ITV

Tag: David Hulbert

  • Disney revs for India, China may take time: Iger

    Disney revs for India, China may take time: Iger

    MUMBAI: Even as Walt Disney is working overtime to have everything in place for what now looks increasingly like a year-end coming out party for its three channels in India, the going is not quite so smooth in neighbouring China.

    The timeline of the launch of Disney in India appears to have been advanced to the year-end (December-January) instead of the March-April timeline that was earlier being talked about.

    Additionally, the three channels that will be launching are also now clear. The Disney Channel will be the flagship. Alongside it are Toon Disney (to directly take on Cartoon Network) and Playhouse Disney (for pre-schoolers).

    And what of the localised version of ABC, which German business daily Handelsblatt had quoted David Hulbert, president Walt Disney Television International, as saying would definitely happen within a year?

    The thinking appears to be that with three well entrenched players in Star, Sony and Zee having pretty much carved out most of the ad pickings in the Hindi general entertainment space, that is an idea that can wait.

    Meanwhile, regulatory hurdles to starting a television channel in Guangdong may mean a Disney channel in China isn’t imminent, Disney president Robert Iger has been quoted in media reports as saying.

    Guangdong is the most open media market in China and has a population of 86 million.

    Rivals Viacom and Newscorp are ahead of Disney as far as China ventures are concerned. Viacom expects to launch ventures in Beijing and Shanghai in the near future while Phoenix Satellite Television, 38 per cent owned by News Corp, broadcasts into China from the SAR.

    Iger has been quoted as saying in London on 29 September that Disney plans to expand its television presence in China, India and Europe as part of an effort to extend the Disney brand and drive growth in its movie, DVD, theme park and other businesses. The company will start a TV channel in India next year, Iger said.

    DISTRIBUTION STILL THE BIG QUESTION

    That Disney India has been on an aggressive recruitment drive to shore up its team ahead of the launch of its three channels is well known. But the ad that appeared in a leading pink paper on Tuesday certainly raises some queries.

    While the ad Disney placed seeks suitable candidates for the full gamut of channel activities – distribution, ad sales, programming, S&P, legal and finance – the focus was clearly on distribution.

    Disney is looking for an India distribution head as well as regional heads (east, west, south, north) who will report to the national head.

    It may be just a coincidence, but the attention of indiantelevision.com had been drawn to this very fact earlier by the distribution head of a channel. According to him, this could well point to the possibility of Disney not hitching on to any platform but going it alone the way the just launched Times Group channel Zoom has chosen to do.

    What did lend some substance to this thesis were of course the recent recommendations issued by broadcast regulator Trai suggesting that all new pay channels should not be packaged as part of an existing bouquet but should be priced separately.

    If implemented, what this would do is remove any advantage that a strong platform will provide a new channel.

    Of course, it could also be simply that Disney head Rajat Jain believes that whether on a platform or otherwise, a dedicated distribution team is essential to have a clear handle on the exact status of the channel/s on the distribution front. Having come from Sony, he would obviously be aware of the how NDTV’s channels only picked up after a dedicated distribution team was set up by Dr Prannoy Roy’s network to push the two channels.

    For the record, though there is still no official word on the matter, the industry expectation still is that it will be the Star Network wagon that Disney hitches its distribution fortunes to.

  • ‘After TV, the next stage will be consumer products and theme parks’ : David Hulbert – Walt Disney TV International president

    ‘After TV, the next stage will be consumer products and theme parks’ : David Hulbert – Walt Disney TV International president

    He may not look like a born fan of Mickey and gang, but is passionate about increasing the reach of the gang as also the Disney brand equity. And he does it with as much sincerity in the various markets as he is honest about the different levels of regulations in various countries. Meet David Hulbert, president of Walt Disney Television International, who has the responsibility for the consolidated international free and pay television activities of The Walt Disney Company in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific.

    These activities include branded and non-branded programme distribution through Buena Vista International Television (BVITV), production and broadcasting, including the development and management of 24 world-wide Disney Channels that can be seen in 67 countries, and other media investments in Europe.

    Through Disney Clubs and Disney animation, WDTV-I provides 100 branded shows per week in 65 countries around the world. BVITV licenses internationally successful series from Walt Disney Television and Touchstone Television, feature films from Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures and Miramax Films plus ABC News, entertainment, sports and children’s programming. In total, BVITV licenses more than 30,000 hours of programming world-wide annually and services the distribution of the FKE (Fox Kids Europe) & BVS portfolios of children’s programming.

    WDTV-I’s portfolio of investments in Europe includes Super RTL and RTL2 in Germany, Multicanal in Iberia, and GMTV in the UK. WDTV-I is also well- positioned to respond to growth in the emerging markets of central Europe through equity participation with HBO in Poland, Hungary, Romania and Czech Republic/Slovakia.

