A Passion for Asia

This article originally appeared in the MIPCOM ’09 issue.

The anecdotes about Latin American telenovela stars being mobbed at airports in Indonesia and the Philippines are well known to those who have been chronicling the international trajectory of this programming staple. The genre has traveled across the globe, proving to be a popular solution for Asian broadcasters in the need of affordable, loyalty-generating shows.

A host of distributors from Latin America will be heading to Sing­apore this month for the Asia TV Forum looking to capitalize on the inroads already made with novela sales in the region.

“We’ve prioritized Asia, because we know that our products have always sold very well there,” says Ricardo Ehrsam, the general director for Europe and Asia at Televisa Internacional.

Televisa has found success selling formats and finished versions of its novelas, with China as one of its key markets. The company signed a deal with Hunan Satellite TV, Nesound and RCN to co-produce the Chinese version of La fea más bella (The Prettiest Ugly Girl). It also collaborated on the production of the local version of Dumb Women Don’t Go to Heaven, which airs on Dragon TV.

“Our greatest success recently has been the local production of La fea más bella in China,” Ehrsam says. “We have had three seasons in prime time with the local production of our format.”

Ehrsam adds that the Hunan TV local version will extend to a fifth season. The Chinese version of Dumb Women Don’t Go to Heaven, meanwhile, has begun its first season and will extend to a second and perhaps a third.

Elsewhere in Asia, Televisa has sold a number of novelas into the Philippines and Indonesia, among other markets. The company is hoping to drum up additional business at the ATF, with new novelas like Wild Heart, Chameleons, Love Spell and For Love or Money. “We have to be present in these conventions, understand what direction the market is moving in, and take into account that in spite of the crisis, opportunities exist,” Ehrsam says.

“At ATF, we are ready to make a big entry [into Asia], just like we did a year ago at the same market,” says Nadav Palti, the president and CEO of Dori Media Group. “Our clients’ expectations are high and we are diligently working to bring them the best products of the industry.”

Top sellers for Dori Media in the region have included Lalola, which Palti says helped the company “deepen its penetration in Asia. Con­temporary romantic comedies are the preferred genre throughout Asia. Lalola became an instant hit with buyers from India, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Cambodia and China, among others. Laughter is truly universal; therefore this is the preferred genre for programmers and audiences alike.”

Dori Media’s other Asian successes include You Are the One, Amanda O, Juanita Is Single, Champs 12 and Ugly Duckling. Topping the ATF porfolio is Date Blind, which Palti refers to as a “new-vela.” He explains, “It contains all the basic elements of the traditional telenovela but with an edge—its story line is more updated and unique, its pace is faster, and the way it is shot and edited is innovative. We are sure it will surprise and entertain our clients in Asia just like it did with our European clients at MIPCOM.”

Also available from Dori Media are Mia: My Invisible Friend, the vampire-themed Split, and Money Time.

“Dori Media is staying ‘fresh’ by offering its clients innovative formats and canned versions with an international appeal,” Palti continues. “As a rule, Dori Media tries to produce a variety of products, so that buyers from all over the world can find the perfect product suiting their needs. This is a big advantage of Dori Media—we produce for the international market and not for a specific local channel. Our productions are characterized by story lines that break boundaries, international-looking casts, unique editing and advanced shooting techniques.”

MARKET POTENTIAL
Another distributor that has Asia high up on its international priority list is Globo TV International. “We are very excited about Asia,” says Raphael Corrêa Netto, the international sales director for the company. “We still have a lot to do there, with our novelas and with our other content.”

In the region, Globo’s Brazilian novelas can be found on the air in ten markets, including Macau, East Timor, South Korea, Singapore and India. To expand Globo’s presence, Corrêa is looking at offering up high-definition content, which is key in more developed territories like Japan. “We want to be in Japan,” Corrêa stresses. “We understand that we must have a) competitive content, and b) content shot and edited in HD.”

Corrêa has high hopes for the company’s new novela release, India: A Love Story. Already a hit in Brazil, the show is one of Globo’s headline properties at the ATF. Jaipur, the capital city of the Indian state of Rajasthan, and Agra, home to the Taj Mahal, are among the backdrops for the teleno­vela, which stars Tony Ramos, Lima Duarte and Juliana Paes. Other titles that Globo will showcase at the ATF include The Favorite, Forbidden Desire, The Prophet and Pure Beauty.

Discussing Globo’s strategy for the region, Corrêa states, “We know that Asia can’t be treated as a whole. We have to try to understand each of these markets, in order to make different offerings depending on the opportunities and the needs [of the broadcasters]. We are in ten countries already and we want to be in more. There is a lot of room to do more there.”

