Event Review: DISCOP East

June 16–19
Budapest, Hungary

Some 1,700 program sellers and buyers were registered to attend DISCOP East in Budapest this week, according to the event’s organizers, Basic Lead. "The attendance so far is on track with what we were expecting," Patrick Jucaud, Basic Lead’s general manager, told World Screen as the market kicked off here yesterday. "We have about 1,700 people registered. We probably will have about 100 people in addition that will come and register on site. We’ve got the same number of distributors. The only change is that we’ve opened up a new room of meeting tables, which is our least expensive formula."

Traffic down the floors of the Sofitel Maria Dorottya Hotel, however, appears quieter than last year’s buzzing market. Word from some distributors indicates that a number of buyers, registered to attend, had not made the trip to Budapest. Nonetheless, distributors here appeared busy as they shopped their wares to the networks in attendance. And there’s a diverse selection of program sellers on site, including contingents from Korea, France and Spain.

For Jucaud, a key trend at this market is that "distributors seem to be
ready to lower their license fees. Licensing fees went up quite quickly over the last few years, and they’re just coming back to what they were a few years ago. It’s a readjustment. Sellers are becoming more open minded." While sellers are becoming more flexible, word from distributors is that buyers are being exceptionally cautious.

A host of distributors stressed to World Screen their ability to help Central and Eastern European broadcasters cope with the tough times in the region.

"Cineflix can help our clients succeed during these challenging times by being able to provide cost-effective volume deals with both new and returning series," says Paul Underhay, a sales manager for Cineflix International who is attending his first DISCOP.

Cineflix International sold nearly 80 hours of programming into Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in the run-up to DISCOP, and is now showcasing new lifestyle formats like The Unsellables and For Rent, as well as Eat Yourself Sexy, Animals at Work, Austin Stevens Adventures and Border Security U.S.A.

Fellow London-based distributor ALL3MEDIA International is excited about the breadth of its portfolio for this market. "Diversity is a key strength of the ALL3MEDIA catalogue," says Stephen Driscoll, the company’s VP of international sales. "We have appropriate programs and formats for broadcasters and production companies in all areas of the region and will target appropriately." New finished programs for the market include Undercover Princes, Brand New Homes, The Hairy Bikers and Chopper Squad. A host of formats are also on offer, such as 10 Years Younger: The Challenge and the financial coaching series Money Man.

Australia’s Beyond Distribution is keen to score deals on its latest mix of drama, science and lifestyle properties. According to Cristina Lowe, the VP of sales for the region, Beyond’s business in CEE has been stable during the downturn. "We are very pleased about this, as the economic climate is proving more challenging this time round and maintaining our level of sales for this region is a success in itself."

Highlights in Beyond’s lineup include the drama Dirt Game, the science show Science Impossible, the fly-on-the-wall series Combat School and the cookery program Chuck’s Day Off. "We find that science, cookery, lifestyle and reality work extremely well in this region," Lowe notes.

Armoza Formats has a portfolio of programs it believes can fit the budget of numerous broadcasters while delivering maximum results. "Armoza Formats is dedicated to bringing today’s most innovative and affordable formats to the market," says Avi Armoza, the company’s CEO. "Each of our formats has a realistic production budget that allows it to be adapted to every territory around the world. Our buyers not only receive high-quality TV programming with proven success, but also attractive production and budgeting options that enable them to maximize [their] return on investment."

Highlights include the hit game show Upgrade, which launched with strong results at MIPTV; The Naked Truth, a scripted drama; and The Saddest Sketch Show in the World, one of Armoza’s newest offerings, an irreverent program that gives new meaning to the term "dark comedy."

Mediaset Distribution is also placing an emphasis on its format slate at DISCOP. "Local producers and broadcasters are beginning to be aware of the potential that some of our productions have for a local adaptation," says Patricio Teubal, Mediaset’s head of international sales.

The Italian distributor is also looking for sales on The Tunnel to Freedom, The Courage of a Princess and the French adaptation of the format RIS: Crime Evidence. "I feel the product we have to offer is varied, so there should be something for everybody," says Teubal.

This sentiment is shared by SevenOne International, whose offerings include Cloud Chasers and Crash Point: Berlin, as well as Factor 8, currently in post-production. "Our fiction, format and magazine portfolio caters to the needs and interests of viewers of all target and age groups," says Jens Richter, SevenOne’s managing director. "We offer programs that will make you cry, programs that will make you laugh, and programs that are full of suspense and will have you glued to your seats! Just come and see us at our suite to find out for yourselves!"

