Comcast International Media Group

September 23, 2009 World Screen

Jene Elzie
VP, Sales & Strategic Planning

 
What are your highlights for MIPCOM?

Perfect Catch: This competition reality series has eight contestants traveling to the Greek Islands in search of the sexiest person they can find. Celebrity host Carmen Electra and a panel of expert judges will then determine which contestant has found the best catch. The series culminates in the final episode when the Perfect Catch of the Greek Isles 2009 is crowned.

 
Reality Hell: E! has fun with some of today’s most popular TV show concepts and the global obsession with getting a shot at fame. The catch? Everyone on the show is an actor trying to see just how far they can push one unsuspecting person who thinks they are appearing on a true reality show.
 
Dallas Divas & Daughters: The Style Network series tells the stories of the Dallas socialites and debutantes that live in an ultra-exclusive world where being rich is a way of life, designer fashion is mandatory and staying on the top of the social ladder is critical. 
 
Kourtney & Khloé Take Miami: E! follows the crazy, sexy and often hilarious lives of sisters Kourtney and Khloé Kardashian as they head to Miami. Despite being away from their outrageous family for the first time, the sisters quickly find new drama, new relationships and a new social scene that they’re determined to take by storm.  
 
2 Months, 2 Million: All bets are off as G4 takes viewers inside the world of high stakes online poker in a new series that follows four 20-something whiz kids turned high rollers – Brian, Emil, Jay and Dani – who make big money flipping cards on the web nearly 24/7. 
 
 
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Why will these programs appeal to buyers? 

These programs provide the solutions buyers are looking for these days: cost-effective programming that hits the sweet spot.

The width and breadth of our programming covers the most valuable demographics – be they adults, young females or the elusive young males. Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami, for example, which builds off of the successful Keeping Up with the Kardashians series, has been received unbelievably well in the US.   The premiere episode garnered its highest ratings for an E! reality program since Anna Nicole in 2003 and ranked first among Adults and Women 18 – 34 against all US ad-supported cable networks for the night, and first among Women 18 – 34 for the week. Continuing in this demographic vein, we have high expectations for Dallas Divas & Daughters and its glimpse into life in one of the richest zip codes in America. Perfect Catch, which is produced by Comcast International Media Group’s own international production unit, provides that broad appeal while retaining a unique global feel that destination shows can provide. This should prove appealing to our buyers who are looking for programming that is more “international” in flavor and feel. Reality Hell takes direct comedic aim at the seemingly endless stream of reality shows, which almost every territory in the world has found success with in one form or another. Finally, the G4 channel and brand is among the top-ranked US channels for males 13 to 39 and its newest offering, 2 Months, 2 Million, is perfectly suited for this audience. Each of these programs are produced to the high-quality standards our buyers have come to expect from us. The difference is that the buyer won’t experience quite the dent in their wallets the may otherwise have!
 
 

What are some of the trends you’re currently seeing in this market?

We are definitely seeing a trend away from the more expensive original productions and towards cost-effective acquisitions which can provide more bang for the buyer’s buck. The advertising market can no longer sustain the type of budget-busting acquisitions of recent years, and we are perfectly positioned to offer solutions to our buyers. Another trend we are seeing is towards localized programming. We have known for quite some time now that proven formats are especially successful…this is no longer a surprise. However, we are finding more channels willing to take a chance on lesser-known and/or new format concepts. This is especially important for us as we have identified key areas to develop our format catalog and will be discussing those at the market.

 
 

What are your goals and expectations MIPCOM? 

The goal is, as always, to make this the most successful market possible and to close deals. It is an exciting time for television buyers and sellers; we have all grown weary of the economic “doom and gloom” of 2009. This market, in particular, should be quite active as we turn our attention to 2010 and, hopefully, brighter days. The good news is that 2009 has forced us all to become a lot more focused and a lot more efficient on the deal-making side. 

This market also allows us the chance to explore new territories, particularly with our selection of formats which we are also pleased to present to our new buyers. As the trend towards localized programming continues, we are well positioned—on the strength of our brands and programming—to have meaningful conversations in this arena.
At the end of the day, our success is measured in numbers, no doubt, but also in the types of relationships we are able to build with our buyers. We are in this for the long haul and, as such, look for new opportunities to not only keep pace with, but out-pace the trends. If we can come back with a handful of new and/or unique deals, then this will have been a successful market for us.