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Fox, Disney and Discovery talk about the challenges of programming globally

June 16, 2011

Maribel Ramos-Weiner


(Maribel Ramos-Weiner, Chicago). During the panel discussion “Will it Play in Perugia: Cable Programming´s Global Ambitions,” three content companies, Fox, Disney and Discovery, talked about their experience programming for the different markets worldwide.Staci Kramer, Editor and Executive VP of ContentNext Media moderated the discussion. Panel members included Hernán López, President and COO of Fox International Channels; Carolina Lightcap, President of Disney Channels Worldwide; and Mark Hollinger, President and CEO de Discovery Networks International.When asked about which type of content was most successful in other markets, Hollinger said there always differences in every market. For Discovery, more extreme content has worked well in Europe, where the main audience is males younger than in Latin America, but content such as Shark Week proves successful in all markets.López said entertainment and drama “travel” well, but comedy not so much; and cooking shows with an entertainment component are well received everywhere.Lightcap said Disney’s efforts have been directed to scripted shows, not realities. A shows like Phineas and Ferb have been successful globally because they have made a great effort to adapt the dialog to each market to make it relevant.Regarding places to grow, López says they are everywhere: “We see growth in Europe, Latin America, and U.S. Hispanic.” For Hollinger, there is growth potential in the emerging C segment in Brazil.