2waytraffic Sells Interactive Game-Show Format to Russia, Greece

HILVERSUM, October 24: 2waytraffic International has shored
up deals for its young-adult-skewing interactive game-show format TXTC with Greece’s Mega Channel and TV Channel Russia.

TXTC, targeted at teenagers and under-25s, pits two teams
against each other to challenge their texting skills. The two four-member teams
compete in fast-moving rounds by typing their answers into giant mobile phones
using their feet, earning “talktime” as they advance, to be used in the final
round where one team plays for a prize. The studio-based format, which was
recently acquired by 2waytraffic, features two larger-than-life-sized mobile
phones built into the studio floor that contestants can use to text their
answers. The format was created by Tony Dortie for Triple T Entertainment, and
has aired on SCTV in Thailand and Indonesia and HTV in Vietnam.

Under the new agreements, Russian state-owned broadcaster TV
Channel Russia will produce a minimum of 26 weekly episodes, to roll out March
2008. Mega Channel’s weekly series, known as Sumusu, launched earlier this month, already winning 50
percent of the 15 to 24 demographic.

Ed Louwerse, the managing director of 2waytraffic
International, commented: “TXTC is a
great format of immense appeal to younger audiences. The fantastic results
we’ve seen in Greece, where it won a 50-percent share of its target
demographic, prove it really is the game show for the SMS generation.”

—By Kristin Brzoznowski