Video Age International January 2016

8 January 2016 V I D E O A G E Miami is now firmly established as one of the leading global markets, with participation from Turkey, India, Middle East and Asia as well. For LATAM buyers, NATPE Miami represents their most important market after the L.A. Screenings. Despite economic problems, especially in Brazil and Argentina, 250 Latin American buyers are expected this January 19- 21 in Miami Beach. But the sellers are just as important as buyers, who are represented by more than 30 exhibiting companies from six Latin American countries and from the Hispanic U.S. Henrik Pabst, managing director of Germany’s Red Arrow, taps several key issues facing the industry, but top of his list is talent. “The big issue in our industry,” explained Pabst, “is striving to attract and work with the best people — whether they be writers, producers, directors of performers — that is fundamental and will continue to dominate NATPE.” For Pabst, “broadcasters are acquiring a much broader range of scripted genres than they ever have before and are much more open to niche drama.” And, he insisted, “there has never been a more interesting time to be working in television as we see a globalization of the TV and entertainment industry, the likes of which we have never seen before.” How the Internet plays into the globalization of content is the key issue at NATPE for Sunita Uchil, head of Syndication and International Advertising Sales at India’s Zee Networks — and this is something she sees as driving changes in the market itself. NATPE, she pointed out, “has traditionally been a market for Western content producers and aggregators.” However, she continued, “over the last few years we have seen a more global approach.” This approach, Uchil believes, is driven by the Internet’s ability to create an environment in which “consumers around the globe are accessing and enjoying content from all corners Barcelona pointed out, the company has linear channels that are widely distributed in North America, which are targeted at the Filipino expat community in the States. “So, our role is to sell our canned series and/or drama formats to interested parties in these territories,” she said. Arabelle Pouliot-Di Crescenzo, managing director of French producer/distributor Kabo International detected “a resurgence of variety and entertainment formats across both Europe and the U.S.,” which, she said is driving “a strong demand for primetime entertainment formats with a game and performance element, with a proven track record, and suitable for family co- viewing.” Although Crescenzo acknowledged the lasting success of scripted drama, she also insisted “comedy is still enjoying strong demand as well.” As the world media landscape has grown and diversified, so has the Canadian presence at NATPE. The huge growth in Canadian production has led to an increase in the number of companies represented at the market. They come to NATPE to take advantage of opportunities, particularly in Latin America; looking for material to represent back into the Canadian market, for international homes for their programs, and for coproduction opportunities. This NATPE Miami will see the newly- established distribution arm of Canada’s Corus: Corus Entertainment Inc. is a media and content company that creates, broadcasts, licenses and delivers content across a variety of platforms for audiences around the world. It won’t have a stand this time around, having just begun distributing its own content. Rita Carbone-Fleury, a 25-year veteran of the Canadian distribution and sales business, handles worldwide sales for Corus’ slate of reality programming. Toronto-based 9 Story Media Group, a large producer and distributor of family programming, has previously earmarked genre-specific trade events. But it has been attending NATPE Miami for the last couple of years and it will have a stand on the floor. Federico Vargas, director of of the world. The variety and depth of content is dynamic in its demand and supply ratio, and this, in turn, is driving a need for ever more channels to showcase an increasing diversity of content.” Jonathan Ford, executive vice president, Sales and Distribution at Content Television and Digital, echoed Uchil’s view that NATPE is becoming a truly global content market, commenting, “NATPE is always a very busy market with diaries filling up quickly, and 2016 is showing all the signs of being a very strong event.” He continued, “It is a good opportunity to catch up face-to-face with our clients from Latin America sand North America and, increasingly, also our clients from Europe and Asia.” Roxanne Barcelona, vice president at Filipino distributor GMA Worldwide, added that “the key issue at NATPE will be a focus on how content is managed through the multiple platforms that continue to emerge on, seemingly, a daily basis.” This is especially true for GMA itself since, as (Continued on Page 10) NATPE Revamped (Continued from Cover) Content TV and Digital’s Jonathan Ford NATPE’s JP Bommel and Rod Perth Zee Networks’ Sunita Uchil