A MATTER OF TRUST
Telefe International similarly sees plenty of growth ahead for the company’s novela business in Asia. “There is a potential,” explains Alejandro Parra, the director of Telefe International. But, he says, being patient is very important in territories like India or China, where negotiations can take longer than they would in other markets. “It’s due in part to the way business is done, and they look to develop trust with those they do business with.”

Telefe has certainly built that trust in a number of markets, selling series like Wild Angel and Luna salvaje into Indonesia and the Philippines, among other territories. More recently, the original Argentinean version of the romantic comedy The Successful Mr. and Mrs. Pells premiered on GMA Network in the Philippines and VBC in Vietnam. Additionally, negotiations are under way for the show, an Endemol co-production, to air in Japan next year. On the format side, Wild Angel and The Roldans are in preproduction for Indonesia, and Parra notes that the company is exploring a Japanese version of Montecristo. At ATF, Telefe will also be showcasing Legacy of Passion and season three of the teen novela TeenAngels.

The Cisneros Group of Companies, the parent company of Venevision International (VVI), has spent the last few years working to make inroads in China, culminating in a deal with the state broadcaster, CCTV. The alliance sees the two companies promoting each other’s content in their respective markets.

“For VVI, the deal with CCTV allowed us to establish ourselves in China as an important provider of telenovelas, both nationally and regionally, and on the other hand, we managed to introduce products from CCTV in Latin America,” explains César Díaz, the VP of sales for Venevision International. With a Chinese presence established, Díaz says, “other countries are starting to introduce our products. A good example is Vietnam, which, upon seeing the success we obtained with telenovelas in China, opened up the door for the sales of other products and services.”

Band Imagem International, meanwhile, is looking to use relationships forged in Brazil to assist its expansion in Asia. María Leonor de Barros Saad, the international business director, notes that both NHK and CCTV have a presence in São Paulo and already have strong ties with Band.

SOME LIKE IT HOT?
For novela distributors doing business in Asia, offending cultural sensibilities can sometimes be a concern if a title in question is particularly steamy. “There are countries [where] some telenovelas have to be edited, but the story, the essence of the telenovela, is accepted in any country,” said Marcel Vinay, the CEO of Comarex. “In the end it’s a love story that generally speaking has a happy ending.” 

The level of censorship needed, Vinay says, is usually part of the negotiations with broadcasters, with the stipulation that the actual story line can’t be edited.

For Comarex, a driver of its Asian business has been formats, as well as completed versions of shows such as Catalina and Sebastián, Cuando seas mía and The Gardener’s Daughter. The company heads to the Asia TV Forum with Daniela, The Force of Destiny and Morena, among other Mexican novelas.

Another distribution company that has positioned itself as a key player in the provision of novelas to Asia is Caracol TV Internacional, thanks to the sale of shows like Love Her to Death; Luna, la heredera; and Tu voz estéreo. “Exactly one year ago, Caracol TV Internacional took over the distribution of Caracol TV’s content so that it could have a stronger [presence] in these territories,” says Angélica Guerra, international VP of the company. “During the last year we have attended numerous events and we have stepped up the marketing of our products in the region.” 

For Guerra, an important selling point for Caracol’s novelas is that they “have added value; they are able to distinguish themselves because they offer family-oriented content that reaches the general public, and stories that are universal without omitting elements of love and drama.” Caracol TV Internacional is currently adapting a format in Asia and will be looking to strike other new deals at the ATF with Gabriela, Turns of Destiny and The Swindler.

RCTV International has been selling both completed versions and formats of its novelas, with a slate that includes My Sweet Fat Valentina, My Three Sisters, Secret Woman, My Cousin Ciela and The Lady.

Marc Paneque, the director of international sales for Asia, Western Europe, Africa, Australia and Oceania for RCTV International, says that the global reach of RCTV’s products “gives them an international dimension. We have established a solid relationship with many international networks throughout the years, and thanks to our team of producers, writers and directors [among others], our product has a special ingredient that is sought after abroad.”

Paneque adds that for the future, delivering high-­definition novelas to Asia broadcasters is a priority.

For all distributors selling their titles to Asia, gaining an understanding of the market is of the utmost importance. As Xavier Aristimuño, the VP of sales and international business development for Asia at Telemundo Internacional, explains, “In [this region] doing business goes beyond buying and selling. It is a partnership, a relationship where trust and respect are a priority.” The ATF, he continues, presents “a great opportunity to strengthen our relationship with clients and continue developing business deals on the continent.”