Water Cooler

By Leah Hochbaum Rosner

With the new year comes the promise of new programming budgets, and of course, the first market of 2009, NATPE, which will be held January 26-29 in Las Vegas, Nevada. As usual, many of the event’s attendees will be focused on Latin America and all that that region has to offer. Guadalupe D’Agostino, vice president and general manager of Venezuela’s RCTV International, will indeed be paying attention to Latin America while in Sin City, but said she’s also looking at opportunities in both Asia and Eastern Europe. VideoAge spoke with the Miami, Florida-based D’Agostino, about her plans for the market, why RCTV has chosen to move into a suite rather than take a space on the convention floor, and why she thinks that despite the “volatile times” in which we are living, that things will soon start looking better.

VideoAge International: What product will you be bringing to NATPE?

Guadalupe D’Agostino: We will be bringing our brand new sensational telenovela Nadie Me Dira Como Quererte (The Way About Her) for Latin America and the world. We’ll also be bringing a new entertainment formats catalogue featuring reality, cooking and variety shows, in addition to our renowned fiction format catalogue.

VAI: Will you be in a suite or will you take a booth on the exhibition floor?

GD: We have shifted from our former stand on the floor to the hotel suite because, given the fast paced rhythm of the festival, it’s the most comfortable atmosphere to conduct business in at NATPE.

VAI: What are the main differences between this year’s NATPE and last year’s?

GD: At the present moment, we are living in volatile times. Last year, we experienced the writers’ strike. And this year, it’s all about a soft economy and a new administration in Washington. However, no matter how close (or far away) we are to an economic resurgence, there is always an eager audience waiting for content delivery via conventional or innovative technology. We are optimistic that the market will be great this year. With the worldwide transition to a digital signal around the corner, and the need for more content and a healthy and productive industry, NATPE ’09 looks very bright.

VAI: What territories will you be focusing on at NATPE? Why?

GD: We will be focusing on Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia. Latin America is a solid market with an established infrastructure and we are a key player in the region. Eastern Europe continues with its healthy appetite for telenovela content, and Asia keeps growing and developing foreign content of all genres. Our sensibilities are pretty similar and our track record proves that our finished or formatted content has great possibilities throughout the Asian region.

VAI: Is NATPE still relevant?

GD: NATPE is extremely relevant and very important to us. It is the only market where we get the opportunity to meet with all of our North and South American clients. America as a whole is a lucrative and reliable territory due to its geographical proximity and our ready-to-air Spanish content. We have established long-term business relationships in the region, and attending NATPE has been instrumental in positioning the RCTV International brand in its expansion to other territories such as Europe and Asia.

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By Leah Hochbaum Rosner

If Christmas is in the air, NATPE is not far behind. This means that international distributors have presents on their minds, as well as how to best present their wares at the very first television market of 2009. Just about now, television executives — especially from Latin American companies — are finalizing their travel plans and gearing up for three days of business-related wheeling and dealing in Las Vegas in late January. Claudia Silva of Mexican multimedia company Televisa Internacional’s Miami, Florida office is one such executive. She’ll be in Vegas to market Televisa’s world-famous Spanish soap operas, as well as its new programming slate. Silva spoke with VideoAge about her plans for Latin America’s premier television market, what territories she plans to focus on while in Sin City, and a general outlook for NATPE 2009.

VideoAge International: What product will Televisa be bringing to NATPE?

Claudia Silva: In addition to our world-renowned Televisa productions, which include telenovelas, series and entertainment formats, we now offer a very interesting catalogue of licensed products that perfectly complement our offerings. Among the licensed products we’ll be presenting at NATPE are: the third season of animated series El Chavo, available now in HD; the Mexican adaptation of Mujeres Asesinas; and Atraccion x4, a telenovela for kids and teens that is causing a frenzy in Argentina. Also, in the sports category, we are now distributing Lucha Libra AAA, the most viewed wrestling league in Mexico and the Hispanic U.S. At their live events, Lucha Libra AAA draws crowds in Latin America, the U.S., Spain and even Japan.

VAI: Will you be in a suite or on the floor at this year’s NATPE?

CS: We’ll be taking a suite at [Mandalay Bay’s] THEhotel yet again.

VAI: What territories will Televisa be focusing on while in Las Vegas?

CS: For many years, NATPE has been (and will continue to be) a very important market for Latin America. But in recent years, clients from Asia and Europe have started attending, which is very good for our business.

VAI: What are the main differences between this year’s NATPE and last year’s event, which was held in the middle of the WGA work stoppage in the U.S.?

CS: NATPE 2008 was a good event for Televisa, regardless of the strike. And the outlook for 2009 is great because both demand and client attendance continues to grow. We are very excited and looking forward to meeting with our clients at NATPE.

VAI: How do you foresee NATPE 2009?