    Previously, Hulbert was managing director for European Broadcasting for WDTV-I, during which time he managed the launch and roll-out of six European Disney Channels. Prior to joining Disney in 1995 as senior vice president and managing director of business development, Hulbert ran his own consulting and venture management company, Ravensbeck plc. Between 1983 and 1986, he was vice president of business development for Europe and general manager for Benelux at Seagram Distillers. He also worked for international consulting company McKinsey & Company after beginning his career with the Unilever subsidiary Lever Bros.

    Indiantelevision.com’s Anjan Mitra caught up in Delhi for a short but freewheeling conversation with Hulbert, a graduate of Caius College, Cambridge and Stanford Business School in the US, where he was a Harkness Fellow. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Management Accountants.

    Excerpts:

    On an overview of Disney’s global functioning.

    The division of Disney that I head comprises the international TV business, excluding ESPN which handles the sports business. We are in the business of selling TV programming through broadcasters and we create TV channels, both free-to-air and pay. In different countries, we follow different models. We are present in all the major markets through our channels and other business ventures like publishing, films, theme parks, merchandising and exploiting new technologies.

    India is one of the major markets for us and I think it fits in very well with our global plans.

    On the bullishness shown in the Asian market by Disney and some drawbacks in this region.

    If you have a global business, then Asia is an important hub. For example, we are focussing on the Disney theme park, which is scheduled to open in Hong Kong next year. That is likely to pave the way for the growth of other businesses. TV (industry) is growing fast in Asia, but it also has a long way to go. As for Disney, we are pretty aggressive in almost all the segments in Asia, except, probably, films. May be piracy is a reason for this because we are very particular about our properties and intellectual property rights. However, it’s a trend we have been witnessing: as the local industry grows, piracy has been coming down and that is pretty encouraging for us.

    On Disney’s entry into the Indian market despite controversies with Indian joint venture partner in the past.

    The population of India, as in the case of China, makes it an attractive market for those in the TV business. We are starting off with TV, but the next stage is to bring other businesses like consumer products, theme parks and tap various media. As a group, we are very interested in India. But I would not be able to comment on how the other businesses would unfold here over a period of time.

    On using other media and new technology in India.

    We do have some plans but for that Rajat would be the best person to answer the query.

    (Rajat Jain, MD, Walt Disney India: As the business grows in India fuelled by TV, we would look at tapping newer technologies and mode of delivery to exploit the Disney brand to the fullest. For example, with the rise in awareness about Disney, we may offer Disney characters as a download on computers and hand-held devices. Downloads may also include ringtones, wallpapers and, thus, help in creating the total Disney experience.)

    On Disney’s plans to have (or not have) a full-fledged Disney Playhouse.

    We had planned the channel launches for India for a long time and in the original plans there were no moves to bring Playhouse Disney as a (full-fledged) channel. There are markets where Playhouse is a dedicated block in the existing Disney channels, while in other markets it’s an independent channel. Everything should be done step by step. This (bringing two Disney channels,The Disney Channel and Toon Disney) is a big step. But I won’t rule out an independent Playhouse channel (for India in future). There are some distribution challenges that need to be addressed first.
    ‘We expect the Indian venture to be profitable in 4-5 years ‘

    On whether Disney plans to have an Indian version of ABC.

    We recently launched ABC1 in the UK, but there are no plans for India (at the moment).

    On some of the “challenges” of running the channel business in India.

    Agreed, India is a growing TV market, but there is a large number of cable operators. Then there are many TV sets with limited capacity (to receive TV channels). I’d say, India is a complicated, but vibrant market in terms of structure and creativity.

    On the various targets for the Indian business venture.

    I cannot talk figures, but the initial target is to bring two channels to India and seek awareness about them and consumer satisfaction quickly. Also, bring in advertisers and work on that effectively. We would also like to do well in both areas (of advertising and distribution revenue).

    (Rajat Jain: The Disney channels would be carrying advertisements. Since the concept of a pay channel in the strictest sense doesn’t exist in India at the moment in the absence of addressability, we too are likely to follow the general trend of having dual revenue streams through advertising and subscription in the ratio of 70:30. Over a period of time, it should form an equal split in revenues. Initially, we may not have ads during the Playhouse block.)

    On the likely breakeven point for the Indian venture.

    Generally speaking, such business ventures of Disney in other parts of the globe take four to five years to turn profitable. Since we expect to invest every year (in India), I guess the same should hold true for the Indian market too.

    On Indian regulations for the broadcasting industry.

    I am not really an expert on regulations in India. But we have found that those markets develop well where there is less regulation. To help a market grow, it should be fairly less regulated.
  • Disney to launch Indian variant of ABC: paper

    Disney to launch Indian variant of ABC: paper

    MUMBAI: While the industry impatiently awaits an announcement as to who will be heading Disney in India, some news on what the three channels it is launching in India will constitute.

