ITV

Tag: Mipcom

  • Lightworks looks to get married at Mipcom

    Lightworks looks to get married at Mipcom

    MUMBAI: Lightworks Programme Distribution (LPD) has announced that filmmaker Michael Apted’s Being Married will headline its slate of programmes to be presented at next month’s television trade event Mipcom.

    The event takes place in Cannes, France from 9-11 October 2006.

    Being Married is a reality TV alternative which takes a look at the courtship, marriage, and progression of nine couples. Combining interviews with footage of the couples on dates, interaction with their families, the actual wedding ceremonies, and the challenges they experience five years after the wedding, the film provides a fascinating perspective on the cultural phenomenon of marriage in the 21st Century.

    Being Married is inspired by Michael Apted’s 7/UP, which began in 1964 and is considered to be the greatest longitudinal documentary effort of all time, according to a panel of 400 UK filmmakers assembled by Channel 4. Currently the president of the Director’s Guild of America, Apted’s career spans documentaries and features.

    LPD executive VP and MD John Cuddihy says, “Michael Apted’s accomplishments, including his past and present films, are of the highest quality and we are delighted to be associated with him.

    “The documentary leverages the endless and timeless fascination with what makes lasting relationships work and reflects the most significant ways in which marriage and relationships are being challenged and re-defined. Lightworks Program Distribution’s library consists of bold, entertaining programmes which convey the challenges of today’s world. I am confident that Being Married will captivate viewers world-wide and will be a worthy addition to our award- winning library.”

    In the first installment of Being Married nine soon-to-be-married couples discuss their relationships, their decision to get married, their backgrounds, their views on sex, divorce and their expectations and dreams for the future. The second installment revisits each of the 9 couples to find out how their lives have changed and how their relationships
    progressed in the first five years of married life.

    Despite their cultural, geographical, and socio-economical differences, each of the couples-regardless of age or sexual orientation, face similar challenges within a marriage: the stresses of jobs, living situations, and in some cases, children.

    Lightworks Enterprises, president and CEO David Dreilinger says, “We could not be more pleased to work with Michael Apted on this project, produced in the style that he pioneered. This is a further indication of the growth of our organisation and the caliber of award-winning talent that is involved in our programmes..”

    Being Married will premiere in prime time on Hallmark next year.

  • Optimystix to outsource formats at Mipcom this year

    Optimystix to outsource formats at Mipcom this year

    MUMBAI: Format specialist Optimystix plans to go a step further this year by selling its indigenously developed format to production houses in France and US.

    The production boutique hopes the deal will be finalised at Mipcom this year.

    Format shows are currently in vogue in the Indian television market, with every broadcaster having one or more reality format shows running.

    Optimystix co-founder Sanjiv Sharma says, “We were the first production house in India to buy international formats and market them to Indian broadcasters. But this year at Mipcom, we will not only buy formats but also outsource indigenously developed formats to production houses in France and USA.”

    “There are six ideas that our creative team is working on and by March end next year, we will have eight international properties in our kitty,” adds Sharma.
    Optimystix was the first production company in India to tie up with two international format owners to exclusively market their formats in India. Both tie-ups were announced at Mipcom in October 2005.

    One was Zodiak Television, which is a leading international TV-format distributor based in Copenhagen, Denmark.

    Kam Ya Zyaada, which launched on Zee Television on 12 December 2005, was based on a format owned by Zodiak TV, and adapted for India by Optimystix.

    Optimystix will once again be adapting a “Zodiak Format” (Stars on the Stage), which will be launched on Star early next year. “In this show, a trained singer would train a celebrity. For instance, Sunidhi Chauhan will train Ronit Roy and both of them will perform together. The pair will be judged according to its format. Besides this particular format, two other formats will be locked quickly,” informs Sharma.

    The other format owner was Sparks network. But as Sanjiv puts forward. “With Sparks’s network, it was not a tie-up. Rather it was getting on board with 12 independent producers from Europe and one from South America. Optimystix, was the only Asian company in its network.”

    Some of the formats Optimystix has adapted for the Indian market include Khul Ja Sim Sim (Let’s make a deal) on Star Plus, Kismey Kitnaa Hai Dam (Night fever) on Star Plus, Indian Idol (Pop Idol) on Sony, Dum Dum Dum on Nick and Bum Bum Bum Gir Pade Hum on Pogo.

