Guadalupe D’Agostino, Vice President & General Manager, RCTV International RCTV International has been expanding its distribution in Asia as its markets have proven to be lucrative. Telenovelas are in demand and we have continued to break new ground across various Asian territories. We believe Asia and Latin America are alike in many ways with similar cultures and parallel sensibilities. Also, our products have universal appeal which attracts worldwide audiences. RCTV International is currently dealing with companies in Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, with the final three markets offering the greatest potential for more business. Hot RCTV properties to be available this year include The Lady, Chameleon, Passionate Revenge, Don Amor and last year’s hit My Cousin Ciela. 2007 saw My Cousin Ciela, Chameleon, Betrayed, My Three Sisters, and Tukiti sell well. In 2008, My Cousin Ciela should continue to do well along with new shows The Lady and Passionate Revenge. ————————————————————————————————- J. J. Wang, Senior Manager, International Sales, Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd Tsuburaya Productions is an independent television and film production company founded in 1963 by special effects artist Eiji Tsuburaya. The company also handles live stage events which feature characters and properties owned by the company and its clients. Tsuburaya Productions’ main TV and film properties include Ultraman, Booska, Mirror Man and Mighty Jack. Currently, Tsuburaya Productions is offering live action TV series including 2005-released Ultraman Max (40 x 30’), 1996-released Heisei-trilogy: Ultraman Tiga series (52 x 30’), 1997-released Ultraman Dyna series (51 x 30’), 1998-released Ultraman Gaia series (51 x 30’), 2006-released Ultraman Mebius (50 x 30’), as well as 2007-released mini-series Ultra Seven X (12 x 30’) which celebrates the 40th anniversary of the classic Ultra Seven series (48 x 30’) from 1967. The company is looking for global opportunities offered by content markets MIPTV and MIPCOM, along with VoD and IPTV services that are emerging worldwide. ————————————————————————————————- Lanny Huang, General Manager, Playboy TV Asia & Japan, Playboy TV International Playboy SD feature films, Playboy HD feature films and Playboy HD Playmate profile specials sold well in 2007. Playboy HD is now requested by many HD operators in the region, and I believe that in the next 1 to 2 years, Playboy HD will be available in at least 4 Asian countries. Playboy HD is currently in South Korea, and is undergoing tests in a few other Asian countries. Our HD programming includes feature films, specials, series, magazine shows and reality based series. HD will be the hot topic for Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, Japan and Taiwan. In Asia, IPTV is emerging as a successful platform. A prime example of that will be now TV in Hong Kong which is probably the top IPTV operator in the region with the greatest subscriber reach. IPTV markets in Shanghai, Taiwan, Singapore, Korea and Japan should offer opportunities. Also HD platforms will be an attraction for HD programming of good quality. ————————————————————————————————- Ling Sze Gan, Content Sales Executive, Asia, AETN International Generally, time sensitive topics tied to current affairs, and movie releases have traditionally done well. Factual content is a big draw regionally, and topics including people, civilizations, military history, science and mystery always strike a chord. 2007 saw AETN International enjoy success with programs across various genres. Documentary series, Biography, was a strong performer, especially episodes that focus on inspirational or successful personalities in the fields of business, politics and entertainment. Returning entertainment series including Criss Angel Mindfreak and Gene Simmons Family Jewels have continued to generate strong sales. Criss Angel Mindfreak should continue to do well into 2008 and beyond. There is also strong interest in high profile factual content that features great storytelling and CGI including Ice Road Truckers, The Universe, Life After People and UFO Hunters, which are expected to be hits with Asian buyers. Also available is AETN’s catalogue of high definition series and specials. In Asia, China, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Thailand have robust or growing linear TV markets. These are also markets that offer new possibilities via digital media platforms, including mobile, broadband and VOD. ————————————————————————————————- Grace Chan, Director, Discovery Enterprises International Discovery Channel programmes that sold well in 2007 include Lost Tomb of Jesus, Deadliest Catch (Season 1), the Discovery Atlas HD series, Sci-Fi Saved My Life, and Space Station & Beyond. We have secured the first format rights deal in the region, for Dirty Jobs in Australia with Nine Network. In 2008, Deadliest Catch continues to be a winner with the second season, along with new episodes of Discovery Atlas. We expect that compelling series like Everest: Beyond the Limit, Man vs Wild, FutureWeapons, How Do They Do It?, and Decoding Disasters will be among the most popular titles, along with programmes such as World’s Heaviest Man, Ocean of Fear and Predator vs Prey. This year, for the first time, we have combined our program sales and consumer products/licensing businesses into one unified group called Discovery Enterprises International. It will offer co-financed projects and format rights, and will expand Discovery content and franchises to new platforms