MIPTV: Noticeable decline of participants

The limited participation of executives and businessmen is evident in the Palais des Festivals in Cannes; it opened its doors on Monday to receive the television industry during its traditional annual market. The scarcity of creative deals leaves a feeling of a sluggish and uneventful affair.

After four days of the event in the Palais des Festival in Cannes, impact announcements have been few. Among them, the Press breakfast hosted by FremantleMedia in the Riviera Sea View, where Tony Cohen, CEO and David Ellender, CEO Global of FremantleMedia Entreprises announced the development of the new format Troubleshooter, the second format born of Creative Exchange Alliance, between Fuji Television Network and FremantleMedia. They announced their strategies for the rest of the year in terms of original production – several productions in different genres and formats – and in terms of distribution.
Another noteworthy announcement was made by the actor and former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger of the animated series The Governator.

Meanwhile, Rive Gauche Television finalized licensing for its programming catalog with various international broadcasters, among them channels from Norway, Sweden, France, Thailand, Japan and Canada. The main course: My Strange Addiction

Latin American attendance is low although for the telenovelas there is a greater reception. The Argentine Chamber of Audiovisual Exporters (CAEA) organized a welcome cocktail highlighting the presence of a significant number of producers and distributors in the region.

Maybe the Spanish umbrella is the most nourished in number of participating companies brought such innovations as the participation of Lady Burlesque part of Veralia or the announcement of Imira Entertainment on coproduction agreements with Italian Brave Film, highlighted by Lola & Virginia and eBand.

In terms of the formats, this business area did not remain immune to the technological evolution of the entertainment market the creativity and integration of platforms have become compulsory in a business that passes thru a dramatic moment and changes. Audiences adopt new forms to consume contents pressuring to adapt creative capacities and to incorporate new technologies to create the new contents generation, one that will make use of all new possibilities and platforms. We need to wait for the last day of the event, as we all know, what doesn’t happen in an event on the first two days, the rest are still weaker. That’s the way things are, all and the industry itself, face profound and significant challenges. Change is welcomed.

Spain: comercially powerful in MIPTV 2011

According to data from la Federación de Asociaciones de Productores Audiovisuales de España (FAPAE), in 2010, Spain, grew their exports of televised products by 6.8%, the European market remains the main destination.

Although the domestic market of the Spanish television do not believe in their own original formats, the export is very significant. The European market is the principal destination of audiovisual exports with more than 60% of total sales.

According to Ramón Ribao, Delegate Counselor of P52, producer both of produced programs as paper formats adjusted to the needs of each territory and each client, comments that "the actual objective is to enhance the presence of the business in the international market, from the great strength that we have together with applied creativity to original formats, created by the new projects department”. One of his paper formats, "Bus Stop" was chosen in MiP-Formats which predicts their international jump.

The pioneer producer of Chicho Ibañez Serrador, Prointel goes for the first time to MIPTV with the same intention of opening the international market to market formats, specially: Un, dos tres… Responda Otra vez.

Other formats which will be presented this week in MIPTV, are: Involution, de Flipy; Estás Invitado, de Boomerang Televisión y 21 días, de Veralia.

The canned and formats of Spanish series are in demand principally by countries of the European environment, albeit in a gradual form, countries like Rusia, Chile y México, have began to adapt Spanish fiction formats with good audience results.

Alberto Santini in exclusive for TVMAS

The general director of Azteca 13 and Azteca Novelas in Mexico responded to changes in programming, telenovelas, ratings, new alliances and the return of Elisa Salinas as head of Azteca Novelas.

"Television is about changes and today with the internet and multiple offers, we must compete with quality products to satisfy the needs of the audience", stressed the executive.

"This year in Azteca we will have an average of 7 productions on the air, always looking at quality for the audience. We are evaluating two co productions and we are preparing a new project with TV Globo. We seek to internationalize our stories, to reach more markets. Now we are recording in Colombia the serie A corazón abierto, and in a few weeks, the telenovela Emperatriz, to be presented this week at the Cannes festival. Azteca continues to grow, and that makes us in a search of interesting projects and proposals", added the also executive programming VP, production and marketing of Azteca America, in the United States.
　
He confirmed the return of Elisa Salinas to the production and executive area of telenovelas. It is known that her arrival is to restructure the contents and the quality of its telenovelas, which have failed to excel their levels with the audience. Notably the highest rating recorded registered by the star telenovela is an 11 point rating, unlike Televisa, which with its telenovela in the same time slot, registers more than 20 points, to which he responded:

"When we start a novela we do it with the confidence that it will be a success, but in the end, the public is who decides. It is all circumstantial. The competition and many other factors influence in this. In D.F and the metropolitan area, like in Guadalajara, we are very strong but we need to strengthen in all the interior of the Republic, which is where we are weak. There are other territories of the country where the ratings favor us, even above Televisa", finalized Santini.

TV Azteca changed its image and reduced its name to Azteca, with the purpose of beginning a new phase in which they are more than television, since they reach the public through different electronic media, Internet, print and the social networks.

Sony and Azteca providing content on the Internet

Sony of Mexico and Azteca agree to provide contents on the Internet, through which, the screens and Blu-ray equipment which have Sony’s Bravia Internet Video (BIV) function, provide access on demand with the best in programming from Azteca.

