Ariel Taboada

Head of Programming, Production and Operations, Claxson Media

Have you seen signs of recovery in Central and Eastern Europe?

Although we have high hopes for the near future, the market in Central and Eastern Europe is still clearly suffering. Recent economic studies show that the financial debacle that is currently hitting Europe will come to an end towards early 2011, so we will be expectant for improvements soon.

Have you noticed your business in the region strengthen due to an increase in channels?

We have seen an increase in channels, and we have designed many of our contents for these side channels, so we expect an improvement. However, as said before, the economic situation is not at its best, so it is understandable that the current status is not as profitable as expected with the increase in channels.

How has your business been overall in Central and Eastern Europe (and what territories have been strong in particular)?

We have been strong in Spain and Italy for some time now, and we are keeping strong. There have been a couple of new countries that have been added to our client list such as Romania and Poland. Overall we are doing good business and are planning to expand even more a year from now.

What genres have been the strongest performers from your catalogue in the region?

Our strongest genres are music, fashion and sports. Our newest shows, In The Deep (Apnea Diving), Sounds of Freedom (Music), and Long Bros (Sports-Surfing), have been our strong shows this year.

What are some of the titles you’re highlighting for DISCOP and why do you think these will be particularly appealing for the buyers?

Volcano Hunter: It is an adventure series in which an internationally famous photographer sets off to find some of the most impressive volcanoes in Hawaii. Carsten Peter, the main character, is a born adventurer who works for the most prestigious magazines of the world. All these locations will be the scenes of an illustrated feature that will appear in the last episode. The main character will travel to Hawaii, get involved with the culture, the religion and the landscapes, and face problems to get the pictures he is looking for (he will climb volcanoes, sleep in tents in order to wait for dawn, scale, walk, travel around incredible places and he will finally find the place from where he will take the chosen pictures). The journey will be a race against time during which this character will have to take the best pictures before his exhibition takes place.

Brotherhood of the Snow: Brothers Ruben and Isaac Vergés are two famous Spanish snowboarders. During their trip through three continents, this series will be with them during their highly-demmanding preparation to participate in the Snowboard World Championship. They will look for the best spots in the planet for each of the stages required for their trainning. Europe, United States and South America will be the chosen destinations, before going to New Zealand to compete in the most important event of this sport. During their trip, the Vergés brothers will show us wonderful places, they will unveil the secrets and the sacrifices involved in their preparation, and they will let us into the privacy of their unique, demmanding and adventurous pre-competition preparation.

All That Show (the trip): Everyone has a dream…A dream that you told no one about… maybe you wanted to be a singer, a dancer.. Or even both….
All That Show-The Trip- is Sharon’s journey…… a girl who always dreamt of someday being a star….
Sharon’s journey will take her to the theater capitals of the world and through her eyes we will see the behind the scenes of all the biggest musicals… Rehearsals, scenary, make-up, wardrobe…… We will meet the cast members and their journey to become stars of the stages of Broadway and the London West End and the streets of Paris.

In The Deep: Our lives are deeply connected to water; 71% of the planet is covered in water, human life originates and develops in water for 9 months, and after birth the human body is made up of 60% water. Nevertheless, it is also a considerable barrier for us.
There are some men who rise up to challenge its limits. Gianluca Genoni has special breathing abilities and is internationally famous for holding his breath under water for 18 minutes.
In the Deep is a journey from Italy to Egypt in which we discover the mythology of the sea and the story of the men who have tried for thousands of years to overcome its frontiers. We will see how the body reacts in deep water and how a man has managed to do what only fish had been able to.
Concentration, exercise, and a unique lifestyle, in which we will discover a different reality. By challenging the barriers of the ocean, we will find complete freedom.
In the Deep, a series in which an elite athlete, full of dreams and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve them, will thrill us with his exploits that are impossible for most human beings.