Videoage International October 2017

42 October 2017 V I D E O A G E L ast year, the three-to - 13-year-old children’s market in Italy generated revenues of 3 billion euro (U.S.$3.6 billion), a seven percent growth compared to 2015. However, television’s share was only six percent, with the bulk of the pie going to toys (52 percent). Movies also fared well, with a nine percent share for 270 million euro (U.S.$325 million) in box office revenue, as did amusement parks with a 13 percent cut generating 390 million euro (US$469 million). Other entries included books and periodicals with eight percent each, and stationery (four percent). Recently, Pop, Sony’s FTA TV channel for kids, joined 22 existing Italian children’s TV channels and one new one for toddlers, Baby-TV (zero to three-year-olds joined the mix). The preschool age group now has seven channels and school children have 16 channels. In terms of programming, only five percent of content is locally made, with the rest comprised of dubbed imports. According to a study by the Milan-based research company Doxa Kids, advertising for the children’s TV market generates 180 million euro per year (US$216 million), of which 22 million euro (US$26.5 million) went to RAI’s channels. Since last May, RAI YoYo, one of RAI’s two children’s TV channels, is broadcast without advertising, thus reducing RAI ad revenues by 17 million euro (US$20.5 million) per year, which are now redistributed among the other channels. However, this shortcoming should not represent a problem for RAI, which, thanks to an effective licensee fee collection program, in 2016 increased its compulsory TV license fee to 22.2 million TVHH from 16.6 million TVHH in 2015, bringing in an unprecedented 2.2 billion euro (US$2.64 billion) a year, in addition to its ad revenues, international program sales and DTT frequency leases. VideoAge traveled to Rome for a question- and-answer session with Luca Milano to get an industry perspective from the channel side of the sector. Milano is a veteran RAI executive who up until recently had been deputy director of RAI’s production division, RAI Fiction, and recently became responsible for RAI’s children TV channels (Rai Ragazzi). Milano candidly answered the 11 questions listed below, except the one for program acquisitions, since it is a function operated centrally by RAI Cinema. VideoAge : Fromyour point of view, is theremore supply of good content than demand, or vice versa? Luca Milano : In the field of kids’ media, at first sight the supply of good content is wider than demand. The production is massive and there are many properties that never become old: year after year the quantity of good available stock increases. However, competition is becoming tighter too, and especially for specific genres (i.e., strong properties for kids eight to 12 years old containing some narrative and cultural values), the offers may be limited. VA: Is there a way for animated TV channels to attract adults (in addition to children)? Perhaps with language lessons? LM: Our animation TV channels attract adults too: parents, grandparents, babysitters, and nostalgia-minded young adults, especially girls. In most cases it is co-viewing with children, but the average age of the public is higher than commonly expected. And the advertising media centers know that. I do not think however, that animation TV channels can attract adults more than that. Animationworks, of course, can attract adults, but as part of the schedule of generalist or young adults channels. And animated language lessons may be more easily viewed on a tablet, rather than on a TV channel. VA: What are some of the trends you’re seeing in children’s programming? LM: We are continuing our commitment in co-production of animated series, but we are opening our channels to other genres (e.g., kids’ drama, live shows, constructed reality series) more than in the past. VA: From the trend you predict to actual airtime, how many months/years pass? LM: The development, production and launch of an animated series takes two to three years. A drama series a little bit less. But if you want to adjust an editorial line of a channel you have to act rapidly on acquisitions and live shows too, which can bring results in 10 to 12 months.  VA: Which do you take into more consideration, ratings or viewers’ appreciation? LM: We are public service television, but we are the leading Italian broadcaster for kids, too. Of course we are mainly interested in the quality of our content and in the positive comments of parents and media. But we don’t want to lose our relationship with the public and our good ratings. VA: If after scheduling or committing to a series, it then fails, how long does it take to replace it? LM: All our successful series have a huge number of repeats: children like them. Therefore, if a series is unsuccessful, we can easily replace it with a repeat. However sometimes success depends on a combination of elements, and we try to give to any product at least another opportunity in a different timeslot. VA: How many hours of programming do you commission? LM: Yearly, we commission approximately 100 to 110 hours of animation, 25 to 30 hours of kids’ drama and more than 150 hours of live shows in our studios. VA: Howmany channels are you responsible for? LM: Two TV channels: RAI YoYo, the leading Italian children channel, mainly for preschool children, and RAI Gulp, for eight-to-12-year old kids. VA: Do any of those channels run commercial spots or billboards? LM: RAI Gulp runs commercial spots, within the limits of RAI’s public service charter, while RAI YoYo abandoned any kind of commercials in 2016 . VA: Do you allow product placement? LM: No, we don’t allow product placement in our production for children and kids. VA: Are there parts of the world that are creating certain genres of animation that are particularly impressive? LM: There are many talents all around the world that are creating impressive and innovative products. We co-operate especially with European partners: France in first place, and with Canada sometimes. But I have to say that in the last five years the Italian animation world has made a great step in terms of technical excellence and in storytelling creativity. I feel that in a couple of years Italian animation will be in a much higher place in the market than it is now. Chi ldren’s TV In I taly RAI Kids TV Channels’ Luca Milano Opens Up To VideoAge Luca Milano is the director of Italy’s RAI Kids TV channels.