1999 SCTVF Program Market Preview - The CMM Guide to Who Will Be Who This Week in Sichuan
BEIJING & CHENGDU --- The 1999 Sichuan TV Festival kicks off on October 27th with the SCTVF Forum co-organized by CMM-I (see related article) leading into three days of frenetic activity at program and equipment fairs as Chinese buyers look for last minute 20th century purchases.
The scope of the event is unchanged although the conditions are better with two floors of the newly opened Exhibition Center devoted to equipment (ground) and programs (first). Questions as to the echo effect of the hall when full have yet to be answered.
According to official lists viewed by CMM-I, the major international players at the Program Market include News Corp (Channel V, ESPN/Star Sports, Nat Geo), Disney, Turner, Warner Bros, Columbia Tristar and Discovery. The largest regional presence comes from Hongkong with TVBI, Meiya FilmProductions, CTN and Jade Animation all exhibiting.
TCS Singapore are taking a larger stand than usual, while Taiwanese presence in the Fair is limited to a sole exhibition stand from the Radio and TV Foundation. This masks the interest Taiwanese buyers place in the SCTVF as a further six Taiwanese companies have delegations in Chengdu, but no stands.
Japanese interest is led by NHK and TBS with stands and Yomiuri without.
The South Korean triumvirate of KBS, SBS and MBC are set up for a possible encounter with the first ever delegation from North Korean TV which has not received official publicity (sorry) and which is not presenting a catalogue.
Long term players HVD of Malaysia maintain their record but without a stand, while the attendance from Europe is largely predictable with special efforts being made by Beta Film and ZDF of Germany, Granada of Britain, Radio TV Espanola and Moscow Film Studios.
One of the weakest intra-Asian links is that between India and China, so there is a particular welcome this year for the two Indian delegates from companies that, if translated back from the Chinese, would not do justice to their names.
Without doubt, the most interesting thing about advance delegate lists is they enable fairly accurate predictions of the domestic players who are making a special effort at this year's event and who are worth considering over the course of the three days.
Looking at them, it is immediately obvious that the program fair is dominated by exhibitors from major production centers such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong. Gone are the mini-exhibitors (with only one or two productions on offer) invited by the OC to swell numbers in 1997.
The lists also reveal the possible early effects of the division of broadcast and production responsibilities with a higher percentage of companies among the exhibitors and more TV stations among the non-exhibitors (buyers).
Leading the sales charge from Beijing is the Read company which was also prominent at the 50th Anniversary Fair in Beijing in June and has been particularly aggressive in the distribution field recently as well as investing in new productions. Be careful guys.
Other Beijing-based distribution agents taking considerable stand place include US-linked A Paravision and UK-linked Yahuan Productions, while players making a powerful debut include the City Network Cultural Broadcast Center, Tanglong Cultural Development Co. and Beijing Yousai Culture Development Co.. Another interesting exhibitor to look out for is SCITE Digital Media Development Corp.
More traditional players are still well represented with BTV taking a particularly large stand along with the China TV Program Agency, the National Cable TV Association, China Film Corporation (rather busier in Shanghai), Central Viewers Survey & Consulting Center (CVSC) and Beijing TV Arts Center.
Main exhibitors from Shanghai are Shanghai TV, Oriental TV, TV Shopping Network (China), Shanghai AC Nielsen, Yongle Group (Paradise), Shanghai Cable TV and Caiyi International Communications Business Co.
From Guangdong, the complete absence of official broadcasters serves only to accentuate its distance from the rest of mainland TV. Ironically, the only major exhibition stand being organized (among 15 small ones) is the joint presentation between the Shenzhen Municipal Propaganda Bureau and the National Cultural Relics Department. Expect an epic series for sale.
Likewise, the absence of a state exhibitor from Tianjin exposes none other than News Corp backed Golden Mainland as the only company representing this major northern port city at the only international fair of the year. Is there life beyond News in Tianjin?.
From the other regions, the notable company participants include Nanjing's Hudai Film & TV Communications and Shandong's Sanguan Film & TV, while state operated participants with a message to impart include Chongqing TV, Guangxi TV, Jilin TV, Hunan TV's Guangqian Film & TV Production Center and the Jinan Film & TV Translation Center.
Traditionally quiet at the SCTVF, the Fujian presence at least sounds promising with the Weekend TV Company and Spring Communications both making concerted efforts at this year's event. So much for corporate promotion and program sales, who is coming to buy?
The list of domestic participants without stands offers immediate clues as to which Program Acquisitions Chiefs have taken advantage of the relative convenience of the SCTVF to escort their presidents to the Fair of the year.
For CMM subscribers only, here is a list of the most interesting domestic delegations coming to the 1999 SCTVF with a buying mission, but who will be floating around the event somewhere.
Changchun TV, Datong TV 1, Jiangsu Jinhu Film & TV Advertising Concepts, Jiangsu Cable TV, Ningbo TV, Zhejiang TV, Hunan Sports & Culture Channel, Hubei Economic TV, Wuhan Cable TV, Anhui TV, Fujian TV, Ningxia Cable TV and the Guizhou Cable TV Sports & Travel Channel.
That's all the help you will find here.