Videoage International - 2020: A Year in Review

20 January 2021 V I D E O A G E Winners of The New Windowing Game N ot long ago, programmers at TV networks owned by groups (be they basic cable, premium, or broadcast) decided what the best TV shows for their channels would be. The programs were subsequently sent to the TV groups’ worldwide licensing divisions in order to recoup any potential deficits with a cleverly devised windowing sequence that would maximize revenues. Then came SVoD, and all of the sector’s TV groups refocused their resources onto streaming services, abandoning the other channels to their various destinies, and shattering the cleverly created windowing sequence. Now, NBCUniversal, under the tutelage of new boss Jeff Shell, is adding a new element into the equation that will, once again, test the mettle of windowing. Programming for all of the group’s channels is under one roof. It’s a sort of a Soviet- era commune farming situation, in that decision- making as to which shows get made for which network is now centralized. This new strategy will bring immediate results as it’s cost-cutting (since it reduces the number of programming staff), and it will move the branding from the networks to the programming. Long-term results, however, will depend on what the winning form of the newly devised window sequence will be. These changes bring up a number of questions, most important of which is, is it better to give the best shows to the weaker channels or continue with streaming as a priority? Giving the least desirable shows to the weakest channels will inevitably lead to their demise. NBCUniversal isn’t new at centralizing pro- gramming decisions. It did it in 2013 in Europe by grouping its TV channels in Italy (Studio Universal and Diva Universal), in Spain (Calle 13 and Syfy), and in France (13éme Rue and Syfy) under one centralized office in Paris. The TV channels in Italy and Spain closed their doors soon thereafter. Primetime Emmys in Facts, Figures, $ and ¢ I t’s difficult to count the number of TV shows that aired in the U.S. this past year that were nominated for primetime Emmys because there were simply so many categories both “above and below the line” that the only oneswho seemed to be excluded were the productions’ gofers. Nonetheless, in an article for The Wall Street Journal , former Time magazine TV critic Richard Zoglin revealed that 216 shows received multiple nominations, and VideoAge calculated that there were some 600 overall nominees vying for 129 Emmys. The nominated shows came from a total of 39 TV outlets, of which 10 were streaming services. Netflix topped the list with 160 nominations, followed by HBO with 107 nominations. Amazon’s Prime Video was a distant third with 30 nominations. This year, at the 72nd annual Emmy Awards virtual presentation, which was broadcast on the ABC TV network on Sunday, September 20, the streamers won 41 Emmy statuettes, while HBO (which can be considered a linear-VoD hybrid) won 30. And it’s tough to figure out where to place the nine Emmys won by Canadian comedy series Schitt’s Creek since some reports list it under Netflix, and others under Pop TV, ViacomCBS’s pay-TV cable channel. The series was first broadcast on the CBC, Canada’s public TV network, in 2015. Later that year, it also began airing on Pop TV in the U.S. This year, it finally landed on Netflix. Virtual Rendez-Vous in Biarritz T his 26th Rendez-Vous, which has become the Rendez-Vous Bi@rritz, takes place September 7-9 and aims to highlight new French content available in the marketplace at the start of the new season through a Screening Room with more than 500 programs available on Screenopsis. Organizers will continue to offer participants new editorial content, presentations, and events illustrating the liveliness of French creation. More than 350 buyers from 64 countries, almost 1/3 more than in 2019, and more than 100 exporters have said they will be attending. Various speakers have taken advantage of the customized video formats to show their rich and varied offerings. Venice Film Fest Pulls Off Live Edition S even artistic directors of the principal European film festivals got together during the opening night of the 77th annual Venice International Film Festival on September 2 in the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido, in representation of the community of film festivals in Europe and around the world. It is believed that this is the first time in history that directors of the world’s most important film festivals met up. It is considered remarkable that such a meeting — held with all the precautions necessary — had happened during a pandemic, which showed great leadership and resolve. The seven directors were: Alberto Barbera (Venice International Film Festival), Carlo Chatrian (Berlin International Film Festival), Thierry Fremaux (Cannes Film Festival), Lili Hinstin (Locarno FilmFestival), Vanja Kaludjercic (International Film Festival Rotterdam), Karel Och (International Film Festival Karlovy Vary), and José Luis Rebordinos (San Sebastian International Film Festival). Russia, China Want Their Own Internet R ussia announced plans to develop its own Internet in 2017, and in December, began testing what it calls Runet. It also began lobbying the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) to adopt it. China is developing its own version of the Internet, called “New IP.” The version has been developed jointly by Huawei, Futurewei, China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom, all telcos controlled by the Chinese government. New IP won’t be compatible with today’s world standards. Currently, Chinese Internet traffic is cen- tralized through the “three Cs” — China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom. China also uses its Great Firewall to block access to sites like Google, Facebook, and Twitter, and it requires companies to store data within the country. Pedro Simoncini: 1923-2020 P edro Simoncini’s story is rich in drama (military takeovers), financial intrigue (persuading 120 investors to agree on a single strategy), international diplomacy (se- curing the U.S.-based ABC-TV’s investment), religious harmony (a Jesuit-owned station vs. Jewish-owned stations), historical decisions (picking the color-TV standard), and politics (dealing with Evita Perón). When “Pietro” Simoncini left his native Naples, Italy for Argentina in 1924, he was just one year old. In 1943 we find Pietro, now known as Pedro, employed by Banco Italiano in Buenos Aires and tasked with paying a salary to actress and radio personality Eva Duarte (the future Evita Perón) on behalf of Bulgarian immigrant Jaime Yankelevich, owner of Radio Belgrano. In 1972, Simoncini became a Canal 11 shareholder, and in1975, themajority shareholder, as well as president of Rosario’s Canal 5 and a minority shareholder at other TV stations in Córdoba, Resistencia, and Neuquén. In 1989, he grouped Canal 5 and others in which he had investments with Canal 11 in Buenos Aires to form Television Federal S.A., or Telefe. September 2020 Review