ABC TV\u2019s Michael Carrington, Turner\u2019s Patricia Hidalgo, SUPER RTL\u2019s Janine Weigold and Gloob\u2019s Paula Taborda dos Guaranys discussed how they are serving their audiences at MIPJunior this morning before each being presented with a World Screen Kids Trendsetter Award.<\/p>\n
These four professionals, honored by World Screen and Reed MIDEM for their contributions to children\u2019s programming, took part in the View from the Top panel at MIPJunior, moderated by Anna Carugati, the group editorial director at World Screen.<\/p>\n
Carrington, the head of children\u2019s and education at Australia\u2019s ABC, said that even in today\u2019s fast-moving media sector, the role of a public broadcaster hasn\u2019t really changed. \u201cWe’ve always wanted to reflect and engage our children\u2019s audiences from a local perspective and give them a window on the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diversity has become a key mission for ABC in Australia. \u201cChildren want to see themselves reflected [on-screen]. They may be disabled children, indigenous children, children from families who have immigrated to the country. Part of reflecting who they are, we are very aware and very open to telling those stories and making sure that not only do we see the kids on-screen, but also [have diversity] behind the camera. We want people behind the camera telling that story so that it has an authentic voice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carrington added, \u201cIn a world like today, which is quite fragmented, and the things that are happening\u2014Brexit and Trump and North Korea\u2014we know that children are hearing about that stuff, they\u2019re seeing it on the news. They feel unsettled. This is a way of grounding them where they are and ensuring they feel well protected.”<\/p>\n
Hidalgo, chief content and creative officer for EMEA and international kids strategy at Turner, discussed the tight collaboration between her team and her programming colleagues in the U.S. \u201cWe share everything from a very early stage, whether it\u2019s an idea, a development, we\u2019re always involved in sharing those materials. We give our feedback. Of course, the U.S. wants to make sure that what they\u2019re making is going to travel as far and wide as possible. So if there are any cultural issues, we\u2019ll address them. It also works the other way around. We do create content internationally,\u201d Hidalgo said, citing The Amazing World of Gumball<\/em>, which hails from Europe. \u201cWe share the same values when it comes to our brands. And when it comes to gaps in the schedule, we have a great organization. Cecilia Persson heads international acquisitions, and then with Adina [Pitt] they collaborate to get global acquisitions.\u201d<\/p>\n Gloob\u2019s Taborda dos Guaranys, the head of content and programming, discussed the background of the five-year-old channel, which originated from a significant research endeavor at parent company Globosat. \u201cWe understood that there were channels for preschoolers and others for 8- to 12-year-olds, but none for kids 5 to 8. We did research with more than 2,000 families. We understood that within Globosat\u2019s portfolio it would be a good thing to have a children\u2019s channel.\u201d<\/p>\n On the heels of Gloob\u2019s success, Globosat is launching a preschool service, Gloobinho, next week.<\/p>\n Taborda dos Guaranys stressed the \u201cBrazilian DNA\u201d of Gloob, thanks to its slate of original productions, which have helped the channel differentiate itself from the international kids\u2019 nets in the country. \u201cBut the values we have are universal. The content we produce will resonate with kids all over the world.”<\/p>\n Weigold, the head of children\u2019s content at SUPER RTL, said the German channel has continued to thrive thanks to its mix of local and international brands. She also discussed the Kividoo SVOD service and how it is different from the SUPER RTL linear channel. \u201cFor the linear channel, we focus on the target of 3- to 9-year-olds. We need to reach the mass as we\u2019re an ad-financed channel. For Kividoo we can go more into niches\u2014we can go younger, older, in different angles that you probably wouldn\u2019t for the linear channel.”<\/p>\n Each programmer then addressed their programming wish lists. \u201cWhen you see it you know it,\u201d said ABC\u2019s Carrington. \u201cBroadly speaking we\u2019re always looking for stories that engage with children. Normally that\u2019s through a sense of humor, whether that\u2019s animation or live-action comedy-drama. The uniqueness we\u2019re looking for is that emotional connection between the characters, which then translates into a screen experience that engages with and emotionally stimulates the viewer.\u201d<\/p>\n Hidalgo is continuing the hunt for animation for Cartoon Network and Boomerang. \u201cWe’re really looking for partnerships. We want to find the right partners we can co-develop content with. That content should be franchisable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe want the next hit,\u201d said Gloob\u2019s Taborda dos Guaranys. \u201cThere\u2019s no formula. We want stories that are character-driven. We need to engage the children.\u201d The channel\u2019s acquired to original split is about fifty-fifty, she said.<\/p>\n SUPER RTL\u2019s Weigold is looking for \u201cgreat characters and inspiring stories. It should have a life on different platforms. And a long life\u2014we repeat content very often, so it needs to stay on for quite some years.