The National Association of Television Programme Executives (NATPE) will be aiming to “break down the borders of content” at this year’s conference, held on 20 January at the Fontainebleau Resort, Miami Beach. With more than 5,000 industry experts expected to attend, NATPE will work with highly respected advisory committees to bring this year’s theme – “Content Without Borders” – to life by allocating relevant conference components targeting each of the most important sectors of the industry. Similarly to previous years, the market brings together content creators and producers, content buyers and sellers in an environment where networking and business opportunities take place amidst discussions that shape the future of the content business. The market and conference will take place a week in advance this year. This new time frame gives attendees looking to be present at both NATPE and RealScreen a first look at fresh content before heading to RealScreen; empowering exhibitors and buyers to attend both events will generate more business deals.
“At no time in our industry has there been as much changes as we are experiencing today. All of us are recalibrating how we monetise content because technology continues to improve access to new platforms,” said NATPE President & CEO Rod Perth. “Advertising will continue to drive monetisation because audiences are being measured no matter how or where they watch. Our business is increasingly interdependent, and past silos between new and old media are disappearing.”
Beginning this year, NATPE will continue to expand on its highly regarded digital commitment with a market within a market. Content providers will have the opportunity to meet and transact deals for multiple territories across every platform, including exclusive screening theatres.
The conference will include tracks which have proven to be must-attends in recent years. At “Game Changers”, renowned visionary creators from the world’s top broadcast, digital platform, advertisers and production companies will discuss how they plan, operate and grow their businesses at the inflection point of disruption, convergence and opportunity.
Norman Lear, American television and cultural icon, is lined-up to kick off the 2015 market and conference with a delivery of the Opening Keynote on 20 January. Lear, now 92, will share about his wide-ranging experiences in this session. He began his prolific television writing career in 1950, and produced the iconic series All in the Family, which garnered critical acclaim, receiving four Emmy Awards for Best Comedy Series and a Peabody Award in 1977. Lear was also behind several other hit shows including Maude, Sanford and Son, Good Times, The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. His exceptional writing, creativity and timeless humour made him one of the first seven television pioneers inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame (1984), the International Platform Association (1977) and the Writers Guild of America (1977). In 1999, Lear was bestowed the National Medal of Arts by President Clinton who noted that “Norman Lear has held up a mirror to American society and changed the way we look at it”.
“It is nearly impossible to describe Norman’s impact in terms of both creative television hits and catalysing the national narrative about otherwise untouchable subjects,” Perth said. “For those of us who were in the business or just television viewers, his ability to combine humour and make all of us re-examine our own values was without equal. He is very simply an American treasure and we are incredibly proud to have him as our keynote.”
Sessions at the “Game Changers” track include “Can Quality Scripted Content Survive and Thrive in Digital Media?”, featuring panellists such as Peter Tortorici, GroupM Entertainment Global; Jon Avnet, Co-CEO/Founder, Indigenous Media; Jake Avnet, Chief Operating Officer, Indigenous Media; and Maria Kyriacou, Managing Director, ITV Studios Global Entertainment and Rest of World Production, ITV Studios. They will share their views on why collaboration between all media platforms and brands will be essential to creating and sustaining value for creators and distributors alike.
The “Platforms Accelerated” track will focus on visionaries behind the technologies changing the industry today. The sessions will discuss multiplatform challenges faced by content creators, their strategies on staying ahead of the content and convergence revolution and what opportunities the second screen brings for the viewing experience.
At the “Masters of Marketing” track, speakers will discuss the tradeoffs present when pursuing a balanced and collaborative relationship between content and brand strategy in order for a programme to succeed globally. Hear from industry veterans who represent the leading edge of how storytellers and producers are debating the opportunities and potential jeopardy of marrying creative visions with brand marketing objectives.
Themed “Storytellers and the Shaping of Pop Culture,” the track will include an exclusive speaker lineup featuring stars, show runners, multimedia icons and executives who will discuss the importance of storytelling and content amidst the heady possibilities of technological innovation.
