Soap opera veteran Matthew Robinson – nicknamed the ‘Pope of Soap’ in the British press and best known for his role as lead director and executive producer on the BBC’s flagship drama TV series Eastenders – has joined forces with Cambodia’s new youth channel MYTV to bring reality TV to the people of Cambodia. Robinson, for 25 years a celebrated TV producer and director in the UK, is now the founder and owner of a Phnom Penh-based production company KMF (Khmer Mekong Films). KMF has been commissioned by MYTV to oversee the production of Cambodia’s first ever ‘real’, ‘live’ reality TV series – a version of TV Azteca’s La Academia. Robinson arrived in Cambodia in 2003 and directed the BBC’s 100-episode educational drama A Taste of Life. He says that bringing ‘real’ reality TV to Cambodia is just as challenging as producing the high quality BAFTA-winning dramas that he has made his trademark. “This really is a first for Cambodia,” says Robinson. “CTN (MYTV’s sister channel) has already broadcast a reality show which consisted of half-hour daily highlights – but this is the first to show everything as it happens live at certain times of the day.” “However, all the indications are that the young Khmer audience is really starting to take to it – I’m convinced that reality TV in Cambodia has enormous potential.” MYTV’s version of La Academia has only been on air since the channel launched on 9 January 2009. During off-peak hours during the day the happenings in the house are broadcast live. They are then turned in to highlights that air every weekday evening at 9pm and there is a concert on Sunday afternoons. Voting (mainly by mobile phone text messaging) has been increasing at a rate of approximately 30-40 percent each week. Bringing ‘proper’ reality TV to the people of Cambodia is the brainchild of Glen Felgate – general manager of both CTN as well as the new youth channel MYTV. “We have always wanted to try out reality TV but we did not want to risk our prime time ratings on our main channel CTN in what is a very competitive 8-strong television market,” Felgate says. “The new youth channel has provided us with an opportunity to try out new formats – including reality TV.” This particular reality format centers around a group of young people who live together in a house while they are being trained to perform and sing in a concert each Sunday. Each week one contestant leaves the programme. In Cambodia’s version of La Academia the contestants are not only taught to sing but are also given personal development lessons. “We thought it was important for all of the contestants to be able to benefit from the program – not just the winner’’ says Felgate. “And there is such an appetite for learning in Cambodia that we decided to teach personal fitness and job seeking skills to the contestants as well. By adding the teaching element anyone leaving the show – because they cannot make it as a performer – will have at least learned something that they take with them for use in their personal life.” The programme’s producers also have to be aware of local cultural sensitivities. For example there are no cameras in the bedrooms and special attention has to be taken over the contestants’ wardrobes – in the reality house as well as on-stage. “It’ll be a while before we see Big Brother in Cambodia,’ says the show’s producer Matthew Robinson. “But audience reaction so far indicates that reality TV with an edge – like La Academia – does have a future here.” It’s a sentiment echoed by Felgate. After all he has been responsible for ‘kitting’ out a reality TV house with hidden cameras and microphones as well as a production office and control room. “Its not the first time we’ve tried something new,’’ says Felgate. “Bringing Ronan Keating to Cambodia for the country’s first ticket selling concert was new; bringing Strix’s reality program The Bar to Cambodia and turning it into The Coffee Shop was new.” “We’ll just have to see how this first ‘live’ reality TV show goes,” he adds. And as for the immediate future for reality TV? Well, Felgate intends to move the program’s hour-long highlights to prime time to compete against the already established drama formats being run on CTN as well as its competitors. He also plans to follow this particular program with another version of La Academia before trying something else. “I’ve always wanted to see how a reality dance contest would do,” he says. “After all, the traditional Cambodian Apsara dance is very stylish and graceful. I am sure that Cambodians could master ballroom dancing or even break dancing.” Felgate’s message is clear to content providers with a reality dance format – or any other reality TV programme – in their catalogue, that with the introduction of reality TV – opportunity knocks in Cambodia. TVAplus
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