Water Cooler

By Leah Hochbaum

In years past, on U.S. television, many movies of the week (MOW or TV movies), if not about the diseases-of-the-week, had absurd names such as Mother, May I Sleep With Danger and Co-ed Call Girls (which both, oddly enough, starred 90210 alum Tori Spelling), and were often so C-movie acted that it was hard for even the most die-hard TV lovers to sit through them. But these days, while many TV movies still may not qualify for the silver screen, higher production values and a seemingly explicit decision by MOW-makers to treat these often issue-oriented flicks with humor, have turned these one-time jokes into new contenders for ratings dominance.

Recent successes such as A&E’s Wedding Wars, about a gay wedding planner played by John Stamos, who decides to strike rather than plan his brother’s nuptials, after realizing he may never get to have a wedding of his own; Sci Fi’s The Lost Room, a drama about a mysterious room; and Disney Channel powerhouse High School Musical, which has become a worldwide phenomenon, are breathing new life into a genre that, for a time, seemed all but dead.

“What we’re seeing is a significant [TV movie] revival on cable,” said David A. Dreilinger, president and CEO of Lightworks Enterprises, which recently acquired MOW Have No Fear, about the life and times of Pope John Paul II, from ABC, and is “already seeing a lot of action” for it. According to Dreilinger, the reason for the resuscitation of the genre is as simple as the cyclical nature of the business. “Almost every genre of programming has gone through a cycle,” he said. “The sitcom was dead, then Carsey-Werner came out with The Cosby Show, and then everyone did a sitcom. One-hour dramas were out of vogue for a while, and now they’re back.”

Dreilinger also pointed out that TV movies are especially good for cablers looking to best big broadcasters. “It makes sense to provide programming that’s good and at the same time is something that the broadcast networks are not providing. It’s a great counter-programming strategy.”

Marina Cordoni, independent distribution agent for Breakthrough Entertainment’s TV Movies division, concurred, but added that the holiday season tends to see a rise in Christmas-themed MOWs. “People want to get swept away,” she said. “And unlike dramatic series, 90-minute TV movies offer up a little bit of drama, but are often great for the soul.” She added that broadcasters have realized that while the holiday season should be uplifting, the stress of shopping and traveling often results in little more than emptied wallets and depression. “We want to feel Christmas cheer and it’s up to broadcasters to pick up that audience,” she said.

Cordoni feels that audiences originally moved away from MOWs because “our time is limited.” When there’s event television on, such as Idol and Survivor, people don’t want to miss a single episode, and that in turn, gave them less time to watch other types of television.

“But,” she was quick to add, “I don’t think the audience got bored with them. Broadcasters just need to reevaluate time slots [for MOWs]. Sunday afternoons when you’re still in your pajamas are a great time to watch a TV movie.”

Yet while many in the biz are noticing a resurgence in the popularity of the TV movie genre — specifically in the U.S. — others just simply aren’t seeing it. “I don’t think they’re coming back,” said Mark Dineley, vice president of International Media Sales and head of Latin American Program Sales for U.K.-based Power. “The genre doesn’t work particularly well in Latin America,” he said, because the dominance of female-oriented telenovelas makes other female-oriented programming all but irrelevant. “But,” he added, “there is a fair amount of demand for action-oriented stuff for male viewers — even torrentially cheap, low-budget action thrillers.”

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By Leah Hochbaum

Once upon a time there were but a few TV channels from many small companies. Viewers would turn the television’s manual dial and then sit back, relax and be forced to watch whatever was foisted upon them. Times have changed, though. Today, there are literally thousands of channels to choose from, coming from a handful of large companies (but that’s another story) — channels that allow even TV watchers with the most outlandish tastes to find a channel suited to their needs. While cable and satellite channels are relegated to the large, rich companies, the Internet and, in particular, IPTV technology, now allow small companies to distribute niche TV channels. Yes, from food to adult-themed cartoons to porn, it seems there’s a channel for everyone, yet new channels are still popping up each and every day, filling a need for lovers of all things niche.

“People love movies,” said Stanley Hubbard, chairman and CEO of ReelzChannel, a new 24-hour network that is devoted to film. “With so many channels showing movies, and so many choices available, we help people cut through the thousands of titles to make better choices with their time and money. And we do it in a fun and entertaining way.”

ReelzChannel, which is available in the U.S., debuted in September 2006 with 28 million subscribers — “the biggest cable/satellite network launch in history,” according to Hubbard. The channel, which was in development for a whopping six years before it finally hit the airwaves, features a host of movie-related programming, including Dailies, a daily news and information series about the goings-on in the world of movies, and Secret’s Out, a show in which famed critic Leonard Maltin picks the hidden movie gems he feels the world’s been missing out on.

