Tele München Group’s Herbert L. Kloiber

This interview originally appeared in the MIPCOM 2014 issue of TV Europe.

For more than 40 years, Tele München Group (TMG) has been providing top-quality content across a range of genres to German-language markets and beyond. The company was an early pioneer in the business of multi-territory drama co-productions, and is looking to capitalize on that experience as the global market for high-quality scripted fare booms. Herbert L. Kloiber, TMG’s managing director, tells TV Europe about his priorities for the company’s drama business—which includes the very popular Rosamunde Pilcher romance franchise and hit crime procedurals like Hubert & Staller—and the trends he is seeing in the market today.

TV EUROPE: What are your overall goals for TMG’s drama business in the year ahead?
KLOIBER: We are actively looking at all new developments on a script or concept basis and are usually one of the first companies to discuss co-productions or acquisitions with various producers. We are able to quickly assess a project and make a decision on whether we want to get involved and, if so, to what degree. In this light we are looking to increase our commitments for 2015 in this area, specifically on the co-production side of international drama.

TV EUROPE: What are some of the new dramas Tele München is involved with?
KLOIBER: With regard to our own productions, we are currently working on the miniseries Richard the Lionheart, The Last Christmas [based on the memoir by the eldest daughter of The Sound of Music’s Von Trapp family], the Rosamunde Pilcher miniseries Valentine’s Kiss and the Cecelia Ahern miniseries Thanks for the Memories. [We have] others through our various affiliated networks and affiliated companies, such as Odeon Film and Prisma Entertainment Production.

TV EUROPE: What qualities do you look for when deciding to become a co-production partner on a project?
KLOIBER: We are looking to partner with reliable producers who believe wholeheartedly in a project. We are usually looking for only one partner per project, from a significant market. Our partners share risk and bring credibility and access to talent.

We are looking at projects from two perspectives. One is the German-speaking territories, which are somewhat different than most other markets. It is essential that a project addresses a clear audience. That requires the right balance of story, cast and look and feel. It can’t be all things to all people. For a project to be interesting for us, we must have a good understanding of where we believe it can [have] its largest impact on the right audience and where we can be helpful for the show to achieve this. Since we are engaged very early on in a project, we bet on great talent, top showrunners and partners who have a proven track record. And we are willing to take risks.

The other perspective [we evaluate is] the international potential we see in a particular show [for it to be sold by TM International].

TV EUROPE: What are some of the trends you’re seeing in the drama business at present?
KLOIBER: We are seeing a proliferation of product for niche audiences. A lot of times producers pitch IP they already own to networks or platforms, which will say, Let’s see if it sticks, since it’s cheap fare. These types of shows rarely make it to a second season. There is less and less product for a broad viewership—even from the major [Hollywood] studios. This has become problematic, particularly for German broadcasters, where there is still great demand for episodic crime or medical procedurals. On the other hand, different demographics consume media in different ways today. Targeted shows cater to these specific audiences and create added value.

We also see a lot of producers giving away flexibility in their business models by making multi-territory deals [with a single platform]. They’re not realizing how much potential they are giving up by granting long holdbacks and exclusivities. I believe this will change over time.

Interestingly, the so-called “limited series,” which we used to call miniseries, are back in full bloom, providing a wonderful canvas for in-depth storytelling.