“Our goal is to capture the exciting realities that are at the intersection of entertainment, culture, and the explosion of new platforms,” said Perth. “With these guests, who are all hit makers and change agents in unique ways, we can’t miss this – and neither should anyone who is with us in Miami.”
The sessions will include 2015 Legacy Honouree Jay Leno, who will chat on-stage with moderator Craig Ferguson, recent host of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Dan Harmon, Emmy® winning creator/executive producer of the comedy series Community, will have a dedicated session, moderated by Michael Schneider, Executive Editor, TV Guide Magazine, as will Russell Simmons, Founder and Chairman, All Def Digital and Def Pictures Television and Film, Co-Founder, Narrative Agency.
In celebration of America’s Funniest Home Videos’ 25th Anniversary, Creator and Executive Producer Vin Di Bona will be joined by Executive Producers Todd Thicke, Michele Nasraway and Emmy Award-winning host Tom Bergeron as they share their plans to advance the hit series into the digital age.
Vin Di Bona said, “NATPE has always held a special place in my professional career since first attending in 1978, so naturally I am thrilled to be celebrating our 25th year there.
I had great aspirations which have miraculously fallen into place because of a great AFV team, a team who has made our show broadcast’s #1 co-viewed programme.”
2015 Legacy Honouree Jonathan Murray, Chairman, Bunim/Murray Productions, the man behind the 1992 launch of MTV’s The Real World, and is best known for inventing the modern reality television genre, will share his stories with Cris Abrego, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of Endemol North America, who is recognised as one of the leading creators and producers of reality television in the U.S.
Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer of Netflix and also a 2015 Legacy Honouree, will be joined by Emmy Award-winning writer and producer Mitchell Hurwitz, widely credited for creating and executive producing the genre-breaking television show Arrested Development; as well as Vince Gilligan, creator and producer of AMC’s hit series, Breaking Bad, where they will each share their first-hand perspective regarding the television landscape today, as well as the challenges and benefits they have experienced.
On the third day of NATPE, the “Global Navigators” track will showcase leading international companies with a focus on global content and programming. Industry veterans will touch on topics such as formats, global production solutions and cross cultural advertising strategies.
2015 Legacy Honouree Adriana Cisneros will deliver the international keynote in a special session dedicated to sharing her insights.
Pertinent to NATPE’s focus on reality programming as its top priority, an entire track as well as a full day of Reality and Formats panels, networking activities and special events will be dedicated to the genre. Developed in close collaboration with NATPE’s Reality and Formats Advisory Board – headed by Phil Gurin, The Gurin Company, and Hans Schiff, CAA – highlights will include key panel discussions, case studies and structured pitch opportunities.
Gurin said, “NATPE Reality makes NATPE more than a content market; it’s an idea market. This is an incredible opportunity to pitch original ideas to people who actually buy them and make them happen. NATPE has assembled a world class collection of creative producers, channel commissioners and distributors who are all looking for original ideas.”
Confirmed panellists include international format heavyweights including Mike Beale, Director of International Formats, ITV Studios; Richard Ehrsam, Head of Entertainment Formats, Televisa Internacional; Grant Ross, Executive VP of Global Creative Development and Format Acquisition, Zodiak Media Group; Michael Schmidt, Chief Creative Officer, Red Arrow Entertainment Group; Mark Linsey, Controller of Entertainment Commissioning, British Broadcasting Corporation and Jennifer Dettman, Executive Director, Unscripted Content, CBC.
Sessions will also include a case study on ABC’s Shark Tank, featuring Executive Producer Clay Newbill and Daymond John, CEO and Founder, FUBU. The format won a 2014 Primetime Emmy® for Outstanding Structured Reality Programme.
In addition to the conference lineup, a unique PRO Pitch event will offer participants an unprecedented opportunity to pitch their ideas directly to top reality and formats development executives from the worlds of broadcast, cable and syndicated television, and both domestic and international distributors.
In recognition of today’s most innovative reality content, NATPE will launch – for the first time – the NATPE Reality Breakthrough Awards during a networking mixer and luncheon. The awards are split into five categories: Reality, Reality Competition, Game Shows, Docusoap and Factual.
