Buyer Profile: DigitAlb’s Eglinor Ramaj

June 21, 2011 World Screen
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PREMIUM: Eglinor Ramaj, the acquisitions manager at DigitAlb, Albania’s leading pay-TV platform, must buy programming for a number of channels, and says she is currently working with a healthy budget to do so.

What age groups do you target?
 
Having 31 owned channels (three children’s channels, three documentary channels, six movie channels, one series channel, sport channels and many others), DigitAlb targets all the age groups and interests of Albanian-speaking audiences. Each children’s channel targets different age groups from preschoolers (Bang Bang) to teenagers (Junior TV) or documentary channels which target all age groups, and so on with the movie channels, sports, etc.
 
The most specific target is the one for ages 12 to 18. From our experience, this seems to be the most specific target. Studios like Disney Media Distribution, Warner Bros. International Television and Viacom International Media Networks seem to be more effective for this target group.
 
How does this affect what you are looking for with acquisitions?
 
It affects it entirely because many studios and distributors are involved in the acquisitions process. Effective budgeting and acquisitions models are required, as well as very skilled programming editors.
 
What are some of the acquired programs that have performed particularly well?
 
It depends on the genres. For live-action series, titles like Cold Case, Supernatural, Fringe, Gossip Girl, Private Practice and Army Wives. Movies from the studios are always must-have content for our channels, as well as series for teens, like [Nickelodeon’s] iCarly and True Jackson VP.
 
What genres are you acquiring?
 
All genres: drama, comedy, thriller, action, kids, preschoolers, series, documentaries, adult, etc.
 
What are you on the lookout for right now?
 
As per the above-mentioned reasons, we are looking for almost all the genres to accommodate our audiences of each age group and interest. We’ll be getting this content to the best players of the industry: producers, distributors and of course, major studios.
 
How is the market for acquisitions right now?
 
The license fees are going a bit higher, although that is against the activity of television across Central and Eastern European countries, which aren’t facing very good economic times.
 
The market is in good shape because television is looking for more qualitative content to satisfy audiences and to attract advertising budgets and/or subscribers.
 
Are there any overall trends that you’ve noticed?
 
Besides the classic attractions for the audience (movies, animation, series, docs), we have noted that reality shows are getting better feedback and audience share.