthy activity: During an appearance on Conan,

Awards, the brunette beauty encounters a clueless reporter who comments that she looks “very tan, very tropical.” The biracial actress, whose father is AfricanAmerican music icon Quincy Jones, does her best to correct the misinterpretation, deadpanning, “I mean, you know, I’m ethnic.”

Horoscope: “Keep a sense of humor and appeal to people’s feelings with your choice of words.” (astrology.com)

the Episodes star admits that he once cursed at Princes William and Harry after attending a polo match in England. “There was a big line to go and meet them afterward,” he recalls to host Conan O’Brien. “All they want to know is, ‘When is the Friends reunion?’ That’s all they wanted to know about.” LeBlanc’s response?

“I told them to f*** off!”

Horoscope: “You may want to watch what you say and who you say it to. There’s a big chance it could be misconstrued in a terrible way.” (gotohoroscope.com)

KEVIN SPACEY

JAMIE DORNAN

speech after winning the award for best actor in a drama series at this year’s Golden Globes, the House of Cards star says, “This is the eighth time I’ve been nominated. I can’t f***ing believe I won.” Luckily the person responsible for censoring profanity during the live telecast was able to bleep out Spacey’s f-bomb in the nick of time.

Horoscope: “Leo is expressive, so words can come flying out of your mouth faster than you can control them.

Make sure they’re the right words by taking an extra moment to think first!” (tarot.com)

Shades of Grey star says that he was yelled at by a fan of Matt Bomer (White Collar), who felt that Bomer should have been cast as the film’s sexy male lead instead of Dornan. “This woman came up and started shouting at me, ‘Matt Bomer’s the real Christian Grey,’” the 32-year-old tells the mag. “And I was like, Um, OK.” Horoscope: “You may soon be judged or evaluated by one-dimensional minds. Don’t take it personally. They’re simply not able to recognize and accommodate a soul as weighty as yours.” (freewillastrology.com)

Global distinction: Fictional TV politician.

Sign: Leo (b. July 26, 1959) Significant date: January 11, 2015 Noteworthy activity: While making his acceptance

34 World Screen 2/15

Global distinction: Irish actor.

Sign: Taurus (b. May 1, 1982) Significant date: January 12, 2015 Noteworthy activity: In an interview with Elle, the Fifty

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