Lots of channels show movies, though, and Hubbard acknowledges that being one of many networks catering to lovers of film, ReelzChannel needs to stand out from the pack. “We have to be as good as the others and always remember who our audience is,” he said.

But while movie lovers are known to flock to wherever the pictures are being shown and the behind-the-scenes info is to be found, other more specialized channels — especially ones that are aimed at more of a niche market — launch knowing that it might take people a little longer to find them. And they don’t really mind.

“My wife and I have been visiting Italy for years,” said Ronnie Del Sesto, founder of WebVisionItaly.com, a new advertiser-supported, English-language broadband TV network featuring programs about Italian culture and travel. “The toughest part of planning a trip was doing the research. Even the Travel Channel, which is great, focuses on very broad topics — not the sort of things one needs to plan a vacation.”

Though it’s on the Internet, the Providence, Rhode Island-based WebVisionItaly is more like a regular channel than other broadband networks. The channel follows a traditional TV advertising model, in which commercials are placed in breaks during and between programs. In addition to this patent-pending advertising formula, the channel refuses to accept pop-up or banner ads. In November, more than 125,000 shows were watched on the network. “There’s great stickiness,” said Del Sesto. “We’re not a click-through site. We’re a destination.”

Other new specialized offerings popping up around the dial include the soon-to-be-relaunched Ovation, The Arts Network — a net devoted exclusively to the arts and creativity. The network, which debuted in 1996, was recently acquired by a group of private investors led by Hubbard Media Group, a subsidiary of Hubbard Broadcasting, which also owns and operates ReelzChannel. While Ovation’s been focused on the arts for some time now, the relaunch, slated for late 2007, will retain that focus yet make the content more accessible to the average viewer. Said Stanley Hubbard: “[This] channel truly devoted to the arts can be taken to a new level.”

New channels have been springing up all over the place, and while finding them the first time may be a challenge, now that we’ve done away with manual dials, being able to come back for repeat viewings should be a cinch.

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By Leah Hochbaum

“Hot” may be one word to describe the fourth annual Asia Television Forum (ATF), held November 29 to December 1 at Singapore’s Shangri-La Hotel. From the scorching humidity to the blazing business being done, there was a distinct sizzle in the air.

“The Asia TV Forum makes perfect sense for us,” said Fremantle International Distribution’s Ganesh Rajaram, Sales director, Asia, who came to the market with a sizable line-up that included The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, a series about the self-proclaimed original supermodel’s quest to find new faces to reign in the modeling arena; Live From Abbey Road, a music series that features live performances of some of the world's most well-respected artists; and Jamie at Home, a new show about celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. “We have an office based here in Singapore and the bulk of our clients attend the market. We'd like to see the market grow.”

Pedro Font, president of New York-based GMD would too, after noting that Televisa/GMD experienced a 27 percent increase in new business at this year’s ATF over the previous year. “This is a notable improvement,” he said attributing it to the fact that “many territories in Asia continue to be large importers of Televisa’s high-quality content. We would like to congratulate [ATF’s] Ed Ng on an excellent market. We look forward to returning in 2007.”

Dori Media Group is too. “Dori Media is completely devoted to bringing top-rated telenovelas to every corner of the world,” said Silvana D’Angelo, head of International Sales and Marketing at the Argentina office of Israel-based Dori Media Distribution. “One of our major goals is the expansion of the renowned genre of the telenovela to all continents and cultures, including Asian territories.” In fact, the company so sincerely believes in this aim, that it recently opened a new operation base in Manila, in order to be closer to Dori’s Asian clients. “The ATF was an ideal market to officially present our new Manila arm to our customers in this region,” she said.

Yet, while some feel that the market is not really useful, coming on the heels of MIPCOM in Cannes, France, and just before NATPE in Las Vegas, Fremantle's Rajaram still sees a necessity for it. “The ATF still serves a purpose,” he said. It's a real opportunity to spend quality time with clients so we can really understand their needs and issues.”

And unlike some, he feels the market is also actually aided by the fact that it happens so soon after MIPCOM. “Our goals here were to continue where we left off at MIPCOM with our clients and close off any outstanding business before year-end, as well as to meet new clients who may not have traveled to MIPCOM. We were successful on both counts.”

Dori Media Group, which attended the market for the first time, concurred that its time spent in Singapore was well worth it. “There are new growing markets in Asia, such as Korea, the Philippines and India, which are demanding top-quality telenovelas,” said D’Angelo. “Dori Media aims to provide the best content for all Asian broadcasters but, especially, to guide them as to how to program these titles so that they can repeat the same success achieved in other countries worldwide, while also encouraging them to produce their own local versions.”

A full report on the Asia TV Forum will be published in VideoAge’s January 2007 issue.

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