and partners worldwide. ————————————————————————————————- Leena Lele Dutta, Director, Licensing, India, Sony Pictures Television International SPTI’s series Damages was a big seller in 2007. It is a well-written and performed thriller featuring Glenn Close that appeals to an upscale demo, especially PMEBs. We have sold Damages across Asia, and premiered it in India on AXN in January. Other big sellers include Cashmere Mafia, new Spider-Man animated series The Spectacular Spider-Man and anime series Kabutoborg and Gallery Fake. SPTI’s series Breaking Bad, created by the producer of The X Files has generated much buzz in the US. We also have a new multiplatform show involving a popular Hollywood star, called Gemini Division. The company will continue to distribute TV, digital and mobile rights to movies such as Stephen Chow’s CJ7 and upcoming Will Smith movie, Hancock. India’s new channels are generating demand for quality content that can cut through clutter. In Asia, opportunities are arising from new media platforms. It will be an exciting year for SPTI as it also distributes digital, mobile and multi-platform content. ————————————————————————————————- Kwon Oh-suk, Head, Global Strategy Team, KBS KBS HD documentary Asian Corridor in Heaven, a show within the ‘Insight Asia’ series produced by KBS to provide a better understanding of Asia, did very well. The show was sold to 13 countries worldwide including Spain, Greece, China, and Japan. For 2008, KBS will offer HD documentaries from the ‘Insight Asia’ series titled Noodle Road and A Human Land. The documentaries will illuminate Asian cultures and lifestyles through the subjects of noodles and land. For dramas, KBS will be presenting blockbuster epic series The Great King, Sejong at MIPTV2008, a show which dramatizes one of Korea’s greatest kings who championed reforms and inventions. KBS World, KBS’ international TV channel, will be available in India starting from 2008. The channel’s carriage in India brings KBS World’s distribution up to 35 million households across 53 countries worldwide including the US, Japan, China, and various European territories. ————————————————————————————————- Pedro Dávila, Director, International Projects, Caracol TV 2007 saw our latest productions being sold as finished products across Latin America and reaching various other territories as formats. Newly Rich Newly Poor (150 x 45’), airs in Latin America and as a format was sold to 30 territories including India and Middle East. Without Beast There Is No Paradise (23 x 45’) was sold as a format to European territories and the US. The Ex was adapted in Ukraine, with adaptations also being produced in Spain and Greece. As the top show in Argentina, The Ex will also air across Latin America. Subsidiary from Heaven (26 x 45’) and Love Overdraft (76 x 45’), were launched during NATPE. Both are adaptable for Asia as sex, politics, and crime are not highlighted in the series. The TV industry is rapidly changing and opportunities are available to profit from new business models. Direct sales to consumers via DVD, VOD or mobile TV was our focus on 2007 and we will continue in that direction in 2008. For Asia, we are working on marketing strategies and stories which can co-exist with censorship policies. ————————————————————————————————- Raphael Corrêa Netto, Sales Director, Globo TV We’ve made important regional deals that reopened the markets of China, Macau and India to TV Globo. Telenovela Shades of Sin was negotiated with Tianjin TV Station in China. In India, we inked an agreement with Sahara One to exhibit more than 1000 hours of TV Globo dramas. Also, a volume deal with Macau’s TDM group was closed to air Globo TV dramas for the next five years. For documentaries, Globo TV is offering Globo DOC, a 13-episode series on Brazil’s natural resources. Also available is arts, music and culture documentary Elis Regina, All My Life, and docudrama Hotline which centers on the Candelaria Cathedral massacre in which eight street children were killed. Another highlight is a three-episode edit of the 10-episode drama Amazonia. Asia is a strategic market for Globo TV. China, Japan and India are our focus countries in the Asian market given their accelerated economic growth in recent years and the opening up of these markets. We are also working with several other clients in the region on new deals in a market that the company is very interested in. ————————————————————————————————- Anita Barnard, Sales Manager, 3DD Entertainment 3DD Entertainment enjoyed success with concerts and documentaries featuring artistes Andrea Bocelli and Mariah Carey, and HD music show London Live, of which the fourth season was just completed. We expect music documentary 1 Giant Leap: What About Me? to do well, as it works for TV, DVD and new digital platforms. The second season of Superstars (26 x 30’) will work for broadcasters offering multi-platform entertainment, as it provides celebrity profiles with red carpet interviews, movie reviews, awards, and events. New music series Live From… including one-hour concerts by artistes such as Stereophonics and Razorlight should do well in youth oriented music slots. Countries including Korea, Singapore and Thailand are embracing new media developments with telcos offering great opportunities for placement of on-demand music concerts. However, traditional broadcasters in China, Korea, Malaysia and Philippines remain important for distribution of concerts. ————————————————————————————————- Ganesh Rajaram, Vice President, Sales (Asia), Fremantle International