  • 4Kids Entertainment launch HD animated TV series ‘Chaotic’ at Mipcom

    4Kids Entertainment launch HD animated TV series ‘Chaotic’ at Mipcom

    MUMBAI: 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. has set Mipcom 2006 for the global launch of its new high-definition animated action adventure television series Chaotic. As announced by 4Kids Entertainment executive VP International Brian Lacey, the 40 half-hour episode series will be available to international buyers at this year’s market.

    4Kids has exclusive rights to represent Chaotic worldwide across broadcast, home video, music and merchandise licensing. According to Lacey, the high-definition animated kids television series will premiere on 4Kids TV in the US in late September, informs an official release.

    “Chaotic combines the best entertainment qualities of Pokémon – stories with heart and attitude that feature a collectable appeal for kids and Yu-Gi-Oh! – stories that build upon a compelling trading card game,” Lacey added.

    “Chaotic will bring kids around the globe into a multi-dimensional entertainment world – a dynamic trading card game with a high-velocity web interactive element – that serves the interests of kid viewers and the needs of broadcasters alike. A kid-identifiable cast of characters and fast-paced stories, highlighted with conflict, comedy and lots of warmth give this hi-def series the hallmarks of a kids classic. Quite simply, Chaotic breaks new ground in the kids entertainment business.”

    Chaotic transports the viewers into a world filled with fantastic creatures. Magic, suspense and adventure abound in this exciting action series. This series creatively draws upon a dynamic trading card game that elevates the level of interactivity and engagement with and between kids unequalled in an entertainment property. Each Chaotic card has its own unique code, as the codes allow players and collectors to battle and trade cards in their physical and online worlds, adds the release.

    4Kids selected Bardel Entertainment, a Vancouver-based animation company to execute the animated series in hi-def format. With over 15 years experience in animation, Bardel Entertainment’s clients include Dreamworks SKG, Warner Brothers, Fox, Nelvana and Disney Interactive among others.

    4Kids Entertainment, over the past decade has produced and launched such mega-hits as Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles among others.

  • Bennett Media Worldwide announces programming line up at Mipcom 2006

    Bennett Media Worldwide announces programming line up at Mipcom 2006

    MUMBAI: Bennett Media Worldwide (BMW), the Bennett Group’s global distribution operation, has announced at Mipcom 2006, their programming slate for global broadcasters. It will feature three all-new high-defintion series, including Playing In Paradise, Beyond the List and Oh, No! It’s Kato!

    Said BMW president Paul Rich, “The Bennett Group reflects our company’s new industry positioning as a full-fledged, fully-integrated entertainment studio, with all areas of production and distribution all under one corporate ‘roof.’ Through Bennett Group’s four distinct divisions, we have the capacity to take a project from concept through every phase of production and post-production, as well as domestic and international distribution.”

    “Our new high-def line-up further underscores our company as the production leader in this burgeoning format,” said Bennett Productions president Casey Bennett. “We are recognized as a pioneer in the production of HD programming having created and produced high-def series and specials as far back as 1998. Today, Bennett Productions is widely regarded for our HD productions which are backed by complete surround sound audio.”

    The new-to-Mipcom Bennett Media Worldwide slate includes:

    Playing In Paradise – Viewers experience a new dimension of exotic travel as top bikini models guide the audience through the world’s most desirable locations from the Bahamas to Thailand.
    Beyond the List – It covers the hippest threads, cars, gadgets and what it takes to get a sneak peek into the world’s most exclusive lifestyles where only a recognized face or name on the list gains entrance.

    Oh, No! It’s Kato!- After being rejected by Hollywood, Kato Kaelin takes his quick wit and sharp tongue to hot spots around the world in Oh, No! It’s Kato! From crashing the sidelines for the inside story at the Lingerie Bowl to sneaking into the Spring Break bikini pageant in Cancun, viewers are able to join Kato on his mission-possible journeys where the perfect mix of comedy and adventure drive each episode, informs an official release.

    In addition to Bennett Media Worldwide, the newly established Bennett Group, housed at its West Los Angeles headquarters, encompasses: Bennett Productions, the content development and production division that includes state-of-the-art in-house soundstages; Bennett Music, a newly-created producer and supplier of both production and original music that is also home to complete recording studios as well as recording, mixing and mastering facilities utilizing the most current in digital recording technology; and Bennett HD/LA, one of the few fully-HD post-production facilities in Los Angeles.

  • Breakthrough Animation forays into multi-platform programming

    MUMBAI: Breakthrough Animation Inc., a Canadian animation production company, announced at Mipcom 2006 that it will create cutting-edge multi-platform vignettes for three of its most popular animated series, Atomic Betty, Miss BG and Captain Flamingo.

