Exclusive Interview: Turner’s Anthony Doyle

August 13, 2012 World Screen Top Stories
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PREMIUM: Anthony Doyle, the regional VP of Turner International for Brazil, shares with World Screen his views on how new Brazilian content quotas may impact the portfolio of networks he oversees in this rapidly developing market.

 

The new Brazilian law 12.485/2011 mandates that pay-TV channels operating in the country devote at least three and a half hours in prime time to locally originated content. “We were always in favor of the context behind the law, which is to support and drive local content in Brazil, at the same time to increase the subscriber base,” Doyle says. “In that aspect, conceptually, we’re 100 percent behind the law. Where we have our differences is how it is supposed to be executed.”
 
Doyle notes that the legislation will likely impact some channels more than others. Cartoon Network, for example, began investing in Brazilian animated content several years ago, a strategy that is continued as it has expanded its presence in the country. For TCM, meanwhile, the legislation is slightly more challenging. “When one switches on to watch TCM, one is not really thinking about [seeing] local production there. Quite the opposite. You’re looking for something that comes out of Hollywood. Content usually from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.” Indeed, another element of the legislation, Doyle notes, is that after three years, the production quota stipulates that content must have been produced within the last seven years. “That goes against the grain, the positioning of a channel like TCM. And I would even say in the case of Tooncast,” a channel devoted to classic animation. The women’s entertainment channel Glitz, meanwhile, will have fewer challenges in abiding by the new law.
 
“When you look at a portfolio as extensive as Turner’s, it’s hard to come to a general conclusion overall, because each channel has a different position and each channel can absorb local content to different degrees. Some channels already comply, some channels will have to make significant changes to be able to comply. We will comply with the law. We do hope [the regulator] ANCINE will be as flexible as possible, so the implementation will not be as traumatic as we think it’s going to be. That trauma will have an effect on the subscriber. We want to keep the momentum of the industry in Brazil going and growing. Brazil is on a roll in terms of growth. It’s became a very important market for Turner. And we don’t want to derail that.”
 
Addressing Brazil’s economic growth, Doyle notes that Turner is researching and understanding how to program for the expanding middle class. “We’re taking a good look at what broadcasters do, taking a good look at what our competitors do—but I think really the competitors are more concerned about what Turner is doing than the other way around. Back in 97, 98, we figured out what we thought would be the best strategy for growth and it’s not a coincidence that Turner has, depending on the time of day, at least three channels in the top ten in terms of ratings. So there’s still a lot to learn but initial signs are very encouraging. Let’s just hope that the Brazilian economy continues to grow and that the cable operators and satellite providers continue to implement strategies that support that growth.”