Water Cooler

By Leah Hochbaum Rosner

MIP-TV is upon us. Film and television executives the world over are checking their landing gear before descending into Cannes, France to buy, sell and make all manner of television-related deals. VideoAge recently spoke with Andrew Whitaker, U.K.-based president, Europe, Middle East and Africa for the Stamford, Connecticut-based World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), about his combative company’s plans for the Cannes market and why, in its 45th year, MIP-TV continues to be a force to be reckoned with.

VideoAge International: What product are you bringing to MIP-TV?

Andrew Whitaker: We have 468 first-run hours of new programming for 2008-2009, made up of our flagship shows such as Raw and Smackdown. Additionally, we’ll be delivering 15 pay-per-view specials. We also have our WWE library and we can deliver classic WWE programming on an on-demand basis in certain markets. In addition, we have a packaged version that’s also available online. In the last year or so, we developed a WWE mobile offering that we’re rolling out on a trans-regional basis. The mobile content includes highlight clips, ringtones, wallpaper and screensavers that can complement our TV offerings.

VAI: Why is MIP-TV an important market for WWE to attend each year?

AW: MIP-TV is one of the standard-bearers of the yearly calendar as far as the WWE’s concerned. We look forward to catching up with partners to build on our success, as well as building success with new partners. We hope to break sales records this year.

VAI: Did the Writers Guild of America strike affect you in any way?

AW: It didn’t really. We produce 52 weeks of new programming every year. It’s like we’re writing our own action telenovela, so the strike wasn’t a problem for us at all. Plus, as far as we’re concerned, last year was the best year ever for us. We reported our largest gross revenue ever. It’s been a great year.

VAI: Are you on the floor of the Palais?

AW: No. Actually, we had been on the floor for 10 years. Last year, we moved up to the Riviera, where we have a terrace. It was a nice change, so we’re doing that again this year.

VAI: Do you ever get a chance to attend any of the many sessions offered by Reed Midem at MIP?

AW: Unfortunately, no. We’re really too busy learning about the marketplace through meetings with people in the marketplace. It’d be great to be able to attend some sessions. But waste not, want not. We filled up our meetings schedule really quickly this year. MIP is one of the few times during the year when we can essentially round up all of our sales partners in a single week. It’s really too important to miss any half-hour.

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By Leah Hochbaum Rosner

In just a few short weeks, buyers and sellers of TV content will invade the seaside city of Cannes, France for the 45th annual MIP-TV, which is taking place April 7-11. As part of VideoAge International’s continuing series of pre-MIP-TV Q&As, we spoke with Mathieu Bejot of Paris-based TV France International, the association of French TV program exporters, about his plans for the market, why it’s better for smaller French companies to conduct business from underneath the TVFI umbrella and how new laws in France may be changing the face of French television.

VideoAge International: How important is MIP-TV to TV France International?

Mathieu Bejot: It remains one of our key markets. We don’t go to NATPE anymore because fewer French companies have been attending. We also had a hard time trying to meet with Latin Americans at NATPE. People just didn’t show up. But going to MIP-TV continues to be one of our priorities.

VAI: Tell me what TV France has planned for MIP-TV.

MB: We’ll have a fairly large booth. As of now we have about 40 companies signed up to exhibit under the TV France International umbrella at the stand, but we’re expecting our usual 50. Every year, there are a few companies that register later than others.

VAI: Why do so many firms choose to exhibit under your umbrella rather than get their own booths?

MB: Mostly because of costs, obviously. Plus, coming with us gives their companies more visibility. There’s always traffic at our booth, so it’s much easier to meet people. So, in terms of foot traffic and lowering costs, it just makes sense to come with us.

VAI: How’s the broadcasting industry faring in France these days?

MB: Not too badly. There have been some interesting developments, such as the new French government law that prohibits advertising on television in the public sector. Right now, we’re trying to define what the public sector will be and what programs will be aired. The government’s also curbing food ads in children’s TV programming. Everybody’s scrambling to figure out the impact of the measure, but it’s still too early to tell. There’s much uncertainty here in France.

VAI: Do you ever get to attend any of the sessions offered by Reed Midem at MIP-TV? Or are you pretty much chained to your booth?

MB: I’m pretty much stuck in the booth, I’m afraid. I sometimes send someone for me. But honestly, the bulk of the money we make is still in traditional TV — not mobile or IPTV — which many of the sessions are about, and which I think are overrepresented at markets like MIP-TV. I like to keep abreast of what’s going on, but most of our business is still done in traditional TV.