The telenovela distributors are out in full force here, further building on their well-established business in CEE. Indeed, the novela has taken root in this region and is expected to continue as a staple during the downturn. "We have believed for some time now that the financial crisis will enhance the selling of telenovelas and daily dramas," says Nadav Palti, the president and CEO of Dori Media Group. "Telenovelas are known for their ability to create strong loyalty and commitment viewing habits and are relatively low cost. Meaning, telenovelas supply high value per rating point."

Palti stresses that the company is offering what he calls "new-velas, which suit the region, as they contain all the basic elements of the traditional telenovelas, but with an edge—their story lines are more up to date and unique; their pace is faster; and the way they are shot and edited is innovative."

Top titles available at DISCOP are Champs 12, Split and Big Deal for teen audiences, as well as Danny Hollywood, Cupido: El negocio del amor (Cupid: The Business of Love) and Maybe This Time.

Televisa Internacional currently draws 55 percent to 60 percent of its European revenues from the CEE territories. Claudia Sahab, the director of sales for Europe at Televisa, is optimistic about maintaining that level of business. "There are new TV stations opening in some of these countries—they need good content and they are coming to us," she says. "The classic telenovelas are still doing great. [Buyers want] a very high-quality production. Fortunately, Televisa has this."

Televisa’s novela slate includes Love Spell, Dare to Dream, Summer of Love and the third-party novelas The Brave Ones and Attraction x 4. Other highlights include the series Killer Women and the formats Hazme Reír and The Show of Dreams. The broad offering, Sahab says, "is making us even more competitive in the market."

Telefe International has had a good run in CEE over the last few years, according to Michelle Wasserman, the head of international distribution for programming, formats and production services, citing titles such as Muñeca brava, Montecristo, Amor en custodia (Love’s Guard) and Floricienta (Flinderella). Telefe "developed the so-called ‘breakthrough telenovelas,’" Wasserman says. "We were the first ones to produce a telenovela for the prime-time slot of 10 p.m. oriented to men and women, and we have been [pioneers] in developing content for teens and children."

On offer from the Argentine distributor this week are Legacy of Passion, Don Juan and His Fair Lady: Songs from the Heart, season three of TeenAngels, Taking Lives and Telefe’s latest hit, The Successful Mr. & Mrs. Pells.

Mariana Fernández, attending her first DISCOP for Artear Argentina’s international sales department, is showcasing to her clients in the region the novelas Gypsy Blood and 099 Central, Love in Blue. "We have a wide range of novelas," Fernández says. "The most [important] thing about most of our novelas is that they appeal to men, too, due to the interesting stories, the presence of more action and intense romance."

Having recently closed sales to Russia, Poland, Ukraine and Hungary, among other territories, Fernández notes: "We think the quality of our novelas will suit the needs of the different channels in the region."

On the heels of rolling The Cartel out to several European markets, Caracol TV International is exhibiting a range of new productions this week. The catalogue includes Gabriela, Every Woman Hates Bermudez, Beautiful, Love Her to Death, Neighbors and Roman x 2. "These productions have performed extremely well in Latin America, achieving the top positions in all the countries where they have aired," says Camila Reyes, a sales executive at the company.

Globo TV International has been selling its slate of Brazilian novelas to Central and Eastern European buyers for years. It is continuing to do so at DISCOP this week, with new offerings such as The Favorite, which has already been sold to Rustavi 2 in Georgia. "Countries like Romania, Albania and Russia are important partners for Globo TV International; they historically acquire our products and air them during prime time," says Raphael Corrêa Netto, Globo’s international sales director. "We’ve even noticed the development of new markets like Croatia, Bulgaria and Georgia."

And it’s not just the Latin American distributors faring well with novelas—MediaPro Distribution is delivering popular Romanian daily dramas to buyers in the region, showcasing Regina and Gypsy Heart, followed by the newest Promance International project, Aniela.

DISCOP’s organizers are hopeful that exhibitors on site here will also have a presence at the second DISCOP Africa, scheduled to take place in September in Nairobi, following the event’s successful debut in February. "The first one went very well, to the point we felt it necessary to do another one sooner than we anticipated," Jucaud explains.

Next up, Jucaud reveals, is a market for the Middle East, tentatively slated to take place in Istanbul in March.