Linda Jensen

June 2008

Linda Jensen was in Moscow working on her university dissertation during the perestroika years. She got involved in television there, was fascinated by the politics and the culture and has remained in the region ever since. She worked at CME (Central European Media Enterprises) and was subsequently the president of MTV Russia.

She joined HBO Central Europe in 2005 and today is the company’s CEO. HBO Central Europe serves 12 countries and is known for Hollywood movies and cutting-edge original series. Jensen is keeping those as important components of the service’s offering, but is keen on adding local productions to the programming mix.

WS: Tell us about your push toward local productions.

JENSEN: We always look for local product, which we both acquire and are now committed to producing. We are really stepping into original production. Last year in Poland we made a number of very high-quality, cutting-edge docs. Two of them in particular, one called The Warrior and the other called The Existence, were prize-winning docs and we were very happy about that. In Hungary we’ve produced four full episodes of something that we scripted and developed ourselves called Born Loser, which is essentially a reenactment of bizarre deaths. It was very well received in Hungary and we expect to do a second season this year.

We are expanding our documentary production. In Romania we’ve [greenlit] some productions, in the Czech Republic we have some productions going and in Poland we have a new slate of documentaries coming up. We are also investigating fiction format concepts that we are putting into development. At the same time we are looking to acquire formats, so we hope to get a slate of documentaries and a couple of strong fiction programs each year to be drivers [for our schedule], and those would be local products for the four markets.

WS: Are you looking to reach a certain percentage of original productions?

JENSEN: The goal for us is to have drivers for the channel. Obviously, with feature films from the majors and the HBO-branded product, we feel the overall lineup is strong. In addition, being able to buy and place local movies on the network is also a very strong proposition, but we would nonetheless like to be able to produce for ourselves. When you go into the digital age, from a rights point of view, we would like to have at least a little bit of product that we can fully control.

WS: What has given you the impetus to start original productions?

JENSEN: There always has been [a commitment to local productions] and it still remains. There was a good tradition of stand-up comedy on HBO. We still have an ongoing program in Poland and an ongoing program in the Czech Republic. We’ll be launching that same format into Romania later this year. We’ve always done local productions at some level; now we are trying to branch that out a little.

WS: Which countries in the region have the most production expertise and what are some of the production strengths of the region?

JENSEN: If we accept that productions cost more or less the same across the region, then it goes without saying that the most advanced are the largest markets because they have the largest pockets. Poland, for instance, is certainly leading the pack. I think strengths and weaknesses are in every market. Talent is always in short supply. But I do believe that the local talent is now up to implementing anything that is done in the Western part of Europe.

WS: What does the HBO brand signify for viewers in the region?

JENSEN: It’s very much a premium product. The expectation is very much on the same level as HBO in the U.S. Viewers know it will be excellent quality programming that is not interrupted by advertising. It should be something that you can’t get on commercial television.

WS: How did you get into the television business in Russia?

JENSEN: By accident. I was helping to run a Soviet television project at Columbia University in the 1980s. We provided some of the major networks with footage and translations, and I ended up working on productions. Commercial television was just developing during the perestroika era, and when I was in Moscow working on my dissertation, lots of television and radio people called. Thanks to some very patient mentors, I eventually learned not just about production, but also about the business.

WS: What attracted you to the region and what has kept you there?

JENSEN: I was attracted by the political changes in the region and fascinated in particular by Russian politics and culture. Central Europe has been an added bonus. Television has changed enormously—I can still remember Russian television with no advertising. In my current position, I am interested in watching the former Eastern bloc countries transition into the E.U.—who is managing it well, who is having difficulties.