“NATPE Reality is an absolutely jam-packed day of programming and events tailored specifically to this thriving area of the business,” said Perth. “Our curated panels and interactive special events offer direct access to the people and companies who are defining the world of reality and formats, and it will without a doubt be one of the key highlights of NATPE Miami 2015.”
Offering the first opportunity of the year for content creators to get their reality projects in front of senior-level decision-makers include buyer representatives from A&E Networks; ABC Entertainment Group; Bell Media Specialty Television; CBC Television; Debmar-Mercury; Discovery Programme Sales; Endemol International; FremantleMedia Group Ltd.; Global Agency; ITV Studios; Lifetime Networks; Red Arrow Entertainment Group; Scripps Networks Interactive; Shine Group; Small World IFT; Televisa; The CW; The Weather Channel; truTV; Univision Communications Inc.; Viasat Broadcasting; Warner Bros. International Television; WE tv; and Zodiak Media.
Hosted by Craig Ferguson, six recipients will receive the Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award at a special reception on 21 January at the 12th edition of the awards presentation – Linda Bell Blue, Gustavo Cisneros and Adriana Cisneros, Jay Leno, Jonathan Murray and Ted Sarandos. Named after Brandon Tartikoff, the Award was created to recognise a select group of television professionals who exhibit extraordinary passion, leadership, independence and vision in the process of creating television programming.
“We are honoured to welcome this year’s Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award recipients to NATPE 2015. Together, our honourees collectively represent the theme of Content Without Borders,” said Perth. “It is a true testament to the spirit of this award that Brandon’s legacy is celebrated today in such a diversified and distinguished group. Linda, Gustavo, Adriana, Jay, Jonathan, and Ted are known for excellence and achievements in television. Each of them has helped shape the face of media today and their talent will endure well into the future. NATPE is proud to honour their legacies’ at this special annual event.”
Linda Bell Blue was the executive producer of Emmy Award-winning Entertainment Tonight for 19 years, making her the longest-running executive producer in the history of the No. 1 syndicated entertainment newsmagazine.
Gustavo A. Cisneros, Chairman of Cisneros, is receiving the award for his efforts in moulding Latin America into placing itself on a global playing field, cultivating new industries, increasing access to information, and advancing technological growth. His daughter, Adriana Cisneros, CEO and Vice Chairman of Cisneros, is recognised for developing new lines of business and generating content across all multimedia platforms and extending the company’s reach on a global scale.
Jonathan Murray, widely credited to be the inventor of the modern reality television genre and co-creator of the long-running MTV series The Real World, has previously been inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2012. His current programming includes reality hits such as Keeping up with the Kardashians and Project Runway.
Ted Sarandos has led content acquisition for on-demand subscription service Netflix since 2000, and most recently made headlines by announcing its plans to expand to Australia and New Zealand, while Jay Leno became the ratings leader of late night within two years, establishing firm leadership in all demographic categories, and was recently inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Broadcast Hall of Fame.
NATPE and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) have also, for a second consecutive year, jointly commissioned a two-phase study to gather insight into the content discovery process and alternatives to live TV viewing. The findings will be presented in two co-branded research reports, followed by a panel discussion of senior executives from the content and consumer electronics industries, CEA President & CEO Gary Shapiro and NATPE President & CEO Rod Perth.
“The question of how and where people are discovering content – on any device – is one that we need to gain a better understanding of as an industry,” said Perth.
“Viewers enjoy thousands of choices, but finding and marketing new programmes is incredibly difficult. This research study will reveal fresh guidance on the how and why of viewer discovery.”
“Innovations in consumer technology have provided consumers with a multitude of choices in how, when, where they watch and learn about TV programmes,” noted Shapiro. “Having a more detailed understanding of how consumers use these technologies will help guide the next generation of innovation.”
With more than 150 speakers participating in more than 50 panels, tracks and conversations, NATPE promises to offer attendees a conference that will challenge industry norms, offer innovative ideas and give a head start into the industry in 2015.
