The MIPCOM keynote schedule opened today with a wide-ranging conversation between Channel 4\u2019s Alex Mahon, WeMake\u2019s Bouchra Rejani and Newen Studios\u2019 Bibiane Godfroid on leadership styles, trends in the media business, implementing diversity initiatives and more.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is more demand for content than ever,\u201d said Mahon, CEO of Channel 4, in her remarks during the Women in Leadership keynote super session. \u201cWe are all overwhelmed by choice; when we go into any platform, AVOD or SVOD, what should I choose? This leads to choice paralysis; the overload of choice leads us often to go back to the same thing. So you get this peculiar mix where we all want to try new things, broadcasters and streamers want to find new things, but people want to choose things that are really big and marketed as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mahon added that what\u2019s working well in streaming also works in linear television: \u201cThe big hits are the big hits across both. If anything, the streamers are now looking for bigger and bigger shows that work in every country. They\u2019ve moved away from niche.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Godfroid, CEO of Newen Studios, the biggest challenges today are finding the right talent for shows and acquiring scale. \u201cWe tripled the turnover in three years,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are creating a big company with the same DNA because the objective is to make cross-fertilization, cross projects between the different companies.\u201d<\/p>\n
On whether Newen is looking to acquire additional production companies, Godfroid said, \u201cThere are some countries in Europe we are not in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Rejani, founder and CEO of WeMake, said the company has benefited from its small size. \u201cWhen we launched the company, our vision from the start was to address the streamers\u2019 needs. The streamers and the high demand for content is a huge opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
The conversation then moved to diversity and inclusion, with Godfroid noting that more than 50 percent of Newen Studios\u2019 senior management is female. \u201cI am creating a diversity and inclusion committee. And we have to implement more of that inclusion.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, promoting diversity and inclusion has been a long fight,\u201d Rejani said. \u201cTo be honest, I think the French TV landscape has slightly changed under the pressure of what the U.S. is doing and pushed by the streamers. There is a growing demand for diversity and inclusion, but we are very far from what we have to do. What can we do to fight for better representation of French society? We\u2019ve seen a big rise in racism. What we can at least do is push for the next generation to do what we were not capable of doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mahon said quotas and targets are key. \u201cUltimately, if we fail to change, we will not be appealing to the audience. The streamers don\u2019t work with new talent, they work with established talent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe still have to work out how to work for better equality,” Rejani said. “How can we help the youth to have hope, that they can at the end have inspirational stories that resemble them?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The MIPCOM keynote schedule opened today with a wide-ranging conversation between Channel 4\u2019s Alex Mahon, WeMake\u2019s Bouchra Rejani and Newen Studios\u2019 Bibiane Godfroid on leadership styles, trends in the media business, implementing diversity initiatives and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":290,"featured_media":11359,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-top-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n