Nat Geo Music

World Screen Weekly, May 8, 2008

COUNTRIES: Italy, Portugal, Latin America

LAUNCH DATE: October 15, 2007, in Italy

OWNERSHIP: National Geographic Channels International (NGCI), a joint venture of National Geographic Television (NGT) and FOX Entertainment Group.

DISTRIBUTION: Available in Italy on SKY Italia, in Portugal on Cabovisão and Meo and in Latin America on DIRECTV.

DESCRIPTION: The 24-hour channel aims to take viewers on a musical journey around the world with videos, concerts, documentaries and interviews with leading international artists.

EXECUTIVE VP OF CONTENT, NGCI: Sydney Suissa

VP, REGIONAL PROGRAMMING & NETWORK DEVELOPMENT,

NGCI: Karin Simoncini

VP, FACTUAL PROGRAMMING, FOX CHANNELS ITALY: Sherin Salvetti

PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: Launched last October, Nat Geo Music today sits alongside a portfolio of global networks from NGCI that includes the flagship National Geographic Channel, National Geographic Channel HD, Nat Geo Wild and Nat Geo Adventure. The 24-hour network grew out of a music website established by the National Geographic Society, presenting information on leading local musicians across the globe.

“The mandate of the channel is very much in sync with the DNA of National Geographic—inspiring people to care about other people and the planet and to explore,” says Karin Simoncini, NGCI’s VP of regional programming and development.

Simoncini notes that the universality of music makes it the perfect medium with which to explore different cultures. “Music is very visceral and people get excited about it. You see and hear music from around the world and you really get a sense of where it’s coming from, the place that it represents, the place that it reflects, the culture and some of the issues those places are going through. Many of these really smart musicians get their inspiration from [home towns] and music is just the way they tell their stories.”

With a host of major and independent labels as partners—among them EMI Arabia, Warner Music Latin America, Sony BMG Asia and Universal Italy—the channel features music videos from around the world. According to Simoncini, these fit into various branded blocks on the channel, like Music Nomad, From A to Zanzibar and The Mixer. “What we try to do is give you the music that you would like to hear according to the daypart; we’re not going to put a dance spot on at 9 a.m.!”

The channel also programs a block called We Love…, focused on specific countries or genres, like We Love Brazil or We Love Reggae, Simoncini says.

Nat Geo Music also acquires concerts and documentaries that take a unique look at an artist and his or her work. “You get to see the artist doing something that they’re really passionate about and you get a sense of the place [they come from] as well.”

Original productions are part of the mix for the channel. Simoncini notes that Geo Sessions, in particular, has been a successful show for the network. Produced out of the NGCI headquarters in Washington, D.C., the series features an acoustic performance by an artist, as well as an “intimate interview,” Simoncini says. “We want to see the person and a little bit of what goes into their head when they’re creating the music. So we understand them more, we understand where they come from.” Artists that have appeared in Geo Sessions include Ben Harper and Angelique Kidjo.

VJ for a Day, meanwhile, interviews music personalities about the kinds of music they listen to. “We say, Give us your playlist,” Simoncini notes.

WHAT’S NEW: On the horizon for the channel is a greater investment in its online presence, following the success of National Geographic Society’s own music website.

WEBSITE: www.natgeomusic.it

—By Mansha Daswani