    As announced by Breakthrough Animation Inc., executive producer and managing partner Kevin Gillis, the company is creating high-quality, original programming to ensure that they remains at the forefront of the industry as audiences gravitate toward diversified platforms for entertainment.

    Breakthrough Entertainment will distribute the content to broadcasters and Breakthrough New Media will distribute the mobile content to telecommunication companies and content aggregators for the mobile market, informed an official release.

    The vignettes developed for Atomic Betty will be a combination of humourous, space-based science facts, blooper reels, animated interviews and music videos. Along the lines of the original series, Miss BG’s vignettes will highlight her unconventional perspective on the world, her family and friends. While Captain Flamingo disseminates 101 ways to attain superhero savvy by revealing a sneak-peek into his extraordinary talents.

    “As audiences move toward accessing their content beyond the traditional television broadcast platform we want to provide unique programming for these new mediums. Traditional television content was intended to be viewed on an all-encompassing wide screen format to bring the audience into the program’s world. The advent of portable personal devices has created the opportunity for a one-on-one experience between our characters and our audience. Produced for the mobile screen, we have designed our multi-platform programming to provide distinctive content for these mediums because we believe global audiences will be looking for an original viewing experience that differentiates it from re-purposed fare,” said Gillis.

    Atomic Betty is a co-production between Atomic Cartoons, Breakthrough Animation Inc., and TeleImages Kids, the comedy-adventure animated series has already been licensed worldwide to major broadcasters in over 120 territories. Atomic Betty follows the adventures of Betty, whose double life as “Galactic Guardian and Defender of the Cosmos” takes her on a whirlwind journey through space. Extensive merchandising and licensing deals have been signed including Penguin Books for publishing and Hallmark for greeting cards.

    Miss BG is adapted from the acclaimed “Gudule & les Bébés” book collection authored by Fanny Joly and illustrated by Roser Capdevilla. Miss BG is a co-production between Ellipsanime, Breakthrough Animation, TVO, TFO (Canada) and France 5. Aimed at kids aged 5-8, the 3-D animated TV series centers around the world of Miss BG.

    Captain Flamingo is a co-production between Breakthrough Animation, Heroic Film Company, Atomic Cartoons and Pasi Animation, the animated hit is an original production for YTV Canada. Captain Flamingo follows the adventures of Milo Powell who, tired of being overlooked by big kids, dons his terrycloth cape as Captain Flamingo and saves the day for kids everywhere.

     

  • Sesame Workshop promotes Schneiderman to manager of international TV distribution

    Sesame Workshop promotes Schneiderman to manager of international TV distribution

    MUMBAI: Sesame Workshop has promoted Celia Schneiderman to manager international television distribution. Responsible for program sales in Asia, Latin America, Canada, the Caribbean, and in-flight, Schneiderman will report to Sesame Workshop international television distribution vice president Renee Mascara.

    Schneiderman was recently international television distribution coordinator where she oversaw details of the Workshop’s participation at international television trade shows including Mipcom, MipTV, Natpe, LA Screenings and Asia TV Forum. She was responsible for generating sales reports and served as a liaison to the Workshop’s broadcasters.

    “Since joining Sesame Workshop, Celia has demonstrated a deep interest in learning all aspects of international television sales and has developed a strong knowledge of the market that will be an asset to our broadcasters,” said Mascara.

    Previously, Schneiderman was a research specialist at Cushman & Wakefield where she wrote market reports and provided market analysis information. She also served as an advertising service coordinator at Cahners Publishing.

  • 2929 Entertainment CEO Wagner in Mipcom’s keynote lineup

    2929 Entertainment CEO Wagner in Mipcom’s keynote lineup

    MUMBAI: The television event Mipcom, which takes place in Cannes, France in October has added 2929 Entertainment founder and CEO Todd Wagner to its roster of speakers.

    He will present the digital media distribution keynote Rethinking Hollywood on 10 October. 30 sessions presenting 100 speakers over four days will cover the key issues for TV and content industry professionals, from the Future of TV Commissioning to the Impact of User-Generated Content on the TV business.

    Wagner will share his vision of the future of the Hollywood film industry and discuss how his companies – which include 2929 Productions, Magnolia Pictures/Home Entertainment, Landmark Theatres, HDNet, HDNet Films and HDNet Movies – operate within and outside of the Hollywood system. Wagner’s work includes the collapsing of release windows, a leadership role in the development and roll-out of digital cinema, as well as a slate of critically lauded films such as Good Night and Good Luck and Akeelah and the Bee.