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By Leah Hochbaum Rosner

Late last year, Venezuela’s RCTV Internacional, a cable TV network headquartered in Caracas, made headlines when the Venezuelan government refused to renew RCTV’s broadcast license claiming that the station played a role in a coup that briefly overthrew the country’s government. The company may have lost its free over-the-air signal, but that didn’t put it out of business. In summer 2007, RCTV took the network’s programming to cable and satellite. DirecTV Latin American and RCTV inked a deal for the satellite service to transmit RCTV’s shows to subscribers in Venezuela and across the globe. Following the DirecTV agreement came deals with a series of national cable operators, including Venezuela’s Inter (formerly known as InterCable or Net Uno). Since its successful rise from the almost-dead, RCTV has reportedly become the most watched channel on cable — despite being on cable. Guadalupe D’Agostino, vice president and general manager of RCTV Internacional’s distribution unit, which is based near Miami, Florida, spoke to VideoAge about the firm’s plans for MIP-TV and why RCTV is “in it for the long haul.”

VideoAge International: What product will you be bringing to MIP-TV?

Guadalupe D’Agostino: This year, what we have to offer is very special [for us]. We are presenting our new successful titles The Lady and Passionate Revenge. The Lady comes from the pen of telenovela genius Jose Ignacio Cabrujas. And Passionate Revenge is based on the book “La Trepadora” by Romulo Gallegos. We’re also offering Don Amor from Canal 13 de Chile and our variety programs Sabrosa Pasion and Venakite.

VAI: Why do you feel that MIP-TV is an important market for RCTV to attend?

GD: We’ve been coming to MIP-TV since the very beginning of RCTV. We get to meet with our top clients and friends from around the world for some serious contract negotiations.

VAI: Of all the markets that RCTV attends, where does MIP-TV stand on the scale of importance? Why?

GD: MIP-TV is one of the most important markets for sales in territories like Eastern, Central and Western Europe, as well as Asia and Africa. The market is a unique platform to successfully meet with our clients and friends in those regions.

VAI: What are you most looking forward to at the market?

GD: Offering our clients the latest news, views and insight from our content distribution, as well as the commitment of our production company to further evolve and produce more telenovelas according to the needs of the international market. In addition to the telenovelas I already mentioned, we’ll be offering new formats, as well.

VAI: With all the changes at RCTV in the last year, what will your main focus be at MIP?

GD: I’m so glad you asked this question. There has been a misunderstanding among many people who think we no longer have a network. We are indeed operating as a production company and cable network. We never stopped the production of quality products — not even for a single day. The RCTV family continues united, strong and very optimistic as to the fruits and promises of our cable signal project. The recent development of the cable signal allows us to further evolve and produce more telenovelas in line with the needs of the international marketplace. RCTV is here with our audiences for the long haul!

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By Leah Hochbaum Rosner

As the 45th edition of MIP-TV approaches, TV executives the world over are gearing up for what many term one of the most important television events of the year. Even though MIP, which will be held April 7-11 in Cannes, France, coincides with the end of TV’s annual programming cycle, it nevertheless will be the first big TV occasion of the year, and is expected to draw upwards of 13,000 people.

In the weeks leading up to the market, many important agreements are often finalized. Last week, Munich-based Studio 100 Media announced that it had inked an extensive cooperation deal with EM.Entertainment to distribute EM’s library, which includes such classics as Maya the Bee and Vicky the Viking. VideoAge spoke with Studio 100 general manager Patrick Elmendorff to find out how the TV landscape is looking in Germany, what product his company is bringing to the Palais, and why MIP-TV continues to be a must-attend market.

VideoAge International: What product is Studio 100 Media bringing to MIP-TV?

Patrick Elmendorff: Our main titles are Big & Small [a puppetry show about two differently sized friends], which we’ll be able to deliver in fall 2008. Another property we’re pushing is Balloontoons, a show we picked up from Russia that has some really incredible animation. We also have Butterfly and Beautyfly, Bumba the Clown and more.

VAI: How important is MIP-TV to Studio 100?

PE: MIP-TV and MIPCOM are definitely the most important markets for us. There’s no other place where you can meet with that amount of international producers, co-producers and buyers in one spot. For us, it’s very important that we meet with representatives from Europe, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and the U.K. Eastern Europe and Asia have also become important. MIP and MIPCOM are the only places with a large amount of buyers on that sort of international scale.

VAI: How’s the domestic market in Germany doing?

PE: It’s doing fine. But it’s a very competitive market. There are two other big players in the region who are also buying kids programs, Nick Germany and Kinderkanal. But overall, the market’s doing well.

VAI: Will you be attending any of the sessions offered by Reed Midem at MIP-TV?

PE: No. It’s a shame, but we’re meeting with this huge amount of buyers, so it’s very difficult to make time for anything else. We already have problems finding slots to see everybody we’d like to meet with, so we simply cannot find the time for any of the panels. If I were to suddenly find myself with a free moment, though, I’d like to attend sessions about co-production and co-financing.

VAI: What are you most looking forward to at MIP-TV?

PE: We’re interested in meeting co-financing and co-producing partners for our projects, as well as introducing the market to our new animation projects. Our main focus is the distribution of our new properties and those in our library.

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