CS: More than ever NATPE is related to content. This is a great opportunity for us because we have the most extensive library of Spanish-language content in the world, allowing us to become a one-stop-shop for clients around the world.

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By Leah Hochbaum Rosner

As the annual NATPE market — which will take place January 26-29 at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada — swiftly approaches, TV executives around the globe are getting ready to present their programming to a slew of interested buyers. Argentinean-born Patricio Teubal of Italy’s Mediaset is one such TV exec. Following a few years’ absence from NATPE, Mediaset will be back at the conference exhibiting under its own brand. He spoke with VideoAge about why his company opted for a suite instead of a space on the convention floor, why this year’s NATPE will be better than last year’s and how the recent launch of Mediaset’s scripted formats distribution unit will bring new business to the Rome-based distribution company.

VAI: What product will Mediaset be bringing to NATPE?

PT: Mediaset only recently launched its scripted formats distribution unit. At NATPE, together with its distributor for scripted formats, Resonant TV, Mediaset will present stories with universal flavor, such as science investigation series RIS: Crime Evidence, comedy Family Storm and sitcom Young Enough. In a period of recession, TV channels have lower advertising budgets and therefore less money for production. For this reason, we’re focusing on formats that request lower budgets — although we have alternatives for all budgets. In addition to scripted formats, Mediaset, through its distributor for Latin America, Comarex, will be showcasing new ready-made content like drama series High School Days and theatrical movie Carnera: The Walking Mountain.

VAI: Will you be exhibiting on the convention floor or will you have a suite? Why?

PT: This year, we’ve chosen to exhibit in a suite rather than on the floor given that most telenovela distributors are traditionally located at THEhotel and, since most of our potential clients are the same, it’ll be easier for them to reach us.

VAI: How will NATPE ’09 be different from last year’s market?

PT: NATPE ’09 will probably be richer in terms of new products for two reasons: the end of the U.S. strike and the proliferation of digital, mobile and pay-TV channels, which have created more demand. However, this doesn’t mean that the amount of deals promoted by this market will increase.

VAI: How are your appointments coming around thus far?

PT: We have already scheduled more appointments this year than we did last year. We attribute this to the fact that we have added the distribution of scripted format programs and our clients will not only be channels, but also production companies.

VAI: What territories will you be focusing on? Why?

PT: In years past, we’ve had a positive response from most of the Latin American territories regarding our ready-made content. This year we intend to follow the same path with our scripted format sales. Italy, being a Latin country, has a lot in common with Latin America. Don’t forget that there are 50 million people of Italian origin across Brazil, Argentina, the U.S., Canada, Uruguay, Venezuela, Peru and Chile.

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By Leah Hochbaum Rosner

With the NATPE market — which will be held at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Resort in late January 2009 — less than two months away, international TV companies are readying their slates for three days of meeting, greeting, and doing business. Being the first market of the year, NATPE carries with it the hopefulness that only new budgets can bring — budgets that program buyers the world over saw drying up around MIPCOM.

Ron Alexander, director of International Sales at the Chantilly, Virginia-based Teleproductions International, Ltd. (TPI) spoke with VideoAge about his company’s plans for the Latin-infused event, why floor space will always be more valuable to him than a suite, and why he believes that NATPE is as relevant as ever.

VideoAge International: What product will TPI be bringing to NATPE?

Ron Alexander: We are coming to NATPE with a new special titled Run or Die: The Fernando Araujo Story. Available in both English and Spanish, this new docu-drama is an account of the drama, action and emotion surrounding the courageous escape of a prized hostage of the FARC guerillas in Colombia. The people of Colombia were electrified by Araujo’s daring escape as he was the first high-profile hostage to ever escape from the guerillas. The film was shot entirely on location in the cities and jungles of Colombia.

VAI: Will you have a suite or a space on the floor? Why?

RA: We will exhibit on the floor, as always, at booth 1109. The mix of hotel exhibitors and convention floor exhibitors is a bit odd and not convenient for buyers in general. We’ve always been advocates of a presence on the floor. In addition to our regular buyers, we like the opportunity to meet drop-bys.

VAI: Do you have any concerns about the upcoming market?

RA: There will certainly be economic concerns at NATPE ’09 on the domestic side of the business. However, TPI focuses on the international market and we believe the international business — especially for acquisitions — will stay strong.

VAI: What territories will TPI be focusing on while at NATPE?

RA: As TPI focuses on the international market, we expect many Latin, Asian and some European customers to be in attendance.

VAI: Is NATPE still relevant?

RA: Yes, it is. With MIP-TV just a couple of months after NATPE, we find that NATPE is a good place to start discussions on new releases and projects that we plan to launch at MIP-TV. In the meantime, as long as NATPE organizers continue to attract an adequate number of international buyers, we will continue to make it a regular part of our annual exhibition schedule.

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