At Sony we are very pleased with this agreement with Azteca, a product of a fruitful relationship that we expect to continue to grow and build for the benefit of the public", affirmed Hiroshi Takahashi, President of Sony of Mexico.

"Azteca, always at the technological forefront, celebrates to be present in the new Sony equipments with the more important contents it produces, and thanks to this new agreement that will now allow, to provide more and better service to its viewers through the new Internet-enabled devices from Sony”, pointed out Mario San Roman, General Director of Azteca.

They will offer programming available on demand and free in the Sony equipment with BIV. Among the contents offered include telenovelas, unitaries, spectacles, news, sports among others.

Spain: Starmax HD, the pre-pay satellite TV

You only pay for what you see. Total absence of contracts, permanence and a family offer for the European market.

The launching in Spain of the brand Starmax HD is announced, they will beam their high definition signal using the encrypted Conax system, the recipients will not only have a satellite tuner, but will also have a TDT tuner. Their de-codifiers will have built-in (in addition to the USB and internet input) the PVR system to be able to record contents on a hard disk and be able to view it at any time.

The electronic firm Fergusson y the companies Globecast and Conax, are part of the project. They will use the Hispasat 1E satellite for the distribution of their channels, the fact of being able to broadcast by DTH through Hispasat will allow to reach all the Spanish territory.

The signal will be marketed by a pre-pay system similar to the one being used by pre-pay mobile telephone. Along the year it will incorporate new services, among them, on demand programming.

Starmax will be headed by Maciej Sojka, as general director, who has extensive experience in the for pay TV market; Alejandro Baquero, remains in office as financial director, who recently exerted the same position for NBC Universal Pictures. Finally, the last member of the team as Sales Manager; Alfonso Noaim, ex director of sales and marketing of Panasonic y Samsung.

Sun Models, to begin in Latin America

The reality looks to the next top models of the continent. Sun Channel Tourism Television, the for pay TV channel, dedicated to explore Latin America and demonstrate its natural beauty, opens today Sun Models, a reality to discover the next talent of Sun Channel.

The first season of six chapters will show a group of seven gorgeous models to be responsible to demonstrate what they hide behind their beauty, and what they are capable of doing to become true stars and future top models of the continent. Punta del Este, and a few Uruguayan beaches, will become the stage for the show’s development, led by the recognized model Flavia Pintos.

The coexistence of the participants will be full of drama, bringing out the best and worst of the models, they will not be saved from being evaluated by a qualified jury.

"This is a production initiative of local content for the Cono Sur market and we are sure that it will be very attractive for our public in general. Sun Models is an example of our interest to make the audience travel through the screen of Sun Channel, thanks to an entertaining content that also contributes with the development of tourism of the region” , announced Mónica Aveledo, General Director of the channel in Argentina.

MIPTV: Notoria merma de participantes

Es evidente la escasa participación de ejecutivos y empresarios en el Palais des Festivals de Cannes, que abrió sus puertas el lunes pasado para recibir a la industria de la televisión durante su tradicional mercado anual. La escases de ofertas creativas dejan sentir un evento poco movido y sin novedades.


A cuatro días del evento en el Palais des Festival en Cannes, los anuncios de impacto han sido pocos. Entre los destacados, el desayuno de prensa ofrecido por FremantleMedia en el Riviera Sea View, en el que Tony Cohen, CEO y David Ellender, CEO Global de FremantleMedia Entreprises anunciaron el desarrollo del nuevo formato Troubleshooter, el segundo formato nacido del Creative Exchange Alliance, entre Fuji Television Network y FremantleMedia. Anunciaron sus estrategias para el resto del año en materia de producción original -varias producciones en diferentes géneros y formatos- como a nivel de distribución.

Otro de los anuncios de rigor, es el que hizo el propio actor y ex gobernador de California, Arnold Schwarzenegger de la serie animada The Governator.

Por su parte, Rive Gauche Television finalizo acuerdos de licensing para su catálogo de programación con varios broadcasters internacionales, entre ellos canales de Noruega, Suecia, Francia, Tailandia, Japón y Canadá. El plato fuerte: My Strange Addiction.

La asistencia de latinoamericanos es poca si bien para las telenovelas hay una mayor acogida. La Cámara Argentina de Exportadores Audiovisuales (CAEA) organizo un coctel de bienvenida con la presencia de un número importante de productores y distribuidores de la región.

La sombrilla española quizás es la más nutrida en número de compañías participantes trajeron novedades como la presentación de Lady Burlesque por parte de Veralia o el anuncio de Imira Entertainment sobre acuerdos de coproducción con la italiana Brave Film, entre los que se destacan Lola & Virginia e eBand.

En cuanto a los formatos, esta área de negocio no permaneció inmune a la evolución tecnológica del mercado de entretenimiento.La creatividad e integración de plataformas se han vuelto obligatorias en un negocio que pasa por un momento dramático y de cambios. Y es que las audiencias adoptan nuevas formas de consumir contenidos presionando a adaptar capacidades creativas e incorporar nuevas tecnologías para crear la nueva generación de contenidos, una que haga uso de todas las nuevas posibilidades y plataformas. Falta esperar al último día del evento, que como todos sabemos, lo que en un evento no se hace los dos primeros días, los demás son más flojos todavía. Así las cosas, todos y la industria misma, estamos ante profundos y considerables retos .Bienvenidos los cambios./Amanda Ospina