Paprika Latino Opens CEE Content House

BUCHAREST: Paprika Latino has set up a new division, Paprika Latino Content House, focused on introducing format concepts and ready-made programming in Central and Eastern Europe.

Barbara Hamori, who previously worked at MTG’s Viasat Broadcasting and the Deutsche Telekom-owned Hungarian online company Origo, has been brought in to serve as the head of Content House. Hamori was the content and programming director at Viasat Brodcasting from 2003 to 2008, overseeing Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovenia. From 2009 to 2001, she joined Origo to launch new TV channels in the market.

Content House will present its first portfolio at MIPTV 2012 in April. In the past years, Paprika has delivered a number of local productions to the CEE market. The company has expanded from Romania and Hungary into Slovakia, Serbia, Austria and Slovenia. Its production portfolio includes local versions of international hits such as The X Factor, Wife Swap, Supernanny, The Farmer Wants a Wife and others. Paprika’s own formats include Fish on the Cake (in cooperation with TV2 Hungary), Look Who’s Cooking and Mondenii.

"I find the Content House concept rather inspiring," said Hamori. "As an ex-buyer, I always faced the difficulties of finding the right concept, which carries the professional edge of the the big international formats—but keeps up with the local, very special Central-Eastern European cultural background and knowledge. Paprika Latino Content House focuses on the needs of the CEE region, and is willing to match local knowledge and global service level in the very same time."

Peter Marschall, the owner and founder of Paprika Latino, commented, "I have worked together with Barbara in several projects before. I realized that for success, we do not only need a great idea, we need to find the right, skilled and experienced people in order to deliver success. With Barbara joining our management team, Paprika Latino will fulfill it’s original purpose and become one of the biggest independent one-stop shopping production and format houses in Central Eastern Europe."