Distribution, FremantleMedia Enterprises FremantleMedia Enterprises’ big brands including American Idol, America’s Got Talent, Project Runway, Martha Stewart and Jamie Oliver have continued to sell well in 2007. New hit shows such as Live from Abbey Road, Murder, Love You to Death and Emeril also emerged as among the best sellers of the year. For 2008, we are expecting reality hit Oprah’s The Big Give; racy drama series Satisfaction; reality model talent search series for women above the age of 35, She’s Got the Look; undercover series on the real life of cops, DEA; as well as reality show, Celebrity Apprentice to do well for the company. Further business can also be expected from the series of established brands that sold well in 2007. In Asia, pan-regional networks, along with territories including Korea, India, Japan and Singapore are offering the most potential to the company, as these exciting markets offer opportunities across multiple platforms. ————————————————————————————————- Carlos Castro, General Director of Sales, Televisa Internacional The telenovela genre continues to be strong in Asia and clients are looking for high-quality productions with proven success stories in their markets of origin. Local productions are stimulating demand for formats, original scripts and co-productions which represents a unique growth opportunity for Televisa in key Asian markets including China, India, Korea, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Another important trend is the development of content with a 360-degree strategy. At Televisa we are developing new and original ideas that allow us to reach our viewers beyond TV, via online, mobile, music, consumer products, home entertainment, and live events. Available from Televisa Internacional are Dumb Girls Don’t go to Heaven (Las Tontas no van al Cielo) in HD (130 x 60’) which follows the ups and downs of a couple’s relationship; Soul of Steel (Alma de Hierro) (270 x 30’) which centers on two complicated but humorous love triangles; as well as Burning for Revenge (Fuego en la Sangre) in HD (130 x 60’) a tale of revenge and seduction between the brothers and sisters of two families. ————————————————————————————————- Patrick Elmendorff, General Manager, Studio100 Media There has been strong interest in Asia for our classic animation titles such as Anne of Green Gables (50 x 24’), Maya the Bee (104 x 24’) and Perrine (52 x 24’) as well as for our recent co-productions like Fairy Tale Police Department (26 x 24’) and Staines Down Drains (26 x 24’). Some of our hottest shows which have generated a great amount of interest from various Asian broadcasters for both Studio100 Media and EM.Entertaiment are animation series Balloontoons, Butterfly & Beautyfly, Master Raindrop and Zigby. Overall, Asia has always been a very important market for us and we have strong relationships there, especially in territorites such as Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Malaysia. Currently, the TV markets of South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines and India are offering great opportunities for the company. With the substantial catalogue of new and classical productions we are able to offer, we can provide content for digital children’s channels, IPTV channels, VOD platforms, complete channels and branded blocks to meet the demands of the markets which see technology advancing rapidly. ————————————————————————————————- James Ross, Regional Director, Granada International Granada International’s top sellers in Asia for 2007 include Hell’s Kitchen USA, I Shouldn’t be Alive, Planet Science, Brainiac, the Jane Austen Collection, and Pocoyo. Shows for MIPTV 2008 include Bonekickers, a new HD drama series centering on archaeologists; Lost In Austen, a dramatic reinvention of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice starring a Hollywood cast; and The Neanderthal Code, an evolutionary detective story in HD by UK producer Wall To Wall; The Secret Life of The Brain, a factual show on the happenings at brain injury clinics; as well as Street Monkeys which follows a monkey troop in the streets of South Africa. Children’s programming include The Pinky & Perky Show, a HD CG series for kids 6–11, and Captain Mack, which combines live action with animation. New formats are The Colour of Money, where contestants play cash machines to win money; and The Chopping Block which pits two restaurants against each other for a cash prize. We are very excited about the increasing opportunities for HD programming, VOD and IPTV platforms seeking content, and we are currently doing a lot of business with Korean companies. ————————————————————————————————- Shialey Tan, Senior Manager, International Business, Caldecott Productions International Documentaries including The Mud, Delhi Dump, and Fagin & Oliver – The Asian Twist have sold well in 2007. For 2008, Caldecott Productions International will offer three original documentaries which won The Asian Pitch 2007. These include Supermen of Malegaon, a story centering on Malegaons whose interest in filmmaking is labor of love and not an enterprise in commercial interests; Subak, a show on traditional farming and irrigation methods in Bali; as well as The Mummy Thief from Toraja which follows the encounters of a villager who becomes a mummy thief following debts incurred from a funeral for an ancestor. Overall, Caldecott Productions International’s content is geared towards Western markets. Besides traditional broadcasters, the content is available to new platforms including VOD, IPTV and HD services.