Pro TV

COUNTRY: Romania

LAUNCH DATE: December 1995

OWNERSHIP: Central European Media Enterprises (CME) holds a 95-percent stake, while its COO, Adrian Sarbu, who is also the owner of MediaPro, holds the remaining 5 percent.

DISTRIBUTION: Pro TV reaches almost 97 percent of Romania’s 20.2 million people.

DESCRIPTION: The 24-hour Romanian network, aimed at urban adults aged 18 to 49, features a mix of top international series and movies with a variety of local productions, including news and entertainment.

CEO: Costi Mocanu

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Anca Budinschi

ACQUISITION MANAGER: Sorina Big

PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: From its very first broadcasts, Pro TV has ranked as number one among Romanian viewers, with its female-skewing sister network, Acasa TV, occupying the number two slot. In the competitive Romanian market with 41 TV stations, Pro TV has managed to stay ahead of its main competitors—Antena 1, Prima TV and Kanal D—by offering a mix of news, entertainment and fiction that are “perfectly adapted to the needs and expectations of our target audience,” says its CEO, Costi Mocanu.

“Pro TV is more than a TV station, it’s a state of mind,” adds Mocanu. “Pro TV [aims] to be responsible, to get involved and help. This is what we do through our programs, especially through Pro TV News,” which is the highest-rated news program in the Romanian market. In 2007, the network organized a campaign to protect animals’ rights, along with a social initiative focusing on the way Romanian children are raised, educated, helped and loved. Earlier this year, Pro TV News began its campaign to encourage organ donation across the region, and in April began its newest push to inform Romanians about the dangerous effects of land clearing.

Aside from its pro-social remit, the network supplies a range of entertainment programs and series, mixing original and acquired content. In terms of locally produced fare, MediaPro Pictures, part of the entertainment division of MediaPro, delivers an array of high-quality content to the network. Pro TV was behind the launch of the first Romanian sitcom, Neighbors Forever, which lasted for a record 13 seasons, as well as the first Romanian action series, Good Guys, which has been rolled out on DVD. Last year, Pro TV began airing One Step Ahead, which “brought a new perspective [on] soap operas in the Romanian market,” explains Mocanu. “The impressive crew and distribution, the quality of the shooting and editing and the sets that were built especially for this project made this TV series stand out as one of the best Romanian TV productions ever made.” Pro TV is also home to Dancing for You (Dansez pentru tine), based on the international format Strictly Come Dancing. Mocanu says that the show “conquered its viewers with elegance and style, becoming the highest-rated entertainment program in the Romanian market.” Also among the most popular shows is Happy Hour, a one-hour live entertainment program that brings Romanian viewers the latest news about stars and showbiz.

While some 46 percent of Pro TV’s schedule is comprised of locally produced programs, the remaining 54 percent is acquired product. The channel tends to pick up feature films, TV movies and series most often, and has a number of deals in place with distributors such as ALL3MEDIA, Granada, Gaumont, Endemol, Regent, PorchLight and Cinetel. U.S. dramas have been top performers for the network, including CSI: Miami and CSI: New York, along with Criminal Minds, Prison Break, Without a Trace, Ghost Whisperer and the comedy Two and a Half Men. The channel also airs some of the top Romanian and international sporting events, including coverage of matches from the UEFA Champions League.

Pro TV is supported by a website that “functions as a marketing tool for all of our programs,” explains Mocanu. There is a push-pull dynamic between the two, with the website announcing events to draw people to the linear channel, while on air highlights web offerings to send people back to the site. Mocanu also says that the channel is gearing up for a greater broadband presence, using live streams for special events and soon for the news as well. Also for news, mobile content is being developed for a future rollout.

WHAT’S NEW: For the summer and fall schedules, the channel will launch a variety of blockbuster movies as well as local fiction programs. There will be new series popping up on Pro TV, along with returning seasons of a range of successful programs.

“We have a few aces on our hands regarding both locally produced and international programs,” says Mocanu. “We are preparing some very nice surprises for our viewers.”

WEBSITE: www.protv.ro

—By Kristin Brzoznowski