    The companies pioneering ‘day-and-date’ release strategy was successfully launched with the release of the Oscar nominated documentary Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room in theatres and on TV on the same day last year and then again with the acclaimed Steven Soderbergh film Bubble earlier this year.

    Mipcom’s digital media distribution day will explore these new developments through a series of conferences that will kick off with Todd Wagner’s keynote and will be followed by a Superpanel exploring emerging opportunities for digital distribution business for film and television.

    Afternoon sessions will highlight the intricacies of internet movie distribution including business models and presentations from internet TV delivery market leaders.

    Mipcom’s Reshaping Media conferences will focus on four key areas of changing TV landscapes, namely Advertising and Programming, Digital Media Distribution, Mobile TV and User-Generated Content and the Impact of Social Networks.

    The week will feature 6 top keynotes, including Disney’s Anne Sweeney, MGM’s Harry Sloan, Orange’s Sanjiv Ahuja, NBC Universal’s Beth Comstock, and ESPN’s George Bodenheimer in addition to Todd Wagner.

  • Time Warner chairman, CEO Parsons is Mipcom’s Personality of the Year

    Time Warner chairman, CEO Parsons is Mipcom’s Personality of the Year

    MUMBAI: Reed Midem which organises the television event Mipcom in Cannes France has named Time Warner chairman and CEO Richard D. Parsons as the Mipcom 2006 Personality of the Year.

    Parsons will receive the accolade on 11 October. Mipcom takes place from 9 to 13 October 2006 at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes.

    Reed Midem CEO Paul Zilk says, “We are extremely pleased to honour Richard Parsons as our Mipcom Personality of the Year. Under his leadership, Time Warner informs, entertains and connects people all over the globe through its leading brands and programming.

    “In an ever-evolving world defined by constant technological and demographic change, Time Warner – with its long tradition of innovation and creativity – continues to shape not only our industry, but the culture we live in.”

    Parsons says, “I am very honoured to be this year’s Personality of the Year and to join the notable ranks of past honourees. I am particularly pleased to be recognised at Mipcom, the veritable hub of the worldwide television market, which gathers industry leaders together from across the globe.

    “This award is a testament to the more than 85,000 Time Warner employees who are the creative source for all that we do. I dedicate it to them and to the hundreds of millions of people around the world who continue to inspire us to provide the best in entertainment and information in these rapidly changing times.”

  • ‘With cricket action coming up, Sony has initiatives lined up in the digital space’ : Kaushal Modi – Sony Entertainment Television India head licensing & telephony

    ‘With cricket action coming up, Sony has initiatives lined up in the digital space’ : Kaushal Modi – Sony Entertainment Television India head licensing & telephony

    After establishing its digital platform 2525 with a slew of activities in 2004, Sony India’s 2005 plan was to take it to the next level to turn it into a substantial revenue generating model. To drive the strategies, it needed an experienced hand in this space to head the division. The search ended in Kaushal Modi, who was then a key player in arch rival Star India’s digital strategies. Thus, in February 2005, Modi switched to Sony India in the capacity of head, licensing and telephony.

    Going into the second half 2006, Sony’s game plan now mainly revolves around the game of cricket and Modi is banking on the bonanza to contribute significantly to the growth of his digital activities. “With cricket action coming up, Sony has got lots of initiatives lined up in this space. The action will start ticking from October 2006 onwards. We are still working on our plans,” he says.

    On the licensing front, Modi is exploring new markets and under his leadership, Sony has even entered the arena of format sales. “Sony used to sell its shows in the international markets and was never into selling formats. This year, for the first time, we have tried exploring this space with soaps ‘Kaisa Yeh Pyaar Hai’ and ‘Yeh Meri Life Hai’ and the experiment has generated an encouraging response,” says Modi. And he is betting big on new content platforms such as Video on Demand (VoD) and IPTV to drive the growth in this sphere.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Bijoy A K, Modi explains the market scenario, the strategies and the game plan for the year.

    Excerpts:

    This year’s MipTV witnessed the trend of TV producers investing in buying formats as against just broadcasters doing so. Would it make a negative impact on the syndication strategies of broadcasters?
    Yes. Earlier, broadcasters used to drive these activities at MipTV. But, now, the scenario has undergone a change. There are many international format companies, which are very keen on the Indian market. While bigger companies such as Endemol and Fremantle do have direct access to the Indian market through their offices in the country, some of their smaller counterparts — who don’t have direct access to India — depend on markets such as MipTV and Mipcom. This is the international scenario right now.