    It’s not just kiddies channels that the Little Big Mouse is planning to bring to India early next year but a general entertainment channel as well. Going by what a German newspaper reported recently, one of the channels Disney is thinking of launching is a localised version of ABC.

    Which is certainly not what indiantelevision.com had thought was coming from the Disney stable in March-April 2005. The three channels that this website had assumed were coming to Indian shores were The Disney Channel, Playhouse (for pre-schoolers) and Toons.

    The German business daily Handelsblatt recently quoted David Hulbert, president of the Disney unit of Walt Disney Television International, as saying that the launch of the three channels (the other two being TDC and Playhouse) would definitely happen within a year.

    Handelsblatt has additionally reported that Disney is searching for a local partner for content generation.

    One thing certain about any plans Disney may have for a general entertainment in India. It will be a long haul for it to better its current standing in the US as far as the network pecking order is concerned. ABC has been struggling to close the gap with Murdoch’s Fox, GE’s NBC and Viacom’s CBS.

    It will be the same in India what with three well entrenched players in Star, Sony and Zee having pretty much carved out most of the ad pickings in the Hindi general entertainment space.

  • Disney Channel to debut on DTH service in Korea 1 June

    Disney Channel to debut on DTH service in Korea 1 June

    Mickey Mouse is coming to Korea. Come 1 June, viewers in Seoul will be able to tune into the antics of Disney’s rodent on television. The Disney Channel will be carried on Korean DTH service provider, Korea Digital Satellite Broadcasting (KDB) on channel 654 under the “Skylife” brandname.

    KDB president & CEO Hyeon-Dew Kang, and Walt Disney Television International managing director for branded television – Asia Pacific – Jon Niermann had earlier signed an agreement sealing the deal on 9 April.

    Making the announcement of the 1 June debut, Walt Disney Television International president David Hulbert said: “Korea is a market that shows tremendous potential for growth in the cable and satellite industry. This is an important step in expanding our presence throughout the region.”

    The Korean Broadcasting Commission granted Disney Channel approval as a foreign re-transmission channel early this year. Negotiations between KDB and Disney began in the middle of 2001 and culminated in an agreement recently. On 1 March 2002, KDB launched its Skylife service with a ceremony held in Seoul which was attended by Korean President Kim Dae Jung. Disney Channel has offered KDB customers a “preview” channel since 26 March. With Disney launching, KDB expects Skylife to reach 500,000 Korean households by December 2002.

    Disney Channel Asia, which is headed by managing director Raymund Miranda, is now available in five countries around the region: Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines. It was launched in January 2000 and is a multi-language feed with both dubbing and subtitling in Mandarin, and a main feed in English. The Korean feed will be broadcast in English with Korean subtitles.

    The Asian television service is available in seven countries in the Asia Pacific region: Australia, Korea, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines. The Korean feed will be broadcast in English with Korean subtitles.

    Disney branded programs are broadcast on local free-to-air networks in 12 countries around the region, reaching a total audience of 300 million in the Asia-Pacific.

    In India Disney programming is watched on Sony Entertainment Television, Eenadu TV, and Doordarshan. Disney which normally takes time to enter a new country, has been studying a foray into India with its 24-hour service for the past three to four years but has held back because its cable TV networks are not truly addressable. It has recently applied to the country’s foreign investment promotion board for clearance to get into broadcasting activities.

  • Disney firms up plans to launch its three channels

    Disney firms up plans to launch its three channels

    CANNES: Walt Disney Television International president David Hulbert is quite gung-ho about India. At MipTV in Cannes, Hulber told a European media website that his company was more interested in India than China. He said that Walt Disney Television is chatting with Indian distributors to introduce “two or three” channels in India this year.

    “We are in discussions with people like Star, ESS and Sony about distribution as part of their bundle rather than launching the channel as a joint-venture,” Hulbert told the website. The final call on its distribution partner is expected to be taken by July and a Diwali launch of the three Disney channels – Playhouse, Toons and TDC – is looking increasingly likely.

    The media powerhouse only recently severed relations with its more than 10-year-old partner Modi Entertainment Network (MEN) and shuttered its joint venture with the Lalit Modi promoted MEN, Walt Disney India Private Limited.

    Hulbert shrugged off the recent CAS imbroglio adding that he was quite sanguine that the Telecom Regulatory Authority (Trai) would not bring a heavy hand on the cable and satellite television broadcasting industry, working as a facilitator. He added that Disney has already started dubbing Disney programmes into Hindi, Tamil and Telegu for the new channels.

    Additionally, the company is also on a recruitment drive for its proposed channels and has appointed local agencies to help it zoom in on the talent. The recent Ficci Frames conference held in Mumbai last month had witnessed the the senior Asian Disney management in full attendance.

    According to its application with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board, it will be setting up a wholly-owned subsidiary in India, and will invest $10m in India over the next five years. Besides the new channels, the company intends to take a dekko at other forays such as production and distribution of local movies, branded merchandising, theme parks and resorts.