\u201d<\/p>\n Carrington added that \u201cthe quality of the content that comes into Australia from abroad is so high, our audiences have this massive expectation that what we deliver them is also movie quality and has an impact. So when we\u2019re talking to potential partners, we\u2019re looking for that edge that brings that distinctive, high-quality, engaging visual material. Also, as a public-service broadcaster, we can afford to take risks.\u201d<\/p>\n The conversation then moved to co-productions and prebuys. Gloob\u2019s Taborda dos Guaranys said that \u201cit\u2019s hard to buy only for Brazil and be competitive. The way we achieve great results is by entering into co-productions.\u201d<\/p>\n At Turner, Hidalgo says there are various models, from enhanced acquisitions to bigger co-pros. \u201cIt depends on the IP and the overall business proposition. What\u2019s important is to find the right partner. It\u2019s no use going into a co-development or co-production with a partner who doesn\u2019t have similar values to yours.\u201d<\/p>\n ABC\u2019s Carrington noted the level of multiculturalism in Australia, and as such, \u201cWe\u2019re interested in broad-ranging stories. They can come from anywhere. Co-production is interesting for us because we also like to help our industry. We\u2019re a small country. We want to bring [our viewers] stories that help stimulate their interest in the rest of the world, as well as our own local storytelling. We tend to try to work through Australian producers. They\u2019ll come to us with their own IP and with co-production opportunities with international partners.\u201d The country has several co-pro treaties with countries across the globe.<\/p>\n Carugati then asked the panelists to address how they\u2019re engaging with audiences outside of the linear screen.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to\u00a0be [serving them] in all ways,\u201d said Weigold at SUPER RTL. That\u2019s not easy, she said, as \u201ctheir habits change quite quickly.\u201d But being multiplatform also opens up a world of potential. \u201cIn marketing, we used to kick off big campaigns and roll them out for three months. Now you have to adapt and be quick and maybe smarter. It enriches the industry and the engagement with the children. We try to be everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n Gloob is producing different stories for different platforms, creating spin-offs shows for digital devices.<\/p>\n \u201cKids are consuming not just the video content, they\u2019re consuming games and apps,\u201d Hidalgo noted. \u201cWhatever IP you\u2019re trying to grow, you must make sure you have that bespoke content for specific [platforms]. As you\u2019re creating the series, you should be thinking about how it looks on different platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTelevision is still very important to children,\u201d Carrington added, \u201calthough it may just be on in the background these days. The majority of our audience still watches television, but there\u2019s no doubt that they are moving to a video-on-demand scenario. We have free VOD, apps for our channels, our websites and partnerships with YouTube. We\u2019re trying to be everywhere that children are. We\u2019re creating stories and episodes that will migrate seamlessly between the platforms. We\u2019re genre-driven not platform-driven.\u201d<\/p>\n As they embrace new platforms, broadcasters are also acutely aware of the impact OTT services such as YouTube and Netflix are having in their markets. Netflix, for example, has seen \u201ca huge uptake,\u201d in Australia, Carrington said. \u201cWe\u2019re driving the audience with original [Australian] production,\u201d he noted, adding that ABC is also collaborating with Netflix.<\/p>\n Hidalgo said that the effect of the streamers has been good and bad. \u201cDisruption is good; it makes you rethink what you\u2019re doing. It means there\u2019s more money out there for the industry. And there are more platforms to have our content exposed.\u201d On the other hand, however, \u201cthey are competitors. They are competing for the limited time kids have.\u201d<\/p>\n Weigold said that SUPER RTL is working hard to \u201ccelebrate free TV,\u201d having \u201cmore live moments where kids want to tune in and talk about it the next day in school.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re in their face all the time,\u201d Carrington said. \u201cAnd they can interact with us on a daily basis. They just send us stuff. We\u2019re almost live in their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to see that same kind of connection in the nonlinear space,\u201d Hidalgo added. \u201cShelves and shelves of videos is not going to be enough.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ABC TV\u2019s Michael Carrington, Turner\u2019s Patricia Hidalgo, SUPER RTL\u2019s Janine Weigold and Gloob\u2019s Paula Taborda dos Guaranys discussed how they are serving their audiences at MIPJunior this morning before each being presented with a World Screen Kids Trendsetter Award.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":290,"featured_media":13268,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[3075,3167],"class_list":["post-13267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-top-stories","tag-mipcom-2017","tag-world-screen-kids-trendsetter","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\n