    Coming to the second part of your question, this trend doesn’t make a difference to our business strategies. We are content aggregators and not content creators. The format owners are never in a position to squeeze money out of their clients. It is up to the broadcaster (buyer) to pick up a format or not.

    Sony has taken its two shows – Kaisa Yeh Pyaar Hai and Yeh Meri Life Hai, which are not game shows – to MipTV in Cannes this year for the purpose of syndication and formatting. How was the experience? Have you struck deals with international companies?
    Earlier, Sony used to sell its shows in the international markets and was never into selling formats. Now, this year, we have kicked off our format syndication activities. We tried exploring this space with soaps Kaisa Yeh Pyaar Hai and Yeh Meri Life Hai and the experiment has generated an encouraging response. We haven’t signed any buyer yet, but there are enquiries from various foreign broadcasters. Some of the Asian and European (Germany and Poland) have expressed interest in the format. They want to recreate the content, giving it a local treatment. The talks are still going on.

    Please comment on the demand for our homegrown properties abroad? Do you keep the international market also in mind, while developing original formats?
    The advent of new technologies is changing the face of the international content syndication market. In the international market, new content platforms including Video on Demand (VOD) and IPTV have been boosting this business segment. The new technology helps the content aggregator to target niche consumer segments, however small in size they are.

    For example, if you have 5000 Indians living in a certain area in Japan and you want to target them with your content, you can do that with the help of these new technologies. Thus, you have a viable business model in hand. This has opened up new markets across the globe.

    Speaking about the potential of Indian properties in the international markets, there is a significant Indian diaspora – though not critical enough to drive the business — supporting the trade. Genre-wise, I would say there is a stress on movies.

    South East Asia has always been the strong traditional market for Indian content. But now, with the advent of new content platforms, Europe and Africa have also started showing interest in our content. European channels such as RTL2 (Germany) have been showing a lot of interest in Indian content. As I mentioned earlier, there is a demand for movies. But, at the same time, some of these European channels now want to try shorter series as well.

    Hence, developing homegrown properties, which can be saleable in the international markets also, sounds a lucrative idea. But, our main focus continues to be India and the strategy has always been to leverage on the original Indian content. For us, the Indian viewer always comes first while conceptualising ideas.

    What will be the size of the content syndication market with regard to Indian television? Please speak on the market dynamics including growth potential and competition.
    It is a highly fragmented market in India and it will be very difficult to put any number to it. Apart from the three or four big players, there are several medium-sized companies and then hundreds of smaller players including sub-brokers. The traditional syndication market is stagnant. New content platforms will drive the business. This will be driving almost 50 per cent of the revenues in the near future.

    Competition is there in all forms, whether it is producers or broadcasters. Speaking about Sony’s content syndication plan, I would say we haven’t yet exploited the segment to the full extent. We have just started. Healthy competition definitely helps. With competition, you have new markets opening up across the globe. Players keep moving, looking for greener pastures.
    ‘The advent of new technologies is changing the face of the international content syndication market‘

    How much does the content syndication business contributes to Sony India’s kitty?
    It is definitely not a topline driver for Sony. It is more of a bottomline driver. Though it contributes a miniscule compared to other revenue streams, it plays a significant role in the total scheme of things. It creates a market value for the channel. It creates added revenue opportunities through an existing property. We have to keep in mind that, here the channel is not making any new investments.

    Speaking about the future potential, content syndication & licensing will contribute well to drive exponential growth.

    Star India recently revamped its short code 7827 and looks very aggressive on its interactive and digital plans. What can we expect from Sony this year in this space?
    With cricket action coming up, Sony has got lots of initiatives lined up in this space. The action will start ticking from October 2006 onwards. We are still working on our plans.

    Speaking about our digital presence, Sony already has a Wap site. But we haven’t been promoting it much since the Wap technology is still in its nascent stage of growth in India. Hence, we haven’t been banking on the Wap site much to drive user downloads. A good percentage of our content download happens through the telecom operator sites. We are also weighing options to launch a mobile voice platform.

    Please elaborate on your digital and wireless strategy
    The entire department has been created to leverage the opportunities this space offers. Sony envisages that, the future is going to be digital. New technologies driven by mobile phones, iPods and other handheld devices will spearhead an exponential growth. The atmosphere is very encouraging since mobile connectivity in the country has really picked up. Keeping the changes in mind, we are closely working to build a digital content bank and making our programming and content available across all the available platforms. The thrust will be on creating a dedicated mobile and internet community.

