WorldScreenings: ORF-Enterprise’s Agile Approach

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As broadcasters around the world are confronted with TV productions that have been put on pause and events that have been canceled, programming needs have shifted. “Their audiences have an immense need for news and information from reliable sources,” says Armin Luttenberger, head of content sales international. “In these times, ORF-Enterprise is supporting clients by curating hand-picked packages for their immediate needs and also offering a perspective for the upcoming months with our commitment to a reliable output of titles.”

Having learned first-hand from ORF’s own program rescheduling amid the coronavirus crisis, ORF-Enterprise has adapted its lineup from the traditional seasonal one into “a more agile approach,” Luttenberger says. “We are providing our clients with high-quality reportages, covering recent events from the perspective of a highly respected public service institution and so, we can offer a wide range of ready-mades from all genres.”

The company has a library of 30-plus years of blue-chip nature, wildlife and science programs from ORF’s Universum strand. It also offers classic and more recent recordings of musical performances from Austria, award-winning edutainment shows for kids and hundreds of hours of series and movies. Most of these programs are available in quick turnaround time as well, thanks to its close collaboration with the broadcaster’s archive.

“Our abundant factual catalog allows our clients to pick volume packages, such as curated selections from our wildlife and nature brand ORF Universum, the daytime factual series The Wildlife Orphanage or entertaining gardening shows,” Luttenberger says. “When it comes to relicensing titles, we can support with a quick turnaround to rerun titles, including award-winning TV movies and series. With access to the ORF’s audiovisual library, a dedicated team assigned to footage inquiries takes care of our customers’ specific demands. This service includes content from the ORF’s news and reportage (feature) segments, current affairs features produced by our worldwide network of correspondents as well as footage from our blue-chip factual catalog.”

ORF-Enterprise is also making use of the value feedback gleaned at international markets to help serve customers. “ORF’s TV series and movies have been performing extremely well recently in the sales territories, and we are confident they will continue to do so in even more markets,” Luttenberger says. “As a subsidiary of a well-established broadcaster, we are committed to keeping up the pace by offering fresh content on a regular basis—even in challenging times.”

The media industry, as most other industries, has been forced to adapt to the circumstances brought on by the global health crises—and has done so quickly, Luttenberger says. “Broadcasters are preponing runs from already licensed content, relicensing expired titles for a quick turnaround and often rescheduling their programming. We are confident that this will help us throughout the summer but the situation this coming fall and winter will expose the need for fresh content.”

See ORF-Enterprise’s Spring 2020 Showcase here.