    Convergence of television and portals appears to be the latest mantra for entertainment. Please elaborate on Sony’s plans and the progress in this segment.
    We have our online presence in setindia.com. To offer content through broadband, we have tied up with SifyMax. This association helps us to offer some of our popular shows such as Fame Gurukul and Indian Idol through broadband. This way, we are able to capitalise on the significance of SifyMax as a popular destination for online content. This is a win-win situation for both of us. We also have content associations with Indiatimes and Tata VSNL.

    How do you plan to leverage Set India’s programming portfolio with the mobile initiatives? Are there plans to make mobisodes out of your popular soaps?
    I would say, the Indian market is yet to see a proper mobisode. The mobisode revolution is still bit away in the horizon as the technology is not yet ready to accommodate it. What we all have been doing is, repurposing our content for mobile phone. And the advantage: you can target different audience segments with various niche products made out of a single programme.

    Globally, most of the mobile companies are getting out of the content sector to focus on their main areas of strength. In India also, should mobile operators have to move out of the content space? Please offer your take on this.
    The international market has been witnessing lots of alignments between content providers and the technology companies. Internationally, we have entertainment companies sticking on to content operations, while technology companies concentrating on the technical aspects. Obviously, you can’t lay your hands on both the businesses because it is difficult to focus on these diverse segments. The same applies to the Indian market as well.

    Are you looking to partner international companies in the digital space? What is your take on the global scenario?
    Sony in talks with some of the players for digital distribution of content and we have already got Jump TV on board in this space. We are in advanced stages of talks with some of the European and US players and an announcement in this regard will be made soon.
    What are the issues that will foster an even faster mobile market growth in India?
    What is critical is creating best practices and formula for the industry. Industry practices should be standardised so that, it will encourage the players to roll out a variety of services. There should be flexibility in pricing. There is huge potential in areas such as voice offerings and subscription services. By working together as a team, we can capitalise on the huge growth potential the space offers.
    Will web streaming as a concept catch up in India?
    Web streaming is yet to catch up in the country because of the bandwidth issues. But, with falling broadband prices, it has got a huge potential to deliver, especially in the area of interactivity. If the government’s bandwidth targets for the fiscal are met, the market would undergo a tremendous change.
  • Sweeney, Bodenheimer to deliver keynotes at Mipcom

    Sweeney, Bodenheimer to deliver keynotes at Mipcom

    MUMBAI: The upcoming television trade event Mipcom 2006 which takes place in Cannes from 9-13 October has announced four keynote speakers.

    This year’s conference programme is called Reshaping Media. The speakers include ESPN US president George Bodenheimer, Disney-ABC Television Group president Anne Sweeney, NBC Universal president, digital media and market development Beth Comstock and MGM chairman and CEO Harry Sloan.

    This year’s programme will focus on the changing landscape for traditional TV programming and the advertising business, film financing and distribution, as well as exploring the new opportunities offered by internet TV and mobile TV.

    Named the Most Powerful Woman in Entertainment by The Hollywood Reporter, one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business by Fortune and one of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women by Forbes, Sweeney is responsible for Disney’s entertainment and news television properties globally. Under her guidance ABC went from strength to strength with shows like Desperate Housewives and Lost.

    At Mipcom Sweeney will share her vision of the future and the impact of digital on all forms of media. She will offer an insight on the changing landscape of television and evolving consumer demands.

    As part of a new conference focus at Mipcom 2006 highlighting new financing and distribution opportunities for film Sloan, will present the new invigorated MGM business strategy to hundreds of Mipcom delegates. A core business for MGM, Sloan will be addressing the new opportunities for cinema in television distribution, channel operations, home entertainment and new media. Sloan headed three media companies before joining MGM in October 2005. They were SBS Broadcasting, Lions Gate Entertainment and New World Entertainment.

    Comstock drives NBC Universal’s digital strategy and leads the company’s content and distribution efforts across new and emerging digital platforms. In her keynote speech, she will discuss NBC Universal’s 360 degree content approach to capitalise on opportunities in the digital age and strategy for success in this era of the pull consumer.

    Bodenheimer will be looking into the reasons and strategy behind the growth of the ESPN brand as part of the day’s spotlight on cross-platform and mobile content. Bodenheimer was named president of ESPN in 1998 and his focus on creativity and cutting-edge innovation has led the company to expand its brand to